Europa Conference League final ref served six-match ban for 'unfathomable' mistakes this season

The referee set to take charge of final against Real Betis was suspended for six games earlier this season.

Bosnian official, Irfan Peljto, is poised to make history as the first from his country to oversee a major UEFA club competition final when the Blues clash with Los Verdiblancos at Stadion Wroclaw on Wednesday night. Despite recently officiating 3-0 quarter-final first leg triumph over at the Emirates Stadium, Peljto might be feeling the heat due to increased scrutiny.

His suspension earlier in the season came after a string of blunders in a derby match between Zrinjski Mostar and Borac Banja Luka. Peljto made three significant errors in the game, held at Bijeli Brijeg Stadium in September, including two missed penalty calls.

The Bosnian FA issued a scathing statement regarding his performance, particularly criticising his failure to spot clear penalties despite having an unobstructed view. The statement read: "In the 25th minute, the referee, although very well positioned and with a clear view of the incident, failed to recognise an obvious foul and award a penalty kick to FK Borac.

"In the 26th minute, the referee, although well positioned, failed to award a direct free kick for the away team after a clear foul which led to a goal for the home team. In the 90th+5 minute, the referee failed to award a clear penalty kick for Zrinjski too."

Peljto received a six-match suspension from the Premier League of Bosnia & Herzegovina for his officiating errors. Despite this, Peljto expressed his pride at being selected to referee the prestigious Conference League final on Wednesday, reports .

He told UEFA: "We are living a dream. To receive the call was very emotional. It's an honour not only for my career, but to bring the flag of my small country under the European spotlight is a very proud moment. I hope it is also a moment for the future of referees in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that young referees have this positive perspective on refereeing, and that we have created a path for them."

While Peljto's domestic performances were deemed subpar by his country's FA, UEFA still values his abilities, highlighted by his appointment to six Champions League matches and four fixtures this campaign. However, Rangers manager Barry Ferguson raised concerns over Peljto's decisions following Rangers' 2-0 defeat to Athletic Club in April's Europa League quarter-final second leg.

The first match at Ibrox between the teams ended in a goalless draw, before they faced off again at the Estadio de San Mames – with Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams knocking out the Glaswegian side. However, Ferguson argued that referee Peljto and the VAR official overlooked an incident where Cyriel Dessers' shirt was tugged in the penalty area by Yeray Alvarez, as well as a handball by Athletic in the box in the second half, which could have altered the course of the game.

Chelsea's upcoming encounter with Betis in Poland on Wednesday represents the final chance for both clubs to secure silverware for the 2024/25 season – however, winning the tournament will have minimal impact on the European football both clubs will participate in next year.

The victor of the UEFA Conference League automatically secures a spot in the Europa League for the 2025/26 season, but with Betis already qualifying for the tournament through a sixth-place finish in La Liga, and Chelsea earning a Champions League spot by finishing fourth in the , neither team will truly benefit from the rewards of winning the competition.

Nonetheless, both and will be eager to clinch victory when their teams face off on Wednesday evening, having failed to win any domestic trophies this season.