Who is the referee for Celtic v Kairat Almaty? 'Card happy' official confirmed for UCL clash plus VAR details
Who is the referee for Celtic v Kairat Almaty in the Champions League playoff tie on Wednesday?
Celtic will look to put one foot into the Champions League when they welcome Kairat Almaty to Celtic Park in the first leg of the competition’s final qualification round on Wednesday night.
Brendan Rodgers’ side have enjoyed a positive start to their new season, winning all three of their opening domestic games, though all focus will now turn to ensuring they secure their place in Europe’s elite competition as they host the Kazakhstan Premier League outfit in the Champions League playoffs.
The Hoops boss will head into the game with almost a fully fit squad, with only long-term injury victim Jota (ACL) missing from the squad. Kasper Schmeichel, Benjamin Nygren, Reo Hatate, and Adam Idah are all in line for recalls after being rested for the 4-1 win over Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup last Friday.
The visitors are without Belarusian midfielder Valery Gromyko due to suspension, while the Kazakhs are also sweating on the inclusion of centre-back Yegor Sorokin, who is awaiting final clearance over a UK Visa.
Ahead of the game, we look at who UEFA has confirmed as the match officials for Wednesday’s big game at Celtic Park:
Who is the referee for Celtic v Kairat Almaty?
The man in the middle for the game will be Espen Eskås of Norway, who has officiated in the Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League, FIFA Club World Cup, and the Nations League in the last 12 months. He took charge of 13 games across international and European competition during the 24/25 season, issuing a total of 51 yellow cards (an average of 3.92 per game) and three red cards (0.23 per game).
Known as a ‘card happy’ referee, Eskås is noted for a high frequency of issuing yellow cards, with an average of 2.82 per game across 337 matches (951 yellows total). That said, he is also viewed as one of UEFA’s most trusted referees, taking charge of numerous high-profile game, such as the FIFA under-17 World Cup 2023 final between France and Germany and the European under-21 Championship final 2023 between England and Spain. He also refereed the 2024 Olympic Games bronze medal game, alongside recent games involving Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund.
The last time Eskås refereed a Celtic game was in October 2022, where he took charge of the Champions League group stage match against RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena, which the Hoops lost 3-1. In that game, he awarded just two yellow cards. He also officiated Rangers’ Europa League second leg against Fenerbahce last season at Ibrox.
Celtic v Kairat Almaty VAR and match officials
Eskås will be assisted by an all Norwegian teams of officials, which include Jan Erik Engan and Anders Olav Dale as assistant referees, with Marius Hansen Grøtta as the fourth official. On VAR duties it Dutch official Dennis Higler, and he will be assisted by fellow countryman Erwin Blank.
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