Georgi Kabakov has been appointed by UEFA to officiate the upcoming Europa League qualifier between "Besiktas" and "Shakhtar Donetsk". The 39-year-old Bulgarian referee will lead his countrymen in Istanbul for the first leg of the second qualifying round match scheduled for July 24.
"We aim to maintain consistency and fairness in all European competitions," stated UEFA through its official tournament website when announcing the referee assignments.
Kabakov won't be alone in his duties at Besiktas Stadium. His Bulgarian colleagues Martin Margaritov and Martin Venev will serve as assistant referees, while Radoslav Gidzhenov takes the role of fourth official. The VAR booth will be operated by Dragomir Draganov as the lead video assistant referee with Nikola Popov supporting him.
Interestingly, this isn't Kabakov's first encounter with Ukrainian football. He previously officiated "Shakhtar's" goalless draw against "Inter Milan" during the 2020/21 Champions League group stage, a match where the Italian side picked up two yellow cards. He also oversaw Ukraine's 1-1 draw with England in the Euro 2024 qualification group stage, where both teams received two bookings each.
The match kicks off at 21:00 Kyiv time at the Besiktas Stadium in Istanbul. Can the Ukrainian side secure a positive result on Turkish soil with Kabakov in charge? The return leg will determine which team advances to the next round of the 2025/26 Europa League qualification process.
