Italian Referee Davide Massa to Officiate Key Hapoel Be'er Sheva Champions League Playoff Match

Hapoel Be'er Sheva will face Sabah FC from Azerbaijan in a crucial UEFA Champions League playoff match on Wednesday, broadcast on Sport 5. The match will be officiated by Italian referee Davide Massa, a senior Serie A official who began refereeing in Italy's top league in 2011 and has been active in European competitions since 2014. Massa is recognized as one of Europe's top referees, having officiated high-profile matches last season including Arsenal vs. Atletico Madrid, Barcelona vs. Eintracht Frankfurt, and the group stage finale between Real Madrid and Benfica. He also refereed the Europa League quarterfinal and semifinal matches last season.

This is not Massa's first time refereeing a Hapoel Be'er Sheva game; he previously officiated their 3-2 victory over Hungary's Honvéd in the 2017 Champions League second qualifying round, a match notable for five yellow cards issued to the Hungarian side and none to Be'er Sheva. That campaign saw Be'er Sheva reach the Champions League playoff round before dropping to the Europa League group stage after elimination by Maribor. Massa has also refereed matches involving other Israeli teams, including Maccabi Tel Aviv twice, Maccabi Haifa once, and Beitar Jerusalem once. Across five games involving Israeli clubs, his record includes two wins, two draws, and one loss, with no red cards issued in any of these matches.