UEFA “Set to Punish” The referee of the controversial Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich Champions League semi-final

The referee of the controversial Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich Champions League semi-final is set to face repercussions at Euro 2024.

Szymon Marciniak – who refereed the second leg of Bayern Munich’s Champions League semi-final defeat – could face disciplinary action for his part in Matthijs de Ligt’s disallowed goal. The Dutch defender had the ball in the back of the net, but the linesman’s offside flag and Marciniak’s whistle denied the goal for what looked to be an extremely tight call.

De Ligt revealed the assistant referee on the night apologised for his mistake, and this was later backed up by Thomas Tuchel. Ultimately, Bayern Munich were eliminated from the competition but would have forced the match to extra time had the defender’s strike counted.

Alphonso Davies’ stunning effort was cancelled out by a surprising Joselu double as the Newcastle and Stoke City flop was the hero as he sent Los Blancos to the Champions League final, where they will meet Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, are now left with a trophyless campaign.

Things could have been very different had the game played on and De Ligt’s goal was allowed to stand. Noussair Mazraoui was the man judged to have been in an offside position, but it was later proved that this wasn’t the case and the defender was onside.

The Polish referee was set to be on duty for the opening game of Euro 2024 in the summer, but according to reports in Poland, that has now been changed. Germany’s first game at the tournament as hosts against Scotland will be played in Munich, the home of Bayern, and UEFA are said to be reconsidering his place in the match.

Any chance of Marciniak being the referee for that match is now said to be ‘close to zero’ after the controversy surrounding the Champions League semi-final. He is still regarded largely as one of the safest pair of hands in world football as the Pole was handed the responsibility of officiating the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France.

He was also the referee in Manchester City’s first-ever Club World Cup success in late 2023. Marciniak will still be headed to the international tournament in the summer, but he is extremely unlikely to play a role in the opener in Munich.

Tuchel Slams Champions League Errors

After De Ligt claimed the refereeing team had apologised for the mistake, Tuchel confirmed this was the case. However, the German boss was still fuming about the error that cost his side the chance to turn the game around: