The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has appointed the refereeing team for the Champions League league phase matchday 3 fixture between Italian club Inter Milan and Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk. The match, taking place on Wednesday, October 21, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, has been entrusted to a German refereeing crew led by 41-year-old Harm Osmers. This was reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the official European football website.
Main Referee: Who is Harm Osmers
Harm Osmers has been officiating on the international stage since 2020 and has established himself as one of the most sought-after referees in Germany. Outside of his football career, he works professionally in the financial sector as an investment consultant. In match photographs, Osmers appears in the signature turquoise referee jersey with a FIFA badge on his chest, demonstrating confident and clear gestures when making decisions on the pitch.
Full Refereeing Team Lineup
The assistant referees on the sidelines will be Christian Gittelmann and Christian Dietz. The fourth official duties in Milan will be performed by Florian Exner. Robert Schröder is in charge of the video assistant referee (VAR) system, with Benjamin Brand appointed as his assistant. Thus, the entire refereeing crew consists of German specialists, which is characteristic of UEFA's referee assignments this season.
Osmers' Experience with Ukrainian Teams
Harm Osmers already has experience officiating matches involving Ukrainian clubs. In December 2024, this exact German referee officiated a Europa League league phase match between Spanish side Real Sociedad and Dynamo Kyiv. In that game, the Spanish club secured a dominant 3-0 victory. For Shakhtar fans, this fact might draw extra attention to the referee's work, although every match is an independent event with its own context.
Standings Ahead of the Match
The two opponents approach the clash in noticeably different tournament standings. Shakhtar Donetsk has collected 4 points after two Champions League matches and sits in 11th place in the overall table. Inter Milan, conversely, has not yet won a single match and lies in 29th position in the rankings. Such a gap in the standings makes the fixture especially intriguing: Shakhtar needs to prove its competitiveness, while Inter must secure points to avoid falling behind the leaders.
Match Details
The opening whistle at the San Siro will sound at 22:00 Kyiv time. The match will be a key event of the sports week for Ukrainian and Italian fans alike. Earlier, Sport RBC.UA published an overview of the top Champions League matchday 3 games worth watching this week, and the Inter vs Shakhtar fixture holds a central place in it.
