CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Who is François Letexier, the referee for Real Madrid - Napoli in the Champions League?
The 34-year-old Letexier is a relative newcomer to the Champions League, but he is no stranger to either Real Madrid or Napoli.
France’s François Letexier will be the referee for Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Napoli, as Los Blancos bid to secure top spot in Group C.
Already through to the last 16, Madrid will be certain to qualify as group winners if they avoid defeat at the Bernabéu today.
Second-placed Napoli, meanwhile, will book their knockout-stage spot with victory in the Spanish capital. The Italian champions will also qualify with a draw if Braga fail to beat Union Berlin in Group C’s other matchday-five fixture, and will progress despite defeat if the Portuguese side lose to Union.
Real Madrid - Napoli: Follow the live action here!
See also:
Who is François Letexier?
Letexier made his debut in Ligue 1, the top flight of French men’s soccer, in January 2016. The following year, he was added to FIFA’s list of international referees.
He was given his Champions League bow in December 2020, and has since overseen a total of 10 games in Europe’s elite competition, including one involving Real Madrid.
Letexier’s previous Real Madrid experience
In April last season, the 34-year-old was appointed to the Spaniards’ 2-0 quarter-final first-leg win over Chelsea, a game in which he sent off the Blues’ Ben Chilwell for fouling Rodrygo Goes when the Brazilian was through on goal.
Chilwell’s dismissal took Letexier’s red card count to four so far in his Champions League career. That’s only two fewer than 2023 final referee Szymon Marciniak, despite the Pole having 36 more tournament appearances to his name.
Letexier’s previous Napoli experience
Letexier has also crossed paths with Napoli once before in the Champions League. He ran the rule over the Partenopei’s 6-1 group-stage thumping of Ajax in October 2022 - another match that witnessed a sending-off. Ajax’s Dusan Tadic was given his marching orders in Amsterdam for receiving two bookings.
In August, Letexier was handed the 2023 UEFA Super Cup clash between Manchester City and Sevilla - which City won on penalties - and in 2021 he was assigned to Paris Saint-Germain’s victory over Monaco in the Coupe de France final.
The Frenchman was also the video assistant referee (VAR) for Villarreal’s Europa League final win over Manchester United two years ago.
Who are Letexier’s assistants for Real Madrid vs Napoli?
The assistant referees at the Bernabéu will be Letexier’s compatriots Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni, and the fourth official will be Jérémy Stinat, also French.
Who is the VAR for Real Madrid vs Napoli?
France’s Jérôme Brisard will be the VAR, with the Netherlands’ Pol van Boekel serving as assistant VAR.
Real Madrid vs Napoli: when, where, how to watch?
Real Madrid host Napoli in the 2023/24 Champions League today, Wednesday 29 November 2023, with kick-off at the Bernabéu scheduled for 3pm ET/12 noon PT. TV viewers in the US will be able to watch the game on TUDN USA and Univisión, while your streaming options include ViX, Paramount+ and fuboTV.
Enjoy the action live on fuboTV, which offers a free trial.