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UEFA has named Germany’s Sven Jablonski as referee for Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain, one of the standout fixtures of Matchday 2 in the 2026-27 Champions League. The 36-year-old from Bremen takes charge at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, 14 October, with kick-off at 21:00 CEST (20:00 UK time). His one previous Champions League meeting with City is one the club would rather forget.
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Sven Jablonski Named Referee for Man City vs PSG
The fixture pits the competition’s early pacesetters against a City side looking to build momentum. PSG sit top of the league-phase table after thrashing Slovan Bratislava 6-1 on the opening night. Manchester City go into the game in 8th. Luis Enrique’s European champions now face a much harder test on English soil.
Jablonski arrives in form. This is his second Champions League assignment of the league phase, after he refereed Barcelona’s 5-1 win over Feyenoord on Matchday 1. During the international break he also took charge of Croatia vs England in the Nations League. That match was played behind closed doors in Rijeka because of a UEFA sanction on Croatia after fan trouble.
Full Match Officials for Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain
Jablonski brings an all-German team to Manchester, led in the VAR room by the experienced Bastian Dankert.
| Role | Official |
|---|---|
| Referee | Sven Jablonski (GER) |
| Assistant referees | Eduard Beitinger (GER), Christian Dietz (GER) |
| Fourth official | Tobias Reichel (GER) |
| VAR | Bastian Dankert (GER) |
| Assistant VAR | Sören Storks (GER) |
Several of these names have worked with Jablonski before. For City’s trip to Bodø/Glimt last season, Beitinger ran one of the lines, Dankert worked as assistant VAR and Reichel was fourth official.
Jablonski and Man City: The Bodø/Glimt Memory
City fans won’t be thrilled by this appointment. Jablonski’s only previous game in charge of the club was the 3-1 defeat away to Bodø/Glimt in last season’s league phase. That loss at the Aspmyra, with Pep Guardiola still in the dugout, was one of the most surprising results of the campaign.
No one is blaming the referee for that result. Still, the Bodø match is all Jablonski and City have between them in the Champions League, so it carries extra weight going into Wednesday.
A First Senior Meeting With Luis Enrique’s PSG
For Paris Saint-Germain, this is new territory. Jablonski has never refereed PSG’s senior team in the Champions League or anywhere else. His only previous PSG match came at youth level, when PSG beat Juventus 5-3 at home in the UEFA Youth League in September 2022.
French fans have still seen him recently. Jablonski refereed the first leg of this season’s Champions League play-off between Fenerbahçe and Olympique Lyonnais, which ended 1-1.
Sven Jablonski Referee Stats: Champions League vs Career Numbers
His numbers show a clear gap between his Champions League record and his domestic record.
| Stat | Champions League (career) | All competitions (career) | Ligue 1 average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow cards per match | 2.2 | 3.94 | 3.53 |
| Straight red cards | 0 | 18 | 0.17 per match |
| Penalties per match | 0 | 0.27 | 0.34 |
Yellow Cards: Lenient in Europe, Firmer at Home
In the Champions League, Jablonski has averaged 2.2 yellow cards per game, well below the Ligue 1 norm. His wider record is stricter. Across 275 professional matches since 2017, he has shown 1,083 yellow cards, about 3.94 per game, which puts him close to an average referee by that measure.
Red Cards and Penalties: Nothing Yet in the Champions League
Jablonski has yet to show a straight red card or award a penalty in the Champions League. His career record shows he is willing to make those calls: 18 straight reds, 23 second-yellow dismissals and 74 penalties, roughly 0.27 spot-kicks per game. His Champions League sample is still small, so these numbers should be read with care.
From Bremen to Berlin: Jablonski’s Rise Through German Refereeing
Jablonski has been one of German refereeing’s fastest risers. He started refereeing for the DFB in 2010, reached the 2. Bundesliga in 2014 and was one of four referees promoted to the Bundesliga for the 2017-18 season. He has been on FIFA’s international list since 1 January 2022.
Last season was his best yet. The DFB picked him for the 83rd DFB-Pokal final, noting that no referee had handled more Bundesliga games that season, a run that included Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich. The Berlin showpiece was the first final of his career, and local coverage credited him with a composed, largely error-free performance as Bayern beat VfB Stuttgart 3-0.
DFB refereeing chief Knut Kircher has rated him highly for some time. Kircher described Jablonski as one of the organisation’s top talents with a big future, and a high-profile Champions League appointment like this one fits that view.
Jablonski’s Recent Champions League Assignments
Since November 2025, Jablonski has refereed the following Champions League matches:
- Pafos 1-0 Villarreal
- Ajax 0-2 Benfica
- Club Brugge 0-3 Arsenal
- Bodø/Glimt 3-1 Manchester City
- Barcelona 5-1 Feyenoord (2026-27, Matchday 1)
He has also handled this season’s Fenerbahçe 1-1 Lyon play-off first leg.
What Jablonski’s Appointment Means for Man City vs PSG Betting
Referee data counts in card markets. Jablonski’s 2.2 yellows per Champions League game points to a relatively low-card evening. His domestic average of almost four per game shows he will book players when needed. A high-tempo meeting between two pressing sides could push him toward his firmer domestic standard. For the latest Man City vs PSG odds, card-market angles and predictions, Tips.gg has you covered.
Man City vs PSG Referee FAQ
Who is the referee for Man City vs PSG?
Sven Jablonski of Germany will referee the match at the Etihad Stadium on 14 October 2026, with Bastian Dankert on VAR.
Has Sven Jablonski refereed Manchester City before?
Yes, once in the Champions League: City’s 3-1 defeat away to Bodø/Glimt in last season’s league phase.
Has Jablonski ever refereed PSG?
Not at senior level. His only PSG match was a 5-3 UEFA Youth League win over Juventus in 2022.
How many yellow cards does Jablonski give per game?
He averages 2.2 per game in the Champions League and around 3.94 across his whole career.
Has Jablonski awarded a penalty in the Champions League?
Not yet, although he has given 74 across his professional career.
Looking Ahead: A Big Night for Jablonski at the Etihad
Wednesday’s game is a test of where City stand this season and of how strong PSG’s early form really is. It is also the highest-profile Champions League appointment of Jablonski’s career so far, coming a few months after his first major final. A clean performance would strengthen his case for knockout-stage matches. City, meanwhile, will want a better result than they got the last time he refereed them.