The referee for the **Athletic Club vs Arsenal** UCL Matchday 1 clash on September 16, 2025 has been announced as **Donatas Rumsas**. The 37-year-old Lithuanian is the **_same_** ref who was in charge of Manchester United’s European defeats to FC Copenhagen (4-3 loss in the 23/24 Champions League) and FC Astana (2-1 loss in the 19/20 Europa League).
In that 4-3 Man Utd defeat to FCK, Rumsas also sent off Marcus Rashford and awarded penalties to both clubs, which were converted by Diogo Goncalves and Bruno Fernandes respectively.
Interestingly, this is the first time Rumsas will also referee a game involving a La Liga club in the Champions League.
Arsenal will be the fifth English club that Rumsas has refereed in Europe- he has previously had the whistle for games involving both Manchester clubs as well as West Ham and Wolves.
**Games involving Premier League clubs with Rumsas as referee**
FC Copenhagen 4-3 Man United (23/24 UCL)
Astana 2-1 Man United (19/20 EL)
Man City 5-0 Copenhagen (22/23 UCL)
West Ham 3-0 Genk (21/22 EL)
Wolves 4-0 Pyunk (19/20 EL Qualifying)
This season (25/26), Rumsas has been the ref for two European games- Lech Poznan 1-5 Genk (EL Qualifying) and Rangers 2-0 Panathinaikos (CL Qualifying)
Both Arsenal and Athletic Bilbao had contrasting league results over the weekend- the Gunners beat Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest 3-0 while Bilbao lost 1-0 to Alaves at home.
**Athletic vs Arsenal** (referee- Donatas Rumsas; assistants Aleksandr Radius & Dovydas Suziedelis)