FIFA referee Aliyar Aghayev has been appointed as the head referee for the UEFA Conference League Round of 16 match involving English club "Crystal Palace".
According to Operative Information Center-OMM, citing the official website of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA), Aghayev will lead the officiating team for the AEK (Larnaca, Cyprus) vs. "Crystal Palace" (England) encounter.
He will be assisted by Zeynal Zeynalov and Akif Amirali, while Elchin Masiyev will serve as the fourth official. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties will be handled by Jeroen Manschot from the Netherlands, with Azerbaijani official Nijat Ismayilli acting as the Assistant VAR (AVAR).
The match is scheduled to take place on March 19 at the "AEK Arena" in Larnaca. The first leg of the tie, held in England, ended in a goalless draw. This appointment reflects the growing international recognition of Azerbaijani football officials, as Aliyar Aghayev remains the country's highest-ranked referee, frequently entrusted with high-stakes matches in UEFA's club competitions including the Champions League and Europa League.
