Referee stays on Champions League final after apology for attending far-right event

Uefa has given Szymon Marciniak the go-ahead to referee next Saturday’s Champions League final after he apologised for his appearance at an event organised by a far-right politician and provided clarification regarding his involvement.

Marciniak, who also refereed the World Cup final, spoke at an event in Poland on Monday organised by Sławomir Mentzen. Mentzen, the leader of the Confederation party, is known for launching the political slogan “We stand against Jews, gays, abortion, taxation and the European Union”. In 2021 he made international headlines as the producer of a beer named White IPA Matters, which mocked the Black Lives Matter movement.

Uefa said: “After conducting a thorough review, we have received a statement from Mr Marciniak expressing his deepest apologies and providing a clarification regarding his involvement in the event.”

Marciniak, 42, will continue to officiate the Champions League final between Manchester City and Internazionale on 10 June at Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul.

On 29 May he attended a gathering, under the title “Everest”, which was billed as a networking event complete with a beer drinking session. Anti-racist activists said the event was in reality an attempt to gain political support.

In a statement on Friday Marciniak said people had been “rightfully alarmed and disappointed” by his presence at the event and said: “I want to express my deepest apologies for my involvement and any distress or harm it may have caused.

“Upon reflection and further investigation, it has become evident that I was gravely misled and completely unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question. I had no knowledge that it was associated [with] a Polish extreme-right movement. Had I