The Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) has announced the appointment of a national refereeing team for the Europa League matchday three fixture between Belgium's Union Saint-Gilloise and Israel's Hapoel. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA with reference to the UAF. The match is scheduled for October 22 and, notably, will take place not in Belgium, but on a neutral field — at the Dusseldorf Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany. Thus, Ukrainian referees once again find themselves among the crews officiating key European cup matches of the current season.
Crew Composition: Balakin, Berkut, and Matiash
Mykola Balakin has been appointed as the main referee of the match. He will be assisted on the sidelines by Oleksii Berkut and Viktor Matiash, while the duties of the fourth official are assigned to Dmytro Panchyshyn. This configuration — an experienced main referee in the center and trusted assistants on the lines — is typical for Ukrainian crews that UEFA regularly engages to officiate club tournament matches. A photograph of the crew in green referee kits against the background of the arena stands captures precisely this lineup.
Video Replays: The Fabbri and Kopievskyi Tandem
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system for this match will be handled by two officials: Italy's Michael Fabbri and Ukraine's Viktor Kopievskyi. Combining a referee from another country with a Ukrainian specialist in the VAR zone is a standard UEFA practice that enhances the objectivity of decisions on controversial episodes. For Kopievskyi, this is another opportunity to cement the positions of Ukrainian referees in the European competition video review system.
Neutral Field: Why Dusseldorf
The venue of the match deserves special attention. Instead of Union Saint-Gilloise's home stadium, the fixture has been moved to the Dusseldorf Arena in Germany. Relocating matches involving Israeli clubs to neutral venues in recent seasons has become a common practice for UEFA and national federations in the interest of the safety of teams, staff, and fans. For the referees, this means working under conditions of heightened attention to match organization and logistics, but the very fact of the Ukrainian crew's appointment underlines the trust in their qualifications.
Context: Other Appointments of Ukrainian Referees
The appointment for the Union Saint-Gilloise vs. Hapoel match is not the only active area of work for Ukrainian referees this current season. According to specialized publications, the crew led by Mykola Balakin also figures in appointments for Nations League matches, including fixtures featuring the national teams of Denmark, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Sweden. The combination of these appointments indicates that Ukrainian referees consistently rank among the pool of officials whom UEFA trusts to officiate matches across various tournaments — from club European cups to national team games.
When and Where to Follow the Match
The Europa League matchday three fixture between Union Saint-Gilloise and Hapoel will take place on October 22 at the Dusseldorf Arena in Dusseldorf. Mykola Balakin will serve as the main referee, the lines will be handled by Oleksii Berkut and Viktor Matiash, Dmytro Panchyshyn will be the fourth official, and Michael Fabbri and Viktor Kopievskyi will be responsible for VAR. For Ukrainian fans, this is another reason to pay attention to the work of the national refereeing crew on the European stage.
