Swedish referee Al-Hakim appointed for Panathinaikos-CSKA Sofia tie

UEFA has confirmed that Swedish referee Mohammed Al-Hakim will take charge of the Conference League third matchday fixture between Panathinaikos and CSKA Sofia. The game is scheduled to begin at 22:00 local time on November 5 as part of the competition's league phase.

Al-Hakim will be supported by an all-Swedish on-field team for the European encounter. Mehmet Culum and Fredrik Kliver have been designated as assistant referees, while Joakim Sars will serve as the fourth official during the match.

Video review duties have been assigned to Polish officials. Pawel Malec will operate as the video assistant referee (VAR), with his compatriot Kornel Paszkiewicz acting as the assistant VAR (AVAR) to support decisions made on the pitch.

The appointment marks another visit to Greece for Al-Hakim, who is familiar with the domestic football environment. According to reports, he has previously refereed a total of five matches within the country involving Greek clubs.

Those prior engagements included high-profile domestic fixtures such as Olympiacos defeating Aris 4-1 and AEK securing a 1-0 victory over Aris. He also officiated a 2-2 draw between AEK and Panathinaikos, as well as Panathinaikos beating Aris 2-0.

His fifth recorded match in Greece saw PAOK overcome Aris with a 2-1 scoreline. This history provides context for his selection to handle the upcoming European fixture in Athens.