Wednesday’s Champions League programme will bring two Italian fixtures into focus, with Inter hosting Shakhtar Donetsk at San Siro and Como welcoming Manchester United to the Sinigaglia. UEFA’s appointments place German officials in charge of both matchday three contests, each carrying a different setting in an Italian season increasingly shaped by European nights.
Osmers assigned to Inter against Shakhtar
Harm Osmers will referee Inter’s meeting with Shakhtar Donetsk, scheduled to begin at 21:00 at the Giuseppe Meazza. The 41-year-old from Bremen has been an international referee since 2020 and will take charge of his second Champions League match.
- Christian Gittelmann and Christian Dietz will be the assistant referees.
- Florian Exner has been named fourth official.
- Robert Schröder and Benjamin Brand will operate the VAR system.
- Osmers has not previously refereed either Inter or Shakhtar Donetsk.
His return to the competition is notable. He did not oversee a Champions League fixture last season and is back in Europe’s leading club tournament more than two years after his first, and until now only, previous appearance in it.
Jablonski to oversee Como’s evening by the lake
Como’s home match against Manchester United will start earlier, at 18:45 on Wednesday, with Sven Jablonski appointed for the contest at the Sinigaglia. The 36-year-old, also a Bremen native, will lead an entirely German officiating team for a fixture that gives Como another prominent European stage on the lakeside.
- Eduard Beitinger and Robert Kempter will assist Jablonski on the touchlines.
- Tobias Reichel will serve as fourth official.
- Christian Dingert and Sören Storks are assigned to VAR duties.
- Jablonski has refereed six Champions League matches across the current season and the 2025/26 campaign.
There is no previous meeting between Jablonski and either Como or Manchester United. He has, however, already encountered the other Manchester club twice, with City losing on both occasions.
A recent record against Manchester City
Jablonski was in charge of Manchester City’s 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last week. His other match involving City came on 20 January, when the English side were beaten 3-1 away to Bodo/Glimt.
For Inter and Como, the appointments settle one part of Wednesday’s preparation: the two Italian clubs will enter their respective Champions League ties under officials without previous history against the teams involved.
