Barcelona’s epic Champions League semifinal defeat to Inter Milan on Tuesday has sparked fury among players and Catalan media, with calls for an investigation into Polish referee Szymon Marciniak. The controversial officiating, coupled with multiple questionable decisions, led to Barcelona’s elimination, and fans are now questioning Marciniak’s neutrality.
Referee Under Fire for Key Decisions
The clash at San Siro saw Inter Milan advance 7-6 on aggregate after a dramatic extra-time victory, thanks to a late goal from Davide Frattesi. However, it was Marciniak’s handling of the match that stole the spotlight, with Barcelona players, coaches, and media accusing him of bias.
Barcelona’s anger centered around several contentious decisions, including a potential penalty for handball against Inter Milan’s Francesco Acerbi. While Acerbi appeared to handle the ball after a deflection, Marciniak and VAR ruled that it wasn’t a punishable offense, leaving Barcelona fuming.
Another major point of contention was the penalty awarded to Inter after a tackle by Pau Cubarsí on Lautaro Martínez. Barcelona’s complaints were further fueled when Marciniak rejected a penalty appeal following Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s challenge on Lamine Yamal, even though the foul appeared to continue inside the penalty area.
Barcelona also claimed that there was a foul by Denzel Dumfries on Gerard Martín leading up to Acerbi’s crucial 93rd-minute equalizer.
Pedri Leads the Calls for Investigation
Barcelona midfielder Pedri was vocal in his criticism of Marciniak, calling for UEFA to launch an investigation into the referee’s actions. “It’s not the first time that this has happened to us with this referee. UEFA should look at it. There are things I don’t understand, and they are complicated to explain,” said Pedri. He also noted that many of the 50-50 calls seemed to favor Inter Milan, particularly the handling of Mkhitaryan’s challenge, which did not result in a second yellow card despite the apparent foul.
In a heated post-match exchange, Barcelona defender Iñigo Martínez also weighed in, acknowledging that the decisions appeared to consistently fall in favor of Inter Milan. “Everyone has seen today that the decisions fell on the same side, but I don’t want to talk about it. He had to make decisions, and he made them that way. It’s a shame,” Martínez said.
Controversy Over Marciniak’s Alleged Madrid Bias
Adding fuel to the fire, Catalan media outlets revisited a 2023 image of Marciniak posing next to a Real Madrid-branded wash bag in a Champions League dressing room. This photo, originally taken during a semifinal match two years ago, reignited suspicions about the referee’s impartiality, with some questioning whether Marciniak might have a “favorable history” with Real Madrid.
Spanish media outlets, including Sport and El Mundo Deportivo, have suggested that Marciniak’s decisions appeared to consistently benefit Madrid’s rivals, including when he disallowed a penalty for Atlético Madrid against Real Madrid and ruled out a Bayern Munich goal against the Spanish side in previous seasons.
Despite these concerns, Marciniak did not take action after an incident in which Iñigo Martínez appeared to spit in the direction of Acerbi following Inter’s penalty. UEFA has yet to comment on whether this will be reviewed further.
Barcelona’s Disappointment
Barcelona’s head coach, Hansi Flick, echoed the frustration felt by his players, noting that every 50-50 decision seemed to go in Inter Milan’s favor. While he refrained from publicly criticizing the referee in detail, Flick made it clear that he was disappointed with the officiating.
“Every decision that was 50-50 went [Inter’s] way. I am disappointed, but not with my team. I don’t like talking about the referee… I’ve told him what I think, but I’m not going to say it here what I’ve said,” Flick stated.
Conclusion
As Barcelona contemplates their heart-wrenching loss to Inter Milan, the controversy surrounding Szymon Marciniak’s officiating continues to dominate the conversation. The accusations of bias and unfair treatment have sparked widespread debate, with calls for UEFA to investigate the referee’s conduct. While Barcelona focuses on rebuilding, the drama surrounding the match shows no signs of subsiding anytime soon.
