Mykola Balakin

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Mykola Balakin
Mikola Balakin (cropped).jpg
Mykola Balakin in 2018
Born (1989-01-05) January 5, 1989 (age 37)
Kyiv, Ukraine
OccupationFootball referee

Mykola Oleksandrovych Balakin (born 5 January 1989) is a Ukrainian football referee who officiates in the Ukrainian Premier League and in international competitions under the authority of FIFA and UEFA. [1] He is currently listed in the UEFA First Category. [2]

Contents

Refereeing career

Balakin has been active as a referee in the Ukrainian top division, the Premier League, where he has officiated many matches involving the nation's top clubs. He became FIFA‑listed in 2017, enabling him to officiate in international club and national team competitions. [3] He regularly referees matches in the VBET Ukrainian Premier League; he was appointed referee for the Dynamo Kyiv vs LNZ Cherkasy match in November 2025. [4] In addition, he officiated other high‑profile league fixtures such as Dynamo Kyiv vs Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo vs Karpaty Lviv. [5] [6] Balakin was appointed as the referee for the 2024–25 Ukrainian Cup Final between Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv. [7]

He has also refereed Premier League matches such as Shakhtar Donetsk vs Oleksandriya in March 2025. [8] Balakin has been appointed as a referee in UEFA club competitions. He was selected as the main referee for a UEFA Champions League group stage match between Sturm Graz and RB Leipzig in January 2025. [9]

Noticeably, he has also refereed UEFA Europa League playoff matches, including a tie between Bodø/Glimt and Olympiacos in March 2025. [10] In the 2024–2025 season, Balakin officiated another UEFA Champions League fixture, acting as referee in the match between Bayer Leverkusen and Red Bull Salzburg. [11]

Balakin also worked as a fourth official in the 2024 UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Atalanta. [12]

References

  1. ↑ "Ukrainian referees assigned to Champions League 2024/2025 league phase match". Ukrainian Association of Football. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "Арбітр Микола Балакін – UPL match photo". UNIAN. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Ukrainian referees assigned to Champions League 2024/2025 league phase match". Ukrainian Association of Football. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Mykola Balakin – referee for Dynamo Kyiv vs LNZ" . Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  5. ↑ "Mykola Balakin – Dynamo vs Shakhtar referee" . Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mykola Balakin – Dynamo vs Karpaty referee" . Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "Mykola Balakin – Shakhtar vs Dynamo Ukrainian Cup final referee" . Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Shakhtar – Olexandriya referee report". Ukrainian Premier League. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  9. ↑ "Ukrainian referees assigned to Champions League 2024/2025 league phase match". Ukrainian Association of Football. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "Ukrainian referee team appointed for the UEFA Europa League playoff match" . Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  11. ↑ "Mykola Balakin is the main referee for the UEFA Champions League match Bayer vs Salzburg" . Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "Ukrainian referee Mykola Balakin to work at the UEFA Super Cup between Real and Atalanta" . Retrieved 22 January 2026.
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