D‑2 before the big shock! Wednesday at 9 p.m., Paris Saint-Germain will return to the Champions League at the Parc des Princes to face Liverpool in the quarter-final first leg. This Monday, UEFA made official the referee responsible for directing this highly anticipated meeting: José Maria Sanchez.
A face that does not evoke good memories for French football, as recalled RMC. Since his debut in the Champions League, the 42-year-old Spaniard has managed six matches involving Ligue 1 clubs. And only a French team, Stade Brestois, has achieved victory against PSV Eindhoven in a group stage match (1-0, December 2024).
PSG, the bad memory
Under Sanchez’s leadership, French clubs have often experienced complicated results, particularly at home. OM lost against Frankfurt (0-1, September 2022) and Atalanta Bergamo (0-1, November 2025). Lille had to settle for a draw at Dortmund (1-1, March 2025). Monaco was held in check by Juventus (0-0, last January), while PSG narrowly lost against Aston Villa (2-3, April 2025), despite qualifying for the semi-finals.
A year after the eventful evening in Birmingham, where PSG was surprised despite a quick start, the Parisians will find Sanchez again. This will be the second time that the native of Lorca has officiated during a PSG match and the third time that he has refereed Liverpool in European competition. The Reds won their first two meetings with him: against Sparta Prague in the round of 16 first leg of the Europa League (5-1, March 2024) and against Ajax (3-0, October 2022).
