Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov has been appointed to officiate the Champions League match between LOSC Lille and Real Betis Balompié. The league phase fixture will take place on Tuesday, 8 September at 21:00 at the Stade Pierre Mauroy. The Verdiblancos enter this European contest on the back of a strong start in La Liga.
Georgi Kabakov is a 40-year-old Bulgarian international referee born in Plovdiv. His elite career began in 2013 when he received his FIFA badge, and he now has 13 years of experience at the top level. In Spanish football, Kabakov has taken charge of matches involving six different clubs: Sevilla, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Valencia, and Villarreal. The record in those games is two wins for Spanish sides, three draws, and just one loss.
His history with French clubs, however, tells a different story. Kabakov has refereed three matches involving Ligue 1 teams, all ending in home victories: Toulouse, Olympique Lyonnais, and Lille itself. Earlier this year, he also officiated the March friendly between Spain and Egypt, which ended in a 0 - 0 draw at the RCDE Stadium in Cornellá, with Pablo Fornals starting for Spain.
Real Betis approaches this debut in the new Champions League league phase with confidence but aware of the challenge posed by an away game. Manuel Pellegrini's team has shown solid form in the early league season. For overall numbers, Betis has scored 5 goals and conceded 5, maintaining a neutral goal difference.
This match is the first in a demanding week, which continues next weekend with a visit to Villarreal on 14 September.
Kabakov will not be alone on the pitch. The Bulgarian official will be assisted by his compatriots Martin Margaritov and Martin Venev on the lines. The fourth official will be another Bulgarian, Radoslav Gidzhenov. For video decisions, UEFA has appointed Dutch official Bram Van Driessche as the VAR referee, assisted by Croatia's Ivan Bebek. This experienced officiating team will bear the responsibility of managing a key match for both sides' ambitions in the competition.
The appointment of Kabakov adds an interesting layer to an already attractive duel. Betis will aim to break the favourable trend for French teams under his whistle and start their European campaign on the right foot. The match in Lille is the first step in a group of maximum demand.
