Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, who officiated Barcelona and Inter Milan’s seven-goal thriller on Tuesday night, has now denied alleged claims that he hit out at the Barcelona players and staff. This comes after he was accused of robbing the Spanish side of a place against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2024/25 Champions League final.
Following what the Catalan press have called a ‘controversial’ display in the middle, a video of Marciniak – who refereed the World Cup between France and Argentina – in close proximity of a Real Madrid-branded wash bag emerged, and Barcelona fans were enraged. See the viral footage below:
Those of a Barca persuasion are under the assumption that Francesco Acerbi’s goal, his first in the Champions League, should not have counted as youngster Gerard Martin was fouled by Denzel Dumfries in the build-up to the equaliser, which took the tie into extra-time.
Not only that, but they feel aggrieved by the fact that Marciniak, with the help of those who were stationed in the VAR room, pointed to the spot after Pau Cubarsi’s challenge on Lautaro Martinez was initially viewed as a well-timed tackle. But any claims made that Marciniak added fuel to fire after the match have now been strongly denied by the 44-year-old.
Marciniak Denies 'Big Lie' Spread About Him After Barcelona's Loss
The Pole has addressed the reports behind his alleged statement
marciniak barcelona
In response to Barcelona’s outrage towards the seasoned referee's performance under the bright lights of the iconic San Siro, Middle Eastern news outlet Al Qahera reported that he told them: “What can I say about these stupid comments? I didn’t wrong anyone," before providing a strong four-word response to a potential investigation: "I'm ready for anything."
The ruthless Spanish press quickly picked up the alleged bombshell comments, and they spread like wildfire thanks to follow-up articles released by the likes of Mundo Deportivo. But the Pole has since come out to deny ever taking part in an interview. In a conversation with Polish outlet Przegląd Sportowy Onet, Marciniak unequivocally rebutted such claims.
The outlet wrote:
'The statements published by the Egyptian and Spanish media, which resonated strongly on social media, turned out to be a big lie. A referee is not allowed to make post-match comments about decisions he has made. As Szymon Marciniak himself informed us, no such statement took place.'
Szymon Marciniak during Inter 4-3 Barcelona Related
Pedri Calls For UEFA to Investigate Referee Szymon Marciniak After Inter 4-3 Barcelona
Barcelona midfielder Pedri explains why he wants UEFA to look closely at Szymon Marciniak’s performance at San Siro.
UEFA has strict rules governing referees' conduct, and one of them is that Champions League referees are not allowed to give interviews after a match. And, in very rare circumstances where they have allowed the man in the middle to speak publicly, it's been in a controlled setting and not at a time when the controversial moment is still hot in the press.
The main reason is to protect referees from backlash and media pressure and to maintain the integrity and impartiality of their role, with any officials engaging with the media running a high risk of receiving a ban.