Concerns have been raised over the appointment of referee Maurizio Mariani for the UEFA Conference League final between Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano, scheduled for Wednesday in Leipzig. The Italian official has drawn criticism from Spanish football fans and media following his previous performances, particularly involving Real Madrid.
Mariani's Controversial History
Mariani, 44, from Rome, has never officiated a match involving either Crystal Palace or Rayo Vallecano before. However, his appointment for the final has sparked unease, especially among Spanish supporters, after he was assigned to Real Madrid's Champions League knockout tie against Manchester City this season. Spanish media, including former referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez, voiced concerns ahead of that match.
"Italian referees aren't having a good run right now," Iturralde Gonzalez told Cadena SER. "He doesn't let the game flow, he prefers to steer it where he wants, and I don't like that kind of refereeing." He added: "He might not see a foul depending on where it is, for example, on the edge of the penalty area. Instead of letting the game unfold, he takes the game where he wants, and that's why I don't like it."
Past Matches and Decisions
Mariani's third match involving Real Madrid saw them beat RB Leipzig in 2022, but they lost to Lille in 2024, with Jonathan David scoring the winner from a penalty spot awarded by Mariani. In the recent Champions League match against Manchester City, Real Madrid won 3-0 at the Bernabeu, with Fede Valverde scoring all three goals. Mariani awarded a penalty to Madrid in that match, though Vinicius Junior failed to convert. It was the only spot-kick he awarded across seven Champions League matches this season, while he issued just one red card—to Bayern Munich's Luis Diaz in a league phase win away to Paris Saint-Germain.
In the Conference League, Mariani has officiated only three matches, awarding one penalty and 11 yellow cards with no reds. The sole penalty went to Maccabi Tel-Aviv in a 6-1 defeat to Olympiacos in March 2024.
Final Details
Both Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano are chasing their first-ever European trophy. Fans can watch the match on HBO Max via Prime Video's HBO Max channel. The game kicks off at 20:00 BST in Leipzig.
