UEFA has appointed Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai for the Champions League semifinal first leg between Bayern Munic and Barcelona.
Kassai has established a strong reputation for himself in recent years, officiating in both Euro 2012 and the 2010 World Cup, and he became the youngest man to referee a top-flight game in Hungary at the age of 23 in 1998.
The 37-year-old will be assisted by an all-Hungarian team, including Gabor Eros, Gyorgy Ring, Robert Kispal and Tamas Bognar – all of whom were officiating when Barcelona overcame Manchester United 3-1 at the 2011 final at Wembley – while Mihaly Fabian completes the officiating lineup.
In addition to 2011′s final, Kassai also refereed the Blaugrana’s 4-0 Champions League round of 16 win over AC Milan in March, so Catalunya may consider him something of a lucky omen – although his appointment is unlikely to be welcomed in Munich.
The Hungarian took charge of last season’s semifinal between the Bavarians and Real Madrid, and he awarded a controversial penalty against David Alaba for a perceived handball, with the ensuing booking ruling the defender out of the final against Chelsea. Luiz Gustavo and Holger Badstuber were then issued yellow cards in extra time, also ruling them out the final at the Allianz.
Kassai has overseen five Champions League games this season, showing 27 yellow cards and no reds.
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