Bayer Leverkusen v West Ham United
UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg, BayArena, Thursday 11 April 2024, 9pm CEST (8pm BST)
Referee: Artur Dias (POR)
Assistant Referees: Paulo Soares (POR) and Pedro Ribeiro (POR)
Fourth Official: António Nobre (POR)
VAR: Tiago Martins (POR)
Assistant VAR: Hugo Miguel (POR)
The match officials for Thursday evening’s UEFA Europa League quarter-final first-leg tie away at Bayer Leverkusen have been confirmed.
A full Portuguese contingent will be led by Artur Dias, who has been a listed international referee for FIFA and UEFA since 2010.
The 44-year-old, who was born in Porto and resides in Vila Nova de Gaia, began his career as a whistler in 2004/05, and has since taken charge of close to 700 games at both domestic and international levels.
Portugal’s youngest ever FIFA referee, Dias has refereed two Taça de Portugal finals - won by Braga in 2015/16 and FC Porto in 2019/20 - at UEFA Euro 2020, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and over 20 times in the UEFA Champions League.
He has been the man in the middle during one West Ham United game before, when the Hammers drew 1-1 away at Astra Giurgiu in the first leg of the Europa League Play-Off round in August 2016.
More recently, he refereed England’s 1-0 home defeat to Lucas Paquetá’s Brazil last month - the seventh time he has overseen a game involving the Three Lions.
Dias will be assisted at BayArena by compatriots Paulo Soares and Pedro Ribeiro.
Both regularly run the line at an elite level, and served alongside Dias for the England v Brazil clash at Wembley. Soares was also part of the officials team during West Ham’s aforementioned match against Astra Giurgiu little under eight years ago.
António Nobre is set to be the fourth official. The 35-year-old has refereed 13 fixtures in the Portuguese top-flight this season, as well as Bayern Munich’s 2-1 triumph over Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Finally, Tiago Martins will oversee Video Assistant Referee duties. The Oeiras native took on the same role during West Ham’s 2-0 UEFA Europa League group-stage win over SC Freiburg at London Stadium earlier this season.
West Ham United v Fulham
Premier League, London Stadium, Sunday 14 April 2024, 2pm BST
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Assistant Referees: Harry Lennard and James Mainwaring
Fourth Official: Michael Salisbury
VAR: Darren England
Assistant VAR: Wade Smith
West Ham will return to Premier League action three days after the Leverkusen clash, at home to Fulham, with Stuart Attwell having been confirmed as the referee for that game.
The 41-year-old became the youngest referee in Premier League history when, at 25, he took charge of Blackburn Rovers’ match against Hull City in August 2008.
He returned to the National List of Referees in 2012, but was promoted back to the Select Group for the 2016/17 season and has since taken charge of just under 200 fixtures in the English top flight.
Originally from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, Attwell held the whistle during Liverpool’s penalty-shootout win over Chelsea in the 2021/22 EFL Cup final, and also oversaw Arsenal’s similarly dramatic Community Shield victory over Manchester City last summer.
This season he has refereed in UEFA Champions League and Europa Conference League qualifying, as well as during West Ham’s 1-0 defeat at home to Everton in the Premier League.
Harry Lennard and James Mainwaring will serve as the assistant referees at London Stadium.
Both are well versed in the Premier League, with Lennard having worked on 249 such games, and Mainwaring recently surpassing the 100 mark.
Mainwaring worked alongside Attwell at the Hammers’ game against Everton in October, and during the 2-2 draw at Sheffield United in January, while Lennard ran the line as David Moyes’ men fell 3-1 to Manchester City in September.
Michael Salisbury will work as the fourth official on Sunday.
Part of the Select Group of Referees since the 2022/23 season, Salisbury has refereed three Irons games in the current campaign, most recently the aforementioned Sheffield United draw at Bramall Lane.
Video Assistant Referee duties are set to be overseen by Darren England. The 38-year-old refereed West Ham’s 1-0 defeat to Bristol City in the FA Cup in January, as well as the 2-2 draw with Burnley last month.
