On Tuesday, November 3, during the 4th matchday of the 2026-2027 Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face Villarreal (19th) at the Estadio de la Cerámica (kick-off at 9:00 PM, CET). The referee for the match has been named: Felix Zwayer (45). He brings significant Champions League experience, having officiated 43 matches in the competition.
The referee will be assisted by Robert Kempter and Nikolai Kimmeyer, with Daniel Schlager serving as the fourth official. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties will be handled by Christian Dingert and Robert Schröder.
Yellow cards –
With Mr. Zwayer in charge, one might expect yellow cards to be issued quite early in the match. While the average in French football is 3.53 yellow cards per game (with a standard deviation of 0.39), this referee has averaged 5.14 yellow cards per match over the course of his Champions League career (according to Transfermarkt data). This is a notably high figure. Players will need to be cautious, though they can also expect a certain level of protection.
Straight red cards –
The referee for Tuesday’s match is far less severe when it comes to straight red cards. Throughout his career, Zwayer has averaged 0.14 sendings-off per match, compared to an average of 0.17 in French football (with a standard deviation of 0.07). This may be due to his ability to manage the game in a way that calms players down before situations escalate into serious infractions.
Second yellow cards –
Felix Zwayer has a tendency to send off a player following an initial yellow card; in the Champions League, he has issued a second caution to the same player an average of 0.14 times per match. The French average is 0.09 (with a standard deviation of 0.03). This aligns with a pattern of frequent yellow cards and few straight red cards.
Penalties –
Regarding penalties, the official for this match has a rate significantly higher than the French norm, awarding 0.56 penalties per match, compared to an average of 0.34 in Ligue 1 (with a standard deviation of 0.08).
History –
Schärer has officiated four PSG matches: a 2-2 draw against Napoli (2018-2019 group stage), a 7-2 victory over Maccabi Haifa (2022-2023 group stage), a 2-1 win against Arsenal (2024-2025 Champions League semi-final second leg), and a 5-3 victory over Tottenham (2025-2026 league phase).
He has also officiated one Villarreal match: a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United (2021-2022 group stage).
