Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has revealed the difference between refereeing in the Champions League and the domestic leagues in an exclusive chat with Arsenal Insider.
It comes as Arsenal take on Real Madrid in the Champions League, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.
The Gunners play host first at the Emirates Stadium, before going on the road to the Bernabeu in the second leg.
There are plenty of different factors Mikel Arteta will have to take on board, not least with Gabriel Magalhaes’ injury, along with a suspension for Raheem Sterling.
Another factor Arsenal will need to take on board is the difference in Champions League rules, compared to the Premier League.
Mark Clattenburg explains the difference in referees for Champions League clashes
One thing that fans will often note is that Champions League games are sometimes refereed differently from how a Premier League game might be.
This is often down to the rule in place from UEFA, who govern the matches and will have a say on how they should be officiated.
One person who knows plenty about being the main match official for big Champions League nights is Mark Clattenburg.
The English referee was appointed for the 2016 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, one of the biggest games in the football calendar.
Speaking exclusively to Arsenal Insider, the former match official said on the key differences: “Ahead of the Champions League matches, the referees will be preparing themselves for some big matches, as now it’s the quarter-final stages.
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“What I have seen so far this season, the referees in Europe have allowed the game to flow and only use VAR when a clear mistake has occurred, which helps the games to be more exciting.
“One big difference between UEFA and the Premier League referees is that UEFA punish handball more, especially when the hand or arm is slightly away from the body.
“Now both completions use the semi-automated system for offsides, so we should see quicker decisions if they are factual decisions. We still have the subjective ones where there is someone interfering.”
It certainly suggests that the game could play out differently for Arsenal, though there is a clear warning in there that Mikel Arteta must heed.
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Arsenal must beware of handball rule, it has cost them already in the Champions League
The change in rules regarding a handball in the Premier League and Champions League is significant enough for it to be an issue that Arsenal must be wary of.
Already this season, the Gunners have fallen victim to it with their only defeat of the European campaign against Inter Milan.
Mikel Merino was adjudged to have handled the ball after turning his body away from a strike, with the referee awarding a penalty to the home side.
It was rolled into the back of the net and Arsenal went on to lose the game 1-0 in Italy that night.
They certainly can’t afford any cheap decisions like that going against them, with such a big match ahead for the Gunners.
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