Szymon Marciniak, a 44-year-old Polish referee, has been appointed to officiate the Champions League semifinal second leg between Inter Milan and Barcelona at San Siro. Marciniak’s assistants will be his compatriots Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik, while Paweł Raczkowski will serve as the fourth official.
The VAR referees will be Dutch officials Dennis Higler and Pol van Boekel.Marciniak has previously refereed several high-profile matches, including the 2023 Champions League Final between Inter and Manchester City, which Inter lost 1-0.
He has also officiated two group stage matches between Inter and Barcelona, both ending in draws (1-1 at San Siro in 2018-19 and 3-3 at Camp Nou in 2022-23). Marciniak’s record in charge of Barcelona games is mixed, with one win, two draws, and two losses in five matches.
The appointment of Marciniak has raised controversy, particularly among Barcelona fans, due to his perceived bias towards Real Madrid.
Marciniak was criticized for his handling of the Madrid derby between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, where he disallowed a penalty kick for Atletico Madrid due to an alleged double touch by Julián Álvarez. This decision has sparked concerns about Marciniak’s impartiality in the Inter-Barcelona match.
