Red Star vs Copenhagen: Petrescu Referees, Lukasen Doubtful

In 2017, after a match in Estonia, Radu Petrescu thought all he needed was a painkiller. A severe headache sent him for a checkup, and doctors found a tumor on his cerebellum. He was operated on urgently in Bucharest, and a week later the tumor was confirmed to be benign. Nine years on, the same Romanian walks onto the pitch at the “Rajko Mitic” stadium on Thursday as the referee of Red Star against Copenhagen.

Who is refereeing Red Star vs Copenhagen in the Conference League?

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has named the officials for the second round of the Conference League, and all six come from Romania. Radu Petrescu is the referee, with Radu Ginguleak and Ionut Neasku as assistants on the touchlines and Andrej Kivulete as fourth official. Ovidiu Hategan sits in the VAR room, assisted by Florin Andrej.

The match kicks off on Thursday, October 22, at 6:45 p.m. and is broadcast by Arenasport. It is not Petrescu’s first encounter with the Belgrade crowd: about a year ago he refereed Red Star against Celtic at the Marakana in the Europa League.

After the operation he returned to the pitch. He went through a complicated procedure and months of recovery, then UEFA’s demanding fitness tests, and he is again refereeing at the highest level. According to Romanian media, the first thing he asked after the surgery was whether he could referee again.

What do we know about Red Star’s lineup without Lukasen?

Coach Albert Riera rested almost the entire team against Mladost of Lucani on Sunday, which hints at whom he trusts most in European matches. The starting eleven from Lugano may see only cosmetic changes.

Most of the doubt is in midfield. Mohamed Cam Saracevic, who has also been linked with a possible call-up to the Austria national team, could get a chance from the first minute. In Lugano Dijengu got his opportunity and created a chance, but missed the one that would have put Red Star 3-1 up. In that case Portugal’s Handel would go to the bench. At the back, Riera relies most on Gudelj and Japan’s Nakajima.

Derik Lukasen is doubtful. If the Ghana international starts, Gastarov would move into midfield, his natural position, and Red Star played in that formation in the derby against Partizan.

Why does this match matter for Red Star?

The red-whites opened their Conference League campaign with a 3-2 defeat in Lugano after letting a lead slip late on, so they have no points in the table. The money is smaller too: UEFA pays 133,000 euros for a draw in this competition and 400,000 euros for a win, which is what Lugano earned in the first round. At home against Copenhagen, Red Star has a chance to repair both the points tally and the impression.

We previously reported on ticket prices for this match, from 1,200 to 5,000 dinars, and now the story moves from the box office to the pitch.

What is Borjan telling the players before Copenhagen?

The Danish club has one face in Red Star’s history: in 2019 Milan Borjan saved the decisive penalty in the shootout and took the red-whites into the Champions League qualifying playoff. The former goalkeeper spoke to the club’s website ahead of the new meeting.

“Those are moments that are never forgotten and that stay with you for life. When I remember Copenhagen, I first feel the same pride I felt that night. I knew how much that match meant to us, how hard we had worked and how badly we wanted to go through. In moments like that there is no room for fear and doubt. There is only belief in yourself, concentration and a huge desire to win. I am proud to have been part of that historic night, but even more that we showed the character of winners as a team. Wins like that do not belong to an individual, but to the whole club and all of our fans,” Borjan said.

For European matches, he says, character, discipline and unity decide things alongside quality. “Copenhagen is a serious opponent, but Red Star must never enter a match with fear or a sense that someone is better than them. In 2019 we showed that great results are made when a team breathes as one,” Borjan said, and added: “There are no easy matches in Europe, but there are no unbeatable opponents either.”

He closed with a message to the current players: “I would tell them just one thing: believe in yourselves, in your teammates and in the crest you wear. You represent Red Star, a club with enormous history and an army of fans that lives for matches like this, and the support of the supporters will mean a great deal. In 2019 we showed that nothing is impossible when you have heart, character and unity. It is important that you believe until the final whistle that you can win. Big matches are won by those who have the courage to take responsibility when it matters most,” Borjan concluded.

A guest at training and the next date

Guelor Kanga also turned up at the Marakana on Tuesday. The Gabon international played 188 matches for Red Star and scored 37 goals, won six league titles and four cups, and in the 2022/23 season was named in the Superliga team of the season. The former player visited the club’s management and the players at training.

The next date is Thursday, October 22, at 6:45 p.m., when Petrescu gives the signal to start at the Marakana.