Deniz Aytekin, the referee of the match between FC Barcelona and PSG on March 8, 2017, which led to Barca’s famous comeback in the Champions League round of 16 second leg, will officiate for one last season.
The German referee became popular following “La Remontada “– as the game is now being referred to in Spain and in France.
In the first leg, Unai Emery’s men won 4-0 at the Parc des Princes, but 22 days later, they collapsed (1-6) against Luis Enrique’s men at Camp Nou, in a match that still traumatises PSG’s fans.
Aytekin made several erroneous calls in the meeting, according to many pundits in Paris and beyond but UEFA declined to suspend him. However, he was barred from European competitions for some years.
In 2022, he decided to retire from international football, focusing on domestic competitions in Germany, and winning in the process, Referee of the Year in 2019, 2022, and 2024.
Aytekin, who is now 47, has announced a definitive retirement after the upcoming season. It’s worth noting that his compatriots, Tobias Welz (48) and Frank Willenborg (46), will also retire in the spring of 2026.