Peljto is the Conference League final refereePeljto is the Conference League final referee
Peljto is the Conference League final referee | AFP via Getty Images
Chelsea and Real Betis now know their referee for their Conference League final.
That win leaves Chelsea only needing to win their final game against Nottingham Forest to guarantee a top five finish, and if results go their way elsewhere, they may be able to get away with a draw. When the Champions League bid is wrapped up, the Blues will bid to win the Conference League to ensure they take some silverware into the summer.
They will go up against a Real Betis side that now looks likely to miss out on their own Champions League bid. After drawing with Rayo Vallecano during the week, Manuel Pellegrini’s men are now five points behind Villarreal in fifth with just two games remaining. With the head-to-head between the two sides level and Villarreal holding a superior goal difference, it’s likely the Yellow Submarine only need one point from their last two games, against Barcelona and Sevilla, to wrap up fifth place.
Betis are assured of sixth place, and so they will be headed for the Europa League regardless of whether they win the Conference League, but they too are chasing silverware, and their first-ever European trophy no less.
Europa Conference League final referee confirmed
UEFA have already confirmed the referee for the 2025 Conference League fina. It will be Irfan Peljto, an experienced official who recently refereed the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid.
Interestingly, Peljto once refused to referee games between Bosnian sides Sarajevo and Zeljeznicar after receiving serious threats from the clubs’ fans. He reported the threats to the country’s Ministry of Internal Affair, according to SportSport.
The Bosnian football association stated after Peljto withdrew from another rivalry fixture: "Today [we] received a letter from football referee Irfan Peljto, an international with a FIFA badge. He officially informs us that due to threats addressed to him and his family, he is unable to perform the function of an official in the upcoming matches of the WWiN League played by the clubs from Sarajevo.
"We strongly condemn any form of pressure on officials who are active participants in competitions in our country and express deep concern over such phenomena, which have become frequent in recent times. We hereby invite the competent authorities to take appropriate measures to prevent such cases in our social community, and to prosecute all responsible persons and stand in the protection of our best football referee, as well as all officials in competitions."
It’s worth noting that Peljto has never refereed a Chelsea fixture, nor has he officiated a Real Betis fixture, so this will be a final of firsts for the referee from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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