Join the World's #1 Newsletter for Officials

Never miss a beat in the officiating world! Get top news, expert advice, product savings, and more every week.

As Real Madrid prepares to host Arsenal in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, UEFA has appointed an experienced officiating team to oversee the high-stakes encounter at the Santiago Bernabéu.

‍

Referee: François Letexier (France)

French official François Letexier will take charge of the match, marking his fifth time officiating a Champions League game involving Real Madrid. His previous assignments with Los Blancos include:

A 2–0 defeat to Liverpool (2024/25 group stage)
A 3–3 draw with Manchester City (2023/24 quarterfinal first leg)
A 4–2 victory over Napoli (2023/24 group stage)
A 2–0 win against Chelsea (2022/23 quarterfinal first leg)

This will be Letexier's first time officiating a match involving Arsenal.

‍

Assistant Referees

Cyril Mugnier (France)
Mehdi Rahmouni (France)

Both assistants are regular collaborators with Letexier in domestic and international fixtures.

‍

Fourth Official

Stéphanie Frappart (France)

Frappart, a trailblazer in officiating, will manage the technical areas and assist with administrative duties during the match.

‍

Video Assistant Referee (VAR)

Jérôme Brisard (France)

‍

Assistant VAR (AVAR)

Bastien Dechepy (France)

The all-French VAR team will oversee video reviews to ensure accurate decision-making throughout the game.

‍

First Leg Recap

In the first leg at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal secured a commanding 3–0 victory over Real Madrid. Declan Rice scored two remarkable free-kick goals, and Mikel Merino added a third, putting the Gunners in a strong position to advance to the semifinals.

‍

Match Details

Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Time: 21:00 CET
Venue: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid

With a place in the Champions League semifinals at stake, both teams will be aiming for a decisive performance under the supervision of a seasoned officiating crew.

TestimonialS

Why Assignors Choose Refr Sports

"Referees get paid directly through the platform"

"Referees get paid directly through the platform, relieving me and my sports organizations of the burden of handling payments and tax forms. Once they use it and see how it works, they're so happy and relieved."

Christine Francis

Kansas City Soccer Assignor

"Their customer support is outstanding"

“Refr Sports' customer service and app differentiate them from the rest! All of our emails, phone calls, and requests were answered very quickly. Their customer support is outstanding.”

Kelli Linnerooth

Minneapolis Baseball Sports Organization Head

"Genuine interest in serving the officiating community"

“After researching many different official’s platforms, we decided to work with Refr Sports because of their genuine interest in serving the sports and officiating community."

Jessie Ward

Spokane Sports

"It just works"

"Refr Sports has made things so much easier. The payment process is streamlined, everything is trackable, and officials love the app. Once the word got out, we doubled the number of officials signing up to use the platform. It just works."

Dennis Barela

Behind the Flag | Dream Big Officials

"Helped me schedule my entire season in less than 2 hours "

“The system helped me upload and schedule my entire season in less than 2 hours time! The fee we pay is more than worth it. Switching to Refr has made a night-and-day difference for our organization.”

Megan Jacobson

Catholic Athletic Association

"They’ve been hands-on and supportive from the beginning"

"My league is small, but Refr and their team have given me plenty of attention in helping me get started and feel confident using the system. They’ve been hands-on and supportive from the beginning, and the platform continues to run smoothly."

Steve Gatesman

Arkansas Soccer Assignor

"It makes getting paid super convenient"

"I love tracking my earnings through the mobile app. It makes getting paid super convenient. The new mapping feature has also been a big help!"

Dawson Weleski

Baseball Umpire

"It has eliminated time spent on taxes"

"The billing process has made my officials extremely happy due to the consistency and ability to track it on their phones. It has also saved me a ton of time on the invoicing side and eliminated my time spent on taxes"

Joe Kulas

MinnDak Officials

"I’m telling every assignor I know"

"Refr is something you really need to look into. It’s so much easier than the alternatives, and everyone appreciates what you’re doing with payment automation."