UEFA confirm Manchester United vs FC Twente referee as alarming statistic emerges

UEFA have confirmed the match referees as Erik ten Hag prepares Manchester United to face FC Twente in the Europa League at Old Trafford.

Following a goalless draw against Crystal Palace, Manchester United will launch their Europa League campaign at Old Trafford, facing FC Twente.

Erik ten Hag‘s team will play eight matches in the group stage, with the top teams advancing to the knockout rounds.

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Though this is their first competitive meeting, Ten Hag is very familiar with FC Twente, where he made 257 appearances as a centre-back during three stints with the club between 1989 and 2002.

Ten Hag, in a recent press conference, once again vented about the ever-increasing number of fixtures that squads are expected to play, with two more games having been added to this stage of the Europa League.

“I think, as a club alone, you can’t change this,” he explained on Tuesday morning. “It’s more about the total industry.

“It’s about clubs, and players, and coaches, and so many others, who are there in the environment of football, who have to work on this to improve the game, but of course to find the right balance, because, in the end of the day, it’s financial. And also, we are professional, so revenues have to come. But, yeah, we have to balance this out.”

The referees for the fixture have been confirmed.

Match officials

Italian official Simone Sozza (pictured below) will referee on Wednesday at Old Trafford. Sozza, who mainly referees in the Serie A, is no stranger to handing out yellow cards.

In the six fixtures he has officiated so far this season, he has handed out 30 yellow cards and awarded three penalties. 15 of these cards were issued in two Champions League qualifying fixtures, with ten being issued in a tie between Ludogorets and Qarabag FK.

This may be somewhat alarming for Ten Hag and his men, who must be careful on the Old Trafford turf under Sozza’s watch.

Giovanni Baccini and Davide Imperiale will be on the sidelines, acting as Sozza’s assistant referees during the game. Marcenaro has been handed the fourth official job, separating Erik ten Hag and Joseph Oosting on Wednesday evening.

Daniele Chiffi has been appointed as the video assistant referee. Luca Pairetto will act as assistant VAR.

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