Why Barcelona feels disadvantaged by referee Marciniak
Not only was FC Barcelona's disappointment great after their Champions League exit, but the Catalans also voiced criticism of their refereeing. Was it justified?
Much incomprehension: Barcelona complains about a decision by Szymon Marciniak. AFP via Getty Images
Several scenes preoccupied Barcelona in the aftermath of the semifinal second leg against Inter Milan (3:4 after extra time) on Tuesday evening. The first controversial moment occurred in the 26th minute, due to an alleged handball by Inter defender Francesco Acerbi . After a VAR review, the team led by Poland's Szymon Marciniak , who received a 1.5 from kicker, correctly decided to allow play to continue.
Things got trickier in the 43rd minute. Pau Cubarsi 's tackle on Lautaro Martinez in the penalty area initially appeared to be hard but clean, especially since the ball was moving in the direction Cubarsi had made the tackle. However, after reviewing the video footage, Marciniak came to a different conclusion. In slow motion, we see the Barcelona defender hitting Martinez, and the Inter striker inadvertently kicking the ball in that direction.
And how did his former colleagues see it? On Prime Video, former Bundesliga referee and DFB rules expert Lutz Wagner improved his opinion after viewing the TV footage and ultimately agreed with the penalty decision. Opinions were divided in Spain: "After watching 80 replays, I don't see any direct contact between the defender and the attacker," former referee Pavel Fernandez explained to Radio Marca . "Incorrect intervention by the VAR. It's not a penalty." FIFA referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz, who retired in 2023, shared Wagner's view. "It's imperceptible to the human eye. Only a camera shows that it's a penalty from Cubarsi on Lautaro – and that's what VAR was used for."
In the 70th minute, Marciniak pointed to the penalty spot at the other end. Henrikh Mkhitaryan 's foul on Lamine Yamal was undisputed; only the location of the foul mattered. Shortly before or shortly after the penalty area line? That was the crucial question. Here, too, Marciniak rightly changed his mind and awarded a free kick. After VAR intervention, the referee indicated with his fingers that the decision had been a centimetre error.
Araujo recognizes foul against Gerard MartinWith Barcelona already on the home stretch, Acerbi scored to make it 3-3 in the 93rd minute. But was everything above board? The Catalans had, in any case, recognized a foul by provider Denzel Dumfries on full-back Gerard Martin . Hansi Flick complained vehemently from the touchline and received a yellow card from Marciniak. "Gerard was fouled at 3-3," Ronaldo Araujo also claimed. TV images show that Dumfries lightly touched Martin's shin with his foot, but apparently the contact wasn't sufficient for Marciniak and his teammates. A justifiable decision, too.
Overall, they still feel disadvantaged in Barcelona. "I don't want to talk about the referee, but every decision that was 50-50 went in their favor. I told him what I thought, but I won't say it here," said Flick. Eric Garcia even suspected a conspiracy. "I've been here three times, and for A or B reasons, or for reasons other people are responsible for, it didn't go our way. We all know what happened to that referee the last time we were here," said the scorer of the 1-2 goal.
He may have been referring to the 1-0 defeat in the group match against Inter in October 2022. That time, too, it was in the 93rd minute when Dumfries got the ball on his hand, and the referee awarded the Milan goal. However, the referee that time was not Marciniak, but Slavko Vincic.
A premature whistle? Bayern Munich also knows that from MarciniakBut the referee also once infuriated Inter Milan. In the middle of a great chance at the end of the first half of extra time, Marciniak blew the whistle for half-time. Memories were particularly awakened for FC Bayern: In the 2023/24 semi-final second leg at Real Madrid (1:2) , the 13th minute of stoppage time ran out when Matthijs de Ligt scored what appeared to be the equalizer. However, because his assistant had raised his flag, Marciniak had already blown his whistle before the ball had even reached de Ligt. When Joshua Kimmich played a long ball to Noussair Mazraoui, both Mazraoui and de Ligt may have been offside - but this could not be checked, as Marciniak had already stopped play contrary to VAR instructions. He also acted too hastily in Milan.
