A Ukrainian refereeing team led by Viktor Kopyievskyi has been appointed to officiate a UEFA Conference League main stage match. This was reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the official UEFA website. This serves as further confirmation that the domestic refereeing corporation continues to be regularly selected for European club tournament matches.
Team composition: who will work on the sidelines and VAR
Viktor Kopyievskyi will serve as the main referee for the third round of the Conference League main stage between Latvia's FC Riga and Czech club Jablonec. He will be assisted on the sidelines by compatriots Semen Shlonchak and Dmytro Zaporozhenko, with Dmytro Kubriak serving as the fourth official. Ukraine will also be represented in the video assistant referee team: Mykola Balakin and Denys Shurman will be responsible for the VAR system and video review.
Match details: date, venue, and kickoff
The Riga vs Jablonec match will take place on November 5th at the Skonto Stadium in the Latvian capital. Kickoff is scheduled for 22:00 Kyiv time. The Ukrainian refereeing team will thus take the field during the third round of the main tournament stage, which is part of the Conference League's main round for both teams.
Kopyievskyi's recent high-profile match
One of Viktor Kopyievskyi's recent notable assignments was the Ukrainian Cup Round of 16 match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv. In that game, the Miners won 3-0, and the referee sent off three players from the capital's club. This episode became one of the most discussed topics in domestic football and once again drew attention to the Ukrainian referee's performance in high-stakes matches.
Importance of appointments for Ukrainian officiating
The regular selection of Ukrainian referees for Conference League and other European tournament matches indicates the trust UEFA places in the domestic refereeing corporation. Having a full team — from the head referee to the VAR crew — allows Ukraine to represent the country fully on international platforms and strengthen its standing in European football officiating.
