Slovenian referee DavidSmajc will be in charge of directing Getafe's debut in the UEFA Conference League, according to the official list published by UEFA on Tuesday. The match, which will be held at the IonOblemenco Stadium against the University of Craiova, will take place on Thursday and will be the blue team's first participation in the new European club competition.
Smajc, 37, has three European competition appearances to his name, two of them in the Conference League. His experience in the group stage dates back to a third round match, and his career as a professional referee began in 2018. Despite his career, he had never before managed a Spanish club in a continental competition, except for his participation in the Youth League with the Under-19 team and Atlético de Madrid. On the international stage, Smajc has also refereed matches for the Polish senior team, as well as matches for the U-15 and U-16 categories.
The referee will be assisted by the VAR, where he will have the collaboration of his compatriot AleksandarMatković. The presence of two Slovenians in the same delegation underlines the trust that UEFA places in the new generation of European referees, who are characterized by their youth and continuous training.
For Getafe, the match represents an important milestone: entry into the Conference League opens a new avenue of international competition and an opportunity to consolidate its position in European football. The club expects the referee's performance to be fair and balanced, which will help the team to fully concentrate on its goal of advancing in the group stage.
With the referee and VAR already assigned, Getafe and their fans can focus on tactical preparation and strategy to face Universidad de Craiova. The result of this match will set the tone for the club's campaign in the new competition and define their chances of advancing to the later stages.