UEFA confirm referee for Atletico Madrid v Man United, it’s terrible news for Carrick
Manchester United are preparing to face Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium on Tuesday, 13 October, in their second Champions League game. The Red Devils qualified for the premier European club competition this season after finishing third in the Premier League last campaign.
Unfortunately, the Premier League giants have struggled to get going this season, despite investing over £150 million in midfield over the summer. Saturday’s disappointing 1-1 draw against 10-man Tottenham Hotspur was United’s third draw in six Premier League games, only one of which they have managed to win.
The Red Devils also exited the EFL Cup in the third round at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion, who secured a 3-2 comeback win. However, United have started their Champions League campaign strongly, securing a 4-0 win over Sabah in the first league-phase game.
Michael Carrick will be eager to maintain the standards in Europe this week, and an official update regarding the game has now emerged.
UEFA announce match officials for United game
According to UEFA, Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg will be in charge of United’s game against Atletico Madrid. Assistant referees for the game are Swedish duo Mahbod Beigi and Andreas Söderkvist.
Kristoffer Karlsson has been named the fourth official for the game, while Dutchman Pol van Boekel will be the Video Assistant Referee. He will be joined by fellow Dutchman Dennis Higler, who will serve as Assistant Video Assistant Referee.
Tuesday’s tie will be Nyberg’s second match of the current season. He was also in charge of the game between Arsenal and Napoli on Matchday One last month.
The Swedish referee came under the spotlight for some of his decision-making in the game, with Eberechi Eze escaping a yellow card early on. It has now emerged that United have a surprisingly poor record under Nyberg.
United’s poor record under Nyberg
According to Mundo Deportivo, Nyberg has overseen three United games to date, and the Premier League giants are yet to win any. The last game officiated by the Swedish referee was the 2024/25 Europa League quarter-final first leg between the Red Devils and Lyon, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Nyberg was also in charge of United’s 4-3 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stages in the 2023/24 season. Beigi and Söderkvist were the assistant referees in that game as well.
Meanwhile, the report points out that Atletico Madrid also have a poor record under the Swedish official, as they are yet to win a game he has officiated.
Final Thoughts
United are heading into a fixture-congested period, during which they will have to play seven games in less than a month. While Saturday’s result was not ideal, it is important that Carrick and Co. focus on the positives and regroup quickly for the Champions League tie.
