BAKU, Aug. 18, 2025 — Portuguese referee João Pedro da Silva Pinheiro will officiate the UEFA Champions League play-off first leg between Qarabağ FK and Hungary’s Ferencváros.
This will not be the first time Pinheiro takes charge of a match involving an Azerbaijani club. Back in 2021, the 37-year-old FIFA referee oversaw Neftchi’s second qualifying round return leg against Olympiacos in Greece. That game ended 1–0 in favor of the Greek side, with Pinheiro showing red cards to Olympiacos’ Mady Camara and Neftchi’s Mert Çelik.
The upcoming clash between Ferencváros and Qarabağ will take place on August 19 at 23:00 Baku time in Budapest. The return leg is scheduled for August 27 at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium in Baku, with kickoff at 20:45.
