The Polish referee will take the whistle as Liverpool aim to overcome a 1-0 deficit to Galatasaray in the Champions League
Referee Szymon Marciniak disallows a Real Madrid goal after a Video Assistant Referee review during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match between Real Madrid and FC Bayern München at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on May 08, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
The referee was forced to apologise for attending a far-right event(Image: David Ramos/Getty Images)
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A top-ranked referee who was forced to apologise for being associated with a far-right event will take charge of Liverpool vs Galatasaray on Wednesday night. Szymon Marciniak will be handed the whistle at Anfield with the Reds aiming to overcome a 1-0 first leg loss to the Turkish giants.
Marciniak will have some tough battles to contend with in the middle as Arne Slot's side push for one of their remaining shots at silverware for the season. However, the Polish referee has been involved in bigger issues before, after he was compelled to say sorry for attending a business event tied to a far-right politician.
Marciniak issued a statement in 2023 after UEFA confirmed his appointment for the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.
Warsaw-based anti-racism group Never Again alerted the governing body to the 45-year-old's attendance at and participation in an event linked to Slawomir Mentzen, a leader of the far-right Confederation party.
Marciniak, who refereed the 2022 World Cup final, stated he was "gravely misled and completely unaware" of Mentzen's ties to the conference. In a statement published by UEFA, the match official said: "I want to express my deepest apologies for my involvement and any distress or harm it may have caused.
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"I had no knowledge that [the conference] was associated with a Polish extreme-right movement. Had I been aware of this fact, I would have categorically declined the invitation.
"I am committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that such lapses in judgment do not occur in the future."
UEFA noted Never Again's acceptance of Marciniak's apology at the time and confirmed that he would referee the European final. They stated that "removing him would undermine the promotion of anti-discrimination," and added: "Based on the information provided, UEFA confirms that Mr. Marciniak will fulfil his role as the referee for the 2023 UEFA Champions League final."
Referee Szymon Marciniak speaks to Lionel Messi of Argentina during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar.
The Polish referee has officiated some of the biggest games in recent times(Image: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
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Polish sports minister Kamil Bortniczuk supported Marciniak during this ordeal, stating the referee gave a 45-minute speech that had a "strictly business, motivational and inspirational character" which had nothing to do with Mentzen.
Adding to his defence on social media, Marciniak told his Instagram followers that he had "never supported nor legitimised any political party, organisation or individual politician."
Since this controversial incident, Marciniak has officiated at the FIFA Club World Cup and was the fourth official for Spain's 2-1 win over England in the UEFA Euro 2024 final. Three years on, the Polish ref will take the main job for Liverpool vs Galatasaray with the Reds' European progress on the line.
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