Aytekin to officiate Bayern v Cologne as final Bundesliga match

German top referee Deniz Aytekin will officiate the match between Bayern Munich and Cologne on Saturday as he brings his Bundesliga refereeing career to an end.

The German Football Federation said on Tuesday that he was assigned to the match, after which Bayern will receive the Bundesliga trophy.

This will be Aytekin's 254th and last game in the top German tier. The 47-year-old had announced his retirement plans before the start of the season, saying he wanted to make way for younger referees.

Aytekin has been refereeing in the Bundesliga since 2008. A former FIFA referee, he was named Germany's Referee of the Year in 2019, 2022 and 2024.

He has earned great recognition for his calm and communicative manner on the pitch, but was denied appearances at a World Cup or European Championship.

Referees Tobias Welz and Frank Willenborg will also retire after the 2025-26 season.

Welz will officiate Eintracht Frankfurt v Stuttgart, while Willenborg will be in charge of Borussia Mönchengladbach v Hoffenheim. All matches are on Saturday.