On Tuesday, May 6, the second leg of the Champions League semi-final between Inter and Barcelona was officiated by a Polish official.
After some Barcelona players openly questioned his calls, the referee who officiated Tuesday’s second leg of Inter vs. Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals has spoken out.
With a 4-3 victory over Barcelona (7-6 on aggregate), Inter advanced to the Champions League final under Szymon Marciniak’s leadership. They will now play PSG in Munich on May 31.
Following Tuesday’s match, a number of Barcelona players questioned Marciniak after he gave Inter a penalty kick in the first half for a challenge on Lautaro Martinez by Pau Cubarsi.
Additionally, Barca felt that Inter’s late equalizer should not have stood following Gerard Martin’s fall at the hands of Denzel Dumfries.
After the game, Barca midfielder Pedri expressed his displeasure with several of Marciniak’s actions at the San Siro.
“It’s not the first time this has happened to us with this referee, UEFA should look into it,” Pedri told the media.
The odds are 50/50 for them. Some things are difficult for me to express and I don’t comprehend.”
“There’s no booking for [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan, which would have been his second booking in the penalty on Lamine [Yamal], which was after given as a free kick,” he said when asked about the exact instances.
Eric Garcia, a defender for Barcelona, stated, “I have visited Inter’s stadium three times and unnecessary things always happen that don’t go our way.”
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But Rafał Rostkowski, a former FIFA referee, jumped to Marciniak’s defense and placed the blame on the VAR assistance.
The referee later denied the statements in another interview with the Polish newspaper Przegląd Sportowy Onet, but they were allegedly released through a Middle Eastern site that said Marciniak had spoken out about his decisions.
“The statements published by the Egyptian and Spanish media, which resonated strongly on social media, turned out to be a big lie,” the publication said. “Referees are not permitted to discuss their decisions after a game. No such statement occurred, as Szymon Marciniak himself told us.
Not everyone, however, agrees with his choices. Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger explained that the “referee made a mistake” and that Martinez was “looking for a penalty.”
Wenger told beIN Sports, “I think the referee made a mistake in the decision because it was obvious that Lautaro Martinez was looking for a penalty.”
He ought to observe who makes contact with the ball and who gets to it first. It’s Cubarsi.
“I think it’s obvious that it’s not a penalty, and since it appeared to be a clean tackle, you can’t call a whistle for a play like that. My stance is unambiguous: I oppose these measures that misrepresent football.
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