Referee appointed for the Champions League final came under fire after attending a gathering organised by a leader associated with far-right politics in Poland.”

Marciniak’s appointment as Champions League final referee questioned

UEFA is investigating the appointment of Szymon Marciniak, a 42-year-old Polish referee, for the UEFA Champions League finals on June 10th. Marciniak recently spoke at an Everest business conference organized by Slawomir Mentzen, a notorious far-right leader in Poland.

The European football governing body is reviewing whether it aligns with their values to keep him officiating after attending this event. Notably, “Never Again,” Poland’s anti-racism association has urged Marciniak to distance himself from any far-right activities and ideologies completely. Marciniak referred to Argentina vs France World Cup Final match last December; however, his recent actions raised questions about his political beliefs and affiliations. Mentzen has been notoriously known for promoting Anti-Semitic and homophobic views under the banner of libertarianism. He gained significant support among young men in Poland due to such radical opinions and managed to establish close ties with wealthy entrepreneurs in various industries.

The UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin received a letter from Kamil Bortniczuk -the Polish Sports Minister- defending Marciniak’s attendance at the conference but emphasizing that he had no contact with Mentzen while there. UEFA announced they are investigating these allegations against Szymon Marciniakin order to ensure fair play aligned with its core values during one of soccer news’ most important events.