Back to the Soccer Newsfeed

UEFA appoint referee for Champions League second leg between Barcelona and Arsenal

The Champions League second leg match between Barcelona and Arsenal has a whistle blower.

UEFA announced the appointment of Russian referee Sergei Karasev to oversee this Wednesday's encounter at Camp Nou which will decide one of the last eight teams in the European Cup. The 37-year-old is a FIFA referee since 2010 and has officiated 56 international matches in his career.

Karasev has mostly been designated to smaller matches, mostly involving youth national teams and Europa League games. In the last few years, however, the Russian has climbed the ladder and started to get more opportunities in the top flight of Europe, including a few EURO qualifiers and Champions League games.