THE CONTROVERSIAL referee once sensationally accused of shouting "f*** you" towards furious PSG players will take charge of Celtic's clash against Valencia.
Deniz Aytekin was the man in the middle when Barcelona produced one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the competition in 2017, recovering from a 4-0 defeat in Paris to claim a 6-1 home triumph and progress to the last-eight.
However, PSG stars were furious with Aytekin's display and, in the face of angry protests, it was alleged by French newspaper Le Parisien that the whistler responded with a foul-mouthed blast.
One report stated: “Deniz Aytekin showed himself to be much harder with the Parisians, insulting them with cries of ‘f*** you’.”
No official complaints were raised by the PSG players.
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The visitors felt they should have had a penalty for a clear foul on Angel di Maria by Javier Mascherano, while Barca were awarded a spot-kick when Luis Suarez plunged to the turf following minimal contact from Marquinos.
Aytekin has not taken charge of a knockout phase match in the Champions League since.
Meanwhile, the 40-year-old – an internet entrepreneur by trade – is no stranger to Celtic.
He took charge of the 1-0 Champions League defeat at the hands of Ajax in 2013 as a Lasse Schone strike condemned Neil Lennon's side to a narrow reverse.
Aytekin will be assisted by compatriots Eduard Beitinger and Rafael Foltyn, with Christian Dingert and Benjamin Cortus acting as additional assistant referees. Christian Gittelmann will be the fourth official.
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