Jesús Gil Manzano to referee Fenerbahçe vs Roma; two prior European meetings

Roma return to the UEFA Champions League on Thursday at 18:45 with a trip to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce at Stadio Şükrü Saracoğlu. Spanish referee Jesús Gil Manzano will take charge of the match, with assistants Diego Barbero and Guadalupe Porras Ayuso. César Soto Grado handles VAR duties, with Valentín Gómez as AVAR and Juan Martínez Munuera as fourth official. Gil Manzano is not unfamiliar with Roma. His most distant previous encounter came on 7 November 2019, when he refereed Roma's 2–1 defeat away at Borussia Mönchengladbach. His more recent meeting came in a Europa League playoff return against Feyenoord, which Roma won on penalties, with Mile Svilar delivering a standout performance.

Jesús Gil Manzano, the Spanish referee, will take charge of Fenerbahçe–Roma on Thursday 10 September at 18:45 CET (19:45 local time) in Istanbul, marking Roma's return to the UEFA Champions League. The match is the opening fixture of Roma's league-phase campaign this season. Gil Manzano brings previous European experience against Roma. He refereed Roma's away fixture against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the 2019–20 Europa League season, a match that ended 2–1 to the German side. More recently, he oversaw Roma's February 2024 Europa League playoff return leg against Feyenoord, when Roma progressed after drawing 1–1 over 120 minutes and winning the penalty shootout. This will be his third European meeting with the club. The wider refereeing team comprises assistants Diego Barbero and Guadalupe Porras Ayuso, with Juan Martínez Munuera as fourth official. César Soto Grado is the VAR operator, supported by Valentín Gómez as AVAR.

AS Roma have announced ticket sales for their home Champions League match against Real Madrid, scheduled for Tuesday 14 October at 21:00. The fixture marks the club's return to European football's elite competition after seven years away. Sales opened at 12:00 on 8 September for Serie A Plus season-ticket holders, who may purchase a maximum of two tickets per transaction and cannot resell them. General public sales begin at 12:00 on Wednesday 9 September, with each supporter able to buy up to four tickets per transaction. All tickets are issued in digital format only. Roma's Champions League campaign begins with an away trip to Fenerbahçe on Thursday, before the home debut against José Mourinho's Real Madrid. The club qualified for the league phase after finishing third in Serie A last season. Plus Coppe 2026–27 season-ticket holders will also have access to resale services from 10:00 on Friday 11 September 2026.