Who Is the Referee for Real Madrid vs Manchester City? Meet Francois Letexier, Officiating Los Blancos for the 3rd Time

For soccer fans, the agonizing wait is nearly over. In just over 48 hours, Manchester City take on Real Madrid, and the recent results of this fixture sparked a lot of excitement. Both teams are in the hunt for league trophies as well, hence this matchup could have a significant influence on their remaining season. Considering the heavyweight nature of the tie, tempers are expected to flare. Hence, the responsibility of the man with the whistle increases. For this match, Francois Letexier has just been announced as the referee. But who is he and where is he from? Let’s find out.

François Letexier is a French referee who plies his trade in Ligue 1. He has been categorized by UEFA as an elite referee. His first match in the job came in 2016 in the tie between Montpellier and Caen. Later in 2017, he made his way into the FIFA Referees list. His most high-profile game came as he was appointed the VAR referee for the Manchester United vs Villareal Europa Final in 2021. Incidentally, this game sparked a lot of celebrations in Manchester City.

Letexier has been sort of a good luck charm for Real Madrid. The Los Blancos enjoy a 100% record in all their games officiated by the Frenchman. The first of the matches was against Chelsea in 2022/23 where Ancelotti & Co won 2-0. The other match was this season against Napoli as Madrid beat them 4-2. Moreover, Letexier has also overseen a Manchester City match, their UEFA Super Cup tie against Sevilla last year.

The calm head and experience of François Letexier will be vital in such a game. Refereeing mistakes could be decisive on such a stage and Real Madrid was not at all happy with officials in the particular fixture last year.

The refereeing decision that turned the tie for Manchester City in the 2022/23 UCL

Real Madrid and Manchester City faced off last year in a mouthwatering semi-final tie. The first leg was at the Santiago Bernabeu and Real Madrid took the lead through a Vinicius Junior wonder-strike. However, their celebrations were cut short soon. Kevin De Bruyne equalized for Manchester City but it was not without controversy. Minutes before the Belgian’s strike, the ball had gone out of play, at least as per Ancelotti.

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The Italian manager said, “It looked like [the ball] was out. And before that, there was a corner which [the referee] didn’t give. The referee wasn’t very attentive.” Ancelotti also vented his frustration at the referee during the match and received a yellow card for his antics. A draw at the Bernabeu significantly boosted the confidence in Pep Guardiola’s side. Real Madrid went to the Etihad and it was a match they would want to forget. Manchester City thrashed Los Blancos 4-0 and went on to win the UCL. To this date, the fateful refereeing decisions are still being talked about among the Real Madrid faithful.

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