Manchester United’s referee vs Fenerbahce left Edinson Cavani livid with a 2021 decision

Manchester United have seen the referee for their Europa League tie against Fenerbahce confirmed, and it’s a man who left Edinson Cavani fuming in 2021.

Manchester United return to Europa League action on Thursday evening with an away trip to Fenerbahce for their third group stage match.

United have had a tough start to the competition, drawing their first two games against FC Twente and FC Porto, which has led to mounting criticism of Erik ten Hag’s tactics and leadership.

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However, the Red Devils showed signs of improvement over the weekend, delivering a strong second-half performance to come from behind and beat Brentford in the Premier League at Old Trafford.

This match against Fenerbahce adds extra spice with a reunion on the cards: former United boss Jose Mourinho, who left the club in 2018, now leads the Turkish side. Fenerbahce also feature two familiar faces in Fred and Sofyan Amrabat, both of whom previously played under Ten Hag at United.

The match officials for the fixture have now been confirmed below.

Confirmed officials

French official Clément Turpin (pictured below) will referee on Thursday afternoon in Istanbul. Turpin has officiated three UEFA matches this season, including one Europa League tie and four in Ligue 1.

Turpin has officiated United four times in his refereeing career so far, the most notable one being the 2021 Europa League final. In it, he left Edinson Cavani livid after deeming that the striker had Dani Parejo in the 29th minute.

Villareal went on to score from the free-kick and eventually won the tie on penalties after a David de Gea miss. He also officiated a 0-0 draw against Sevilla in the Champions League in 2018, a 1-0 Europa League win over FC Copenhagen in 2020, and most recently, the famous 2-1 win over Barcelona at Old Trafford in 2023.

Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pagès will be on the sidelines as Turpin’s assistant referees during the game. Jérémy Stinat has been handed the fourth official job, separating Ten Hag and Mourinho on Thursday evening.

Jérôme Brisard has been appointed as the Video Assistant Referee. Jérémie Pignard will act as assistant VAR.

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