Referee Oliver assigned for Turkiye vs. Italy Nations League crunch match
· Yahoo Sports
English referee Michael Oliver has been assigned to Italy’s crunch Nations League match against Turkiye on Monday, the man Gigi Buffon famously said had ‘a dustbin for a heart’.
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The game kicks off at the Ataturk Spor Kompleski Matli Stadyumu in Bursa on Monday at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).
This is a real head-to-head at the foot of Group A, as both teams lost their opening fixtures.
Italy are rock bottom on goal difference following the 2-0 home defeat to Belgium, while Vincenzo Montella’s Turkiye lost 1-0 to France.
Oliver to officiate Turkiye vs. Italy
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JULY 10: Referee, Michael Oliver looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match between Spain and Belgium at Los Angeles Stadium on July 10, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
UEFA have assigned English referee Oliver to this game, assisted by Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, with Darren England as the Fourth Official.
In the VAR booth are more English officials, Stuart Attwell and Matthew Donahue.
Oliver is a 41-year-old referee who recently officiated Inter’s 2-1 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – MAY 04: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City speaks with referee Michael Oliver during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester City at Hill Dickinson Stadium on May 04, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
His record with the Italy squad is poor, overseeing a 2-2 draw with Armenia in October 2013 and the 0-0 friendly against the Republic of Ireland in May 2014.
Including club teams and youth international fixtures, Oliver oversaw 11 Italian wins, seven draws and nine defeats.
MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 11: Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus confronts referee Michael Oliver after he awards Real Madrid a penalty during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg match between Real Madrid vs Juventus at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 11, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Most notoriously, he was accused by Gianluigi Buffon of having ‘a dustbin for a heart’ when awarding a penalty and sending him off in the Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid in April 2018.
When it comes to Turkiye, this referee officiated three wins and a 6-0 defeat to Spain, including the 2026 World Cup qualifying play-off with Kosovo.