UEFA has confirmed referee Szymon Marciniak will stay answerable for subsequent week’s Champions League final after investigating his alleged hyperlinks with a far-right motion.
Marciniak was beneath evaluation after talking at a current occasion organised by Polish far-right chief Slawomir Mentzen and his position as match official for Manchester City’s conflict with Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10 was unsure.
But UEFA is happy that Marciniak had been “gravely misled and completely unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question” and will preserve the 42-year-old Pole as referee.
UEFA stated: “Following Mr. Marciniak’s assertion, UEFA acknowledges his profound apologies and clarification.
“UEFA also reached out to “NEVERAGAIN,” an NGO affiliated with the FARE community, which raised the preliminary issues about Mr. Marciniak’s involvement within the occasion.
“They requested that Mr. Marciniak stay in his position because the referee for the upcoming UEFA Champions League final, firmly asserting that eradicating him would undermine the promotion of anti-discrimination.
“Based on the information provided, UEFA confirms that Mr. Marciniak will fulfil his role as the referee for the 2023 UEFA Champions League final.”
The organiser of the occasion at which Marciniak was a visitor speaker, co-chairman of the Confederation get together Mentzen, launched the political slogan ‘We stand against Jews, gays, abortion, taxation and the European Union’.
Anti-racism group Never Again had urged UEFA to drop Marciniak after the occasion on the International Congress Centre in Katowice.
Marciniak stated in an announcement: “I wish to specific my deepest apologies for my involvement and any misery or hurt it might have brought about.
“Upon reflection and additional investigation, it has turn out to be evident that I used to be gravely misled and fully unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the occasion in query.
Marciniak, second proper, refereed December’s World Cup final in Qatar (Nick Potts/PA)
“I had no information that it was related (with) a Polish extreme-right motion. Had I been conscious of this reality, I’d have categorically declined the invitation.
“It is important to understand that the values promoted by this movement are entirely contrary to my personal beliefs and the principles I strive to uphold in my life. I am deeply remorseful for any perception that my participation may have contradicted them.”
Marciniak, 42, turned the primary Polish referee to take cost of a World Cup final in Qatar final December when Argentina beat France on penalties.
He refereed the second leg of City’s semi-final win in opposition to Real Madrid and has taken cost of seven different Champions League fixtures.
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