After a barrage of criticism from the Barcelona camp, UEFA has finally spoken out on referee Szymon Marciniak. In the Champions League semi-final, the 44-year-old officiated Inter Milan’s thrilling 4-3 second-leg triumph against the Spanish team, securing a 7-6 aggregate victory for Simone Inzaghi’s team and securing a May 31 final matchup with PSG in Munich.
Barcelona has been closely examining Marciniak, with head coach Hansi Flick asserting that “every 50-50 decision” went Inter’s way and Pedri demanding an investigation into his performance. His decision to not award a free-kick for an alleged foul on Gerard Martin in the lead-up to Inter’s equalizer in stoppage time, which ultimately ended Barcelona’s hopes of making it to the final and winning a treble this season, has been the main focus of the intense backlash.
However, UEFA’s reaction has been noticeably more in favor of the Polish official in spite of Barcelona’s outcry. Despite the wishes of the Spanish press, the regulatory body has adopted a far more balanced and constructive approach.
Update on Szymon Marciniak’s UEFA Issue
His performance at the San Siro was deemed flawless by them.
Marciniak’s performance was deemed flawless by UEFA, who confirmed their faith in the Polish referee, who officiated the Champions League final last year as well as the 2022 World Cup final. When questioned about Marciniak, a UEFA representative reportedly said, “There is no problem,” according to MARCA.
It’s interesting to note that Marciniak is now viewed as a prominent contender to officiate the forthcoming final between Inter and Paris Saint-Germain, particularly since fellow senior official Clement Turpin was disqualified since he is French. This summer, he will also play in the redesigned Club World Cup in the US.
He is still regarded as one of UEFA’s most reliable referees, having officiated 674 games in both European and Asian championships. View his complete career stats below:
The career of Szymon Marciniak as a referee
Looks
674
Yellow cards
2744
The second yellow card
81
Red cards that are straight
74
Penalties imposed
286
For the Pole, who had to cope with fabricated news reports about him participating in an interview in reprisal for Barcelona’s accusations, the assurance that Marciniak is still a trusted referee by his employers may be a big comfort. Quotes from a Middle Eastern media that claimed to have Marciniak soon spread to Spanish reports, however Przegląd Sportowy Onet, a Polish outlet, replied and explained that no such interview had been conducted.
“The statements published by the Egyptian and Spanish media, which resonated strongly on social media, turned out to be a big lie,” said the publication. “Referees are not permitted to discuss their decisions after a game. No such statement occurred, as Szymon Marciniak himself told us.
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