Martin Hansson of Holmsjo in Sweden will referee Liverpool for the first time as we face Athletico Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League.

The 37-year old has been on the FIFA list of referees since 2001, he actually achieved this before he reached his 30th birthday, which is not that surprising since he first picked up the whistle when he was 15 years old.

A firefighter off the pitch he has continued to progress each season, even though this will be his first Champions League group game of the season, he still refereed a 3rd round qualifier between Spartak Moscow and Dinamo Kiev.
In September he refereed Switzerland's 2-2 draw in Israel in a World Cup qualifying match, Liverpool's Yossi Benayoun scoring Israel's first goal.

Two years ago he was in the middle of the EUFA Under 21 Championship final as Holland beat Ukraine 3-0 in Portugal. England's Howard Webb was fourth official in the game.

Martin is fluent in English and German and classes hunting and climbing as hobbies outside of football.

He just missed out on refereeing in Euro 2008, but is on the shortlist of referees for South Africa in 2010.

His assistants for the game are Stefan Wittberg and Fredrik Nilsson, with the fourth Official being Martin Ingvarsson. Wittberg and Ingvarsson were assistants and fourth official the last time we had a Swedish referee at Anfield.

Some memorable matches involving Liverpool and Swedish referees:

10th April 1973 (B. Loow) - Alec Lindsay gives us a vital one goal lead against Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Cup semi-final.

6th December 1977 (U. Eriksson) - Kevin Keegan's Hamburg are hammered 6-0 in the 2nd leg of the Super Cup.

30th May 1984 (E. Fredrickson) - Roma are defeated in their own back yard as we claim our fourth European Cup.

3rd April 2002 (A. Frisk) - A Sami Hyypia strike gives us a slender lead to take to Leverkusen in the Champions League.

3rd March 2004 (P.Frojdfeldt) - Michael Owen scores his last goal in Europe for Liverpool in a 4-2 win at Levski Sofia.

8th April 2008 (P.Frojfeldtz) - Late goals from Gerrard and Babel see off Arsenal 4-2 in the quarter-final stage of the Champions League.