Patrik Kolaric will make his debut in the Conference league phase leading Betis – HJK Helsinki

12/17/2024

Updated at 1:59 p.m.

A referee from Croatia will be the one to referee the Betis – HJK Helsinki that will be played on Thursday, December 19 at 9:00 p.m. at the Benito Villamarín, in that last European event this year on Heliopolitan soil. Patrick Kolaric has been the referee designated by UEFA for a match that seems vital in Betis’ aspirations to definitively seal the previous round of access to the round of 16 of the continental competition.

It will be the debut in the Conference of Kolaric, who at 29 years old will be in charge of conducting this match in which Pellegrini’s men will try to translate the good feelings signed at the Cerámica stadium into a balmy triumph for the green and whites (0 -1), who still have to take a step forward in that definitive event on the international calendar. Luka Pajic and Ivan Starcevic, Croatians, will also assist Kolaric, whose fourth referee will be Dario Bel, from the same Eastern European country, and the video assistant will be his compatriot Mario Zebec.

In the record of matches refereed in the current course of Patrick Kolaric There are qualifying events for both the Champions League and the Conference League, but no competition matches corresponding to the league phase, in addition to matches from the Croatian First Division and the Croatian Cup. Kolaric has also called duels corresponding to the UEFA Youth League and the qualification for the U17 Euro Cup before making the leap and without a doubt the Betis – HJK Helsinki will be a litmus test for him.

He has never refereed Betis in Europe and it will therefore be the first time that the referee of Balkan origin dispenses justice in a very busy week in the refereeing aspect on the part of the Verdiblancos, who accused lack of rigor both by Cuadra Fernández and Pizarro Gómez from the VAR when sending off Chimy Ávila. This Thursday the referees who will whistle Betis’ last game this year in LaLiga will be known, in the clash against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday the 22nd at 9:00 p.m. at the Benito Villamarín.