Official: UEFA Speaks Out on Marciniak After Inter-Barça: 'He's Punished...'

Szymon Marciniak, a 44-year-old Polish referee, was the main protagonist of the match in the second leg of the Champions League semifinals between Inter and Barça. Marciniak, a top international referee for over a decade, was very inaccurate and sowed chaos at San Siro. At the end of the match, the Pole was the subject of all kinds of criticism, but the most painful ones come from UEFA.

Szymon Marciniak was the one who annulled the famous penalty of the Atlético player Julián Álvarez for the "double touch" in the round of 16 tie of the Champions League against Real Madrid. Barça never understood how a referee who made such an error could officiate such an important match in the same season. UEFA trusted Marciniak and the Pole messed it up thoroughly, which will bring him serious consequences already made official.

Barça arrived in Milan with chances, but the truth is that Laporta understood that reaching the final of the Champions League would be practically a huge miracle. The result wasn't entirely negative, but Laporta already knew that the return leg would be led by one of Barça's great enemies. We refer to a Marciniak who, publicly and notoriously, has been seen with several Real Madrid accessories.

Official, UEFA Speaks Out on Marciniak After Inter-Barça: "He's Punished..."

Szymon Marciniak is one of the referees best regarded in UEFA, but he wasn't "sharp" in the match between Inter and Barça. According to UEFA, the Polish referee failed in important actions and erred in assessing possible penalties favorable to Barça. He might have been pressured by Inter, but the truth is he showed personality at many moments of the game, so it points more to avoidable human errors.

Marciniak is one of the referees most liked in UEFA, but the Pole will be punished after his poor performance in the Inter-Barça UEFA Champions League. According to 'e-Notícies', UEFA has decided that Marciniak won't officiate the Champions League final in Munich, which will pit Inter against Arsenal or PSG.

The punishment for Marciniak is real and is caused by Barça's complaints, who felt clearly harmed by the "man with the toiletry bag." The favorite to officiate the Champions League final is Clement Turpin, a Frenchman who officiated the first leg between Barça and Inter.