On Tuesday, April 28, in the first leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League semi-final (second leg on May 6), Paris Saint-Germain will face Bayern Munich at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9 pm, CET). The referee for the match has been chosen: Sandro Schärer (37 years old). He has some experience in the Champions League, with 19 matches under his belt.
He will be assisted by Angel Nevado and Guadalupe Porras Ayuso. The fourth official will be Jesus Gil Manzano. Video assistant refereeing (VAR) will be provided by Carlos del Cerro Grande and Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez.
Yellow cards –
With Mr. Schärer as referee, we can expect yellow cards to be handed out rather quickly during the match. Indeed, while the French average per match is 3.53 yellow cards (standard deviation of 0.39), the referee of the semi-final has averaged 3.74 yellow cards per match throughout his Champions League career (Transfermarkt figures). This is high, but less than several other referees in this competition.
Direct Red Cards –
The man officiating the semi-final is much less strict when it comes to direct red cards. In fact, Schärer averages 0.16 dismissals per match in his career, while the French average per match is 0.17 (standard deviation of 0.07). Hopefully, this is due to his effective communication with the players.
Second Yellow Cards –
Sandro Schärer doesn’t usually send off a player after their first yellow card in a match, as he has yet to issue a second yellow card to the same player in the Champions League. The French average is 0.09 (standard deviation of 0.03), so this isn’t a big surprise given that he has only refereed 19 matches.
Penalties –
Regarding penalties, the referee who will officiate the semi-final is higher than usual in France with 0.37 penalties awarded per match, while the average in Ligue 1 is 0.34 (standard deviation of 0.08).
History –
Schärer has refereed PSG twice: a 1-1 draw against Club Brugge (2021-2022 group stage) and a 4-0 victory against Atalanta (2025-2026 league stage).
And twice against Bayern Munich: a 2-0 victory against Lokomotiv Moscow (group stage 2020-2021) and a 1-2 defeat against Inter Milan (quarter-final second leg 2024-2025).
