Referee Shuffle: All-Italian Crew to Handle Barcelona vs Newcastle in Champions League
8 March 2026
Referee lineup for Barcelona vs Newcastle in the Champions League
UEFA has announced the refereeing crew for the Barcelona vs Newcastle first leg at St James’ Park, scheduled for Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
The Catalan side arrive for the clash following a 1-0 La Liga victory over Athletic Bilbao on Matchday 27 this past Saturday, while Newcastle slipped to a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
UEFA has appointed an all-Italian officiating team to oversee the match, both on the pitch and in the Video Assistant Referee room.
According to the competition’s official site, the match will be refereed by Italian Marco Guida.
Guida will be assisted by Giuseppe Perotti and Giorgio Peretti, with Matteo Marcenaro as the fourth official, and Daniele Chiffi and Marco Di Bello in the VAR room.
Guida has never presided over a Newcastle match in the Champions League, while he has officiated Barcelona once — a 3-2 loss to Club Brugge in the group stage finale in December 2023 — a result that did not prevent the Catalans from advancing to the knockout rounds.
Punchline time: if the whistle ever runs out of batteries, the VAR will surely recharge the drama. And remember, in football as in life, stay offside — unless you’re chasing a punchline.
