Szymon Marciniak oversaw the high-stakes encounter, which ended in a thrilling 4-3 victory for Inter (7-6 on aggregate), securing their place in the final against PSG in Munich on May 31.
Following the match, several Barcelona players voiced their frustration over Marciniak’s officiating, particularly his decision to award a first-half penalty to Inter after Pau Cubarsi’s challenge on Lautaro Martinez. ..Continue Reading
Barcelona also contested the legitimacy of Inter’s dramatic late equalizer, insisting that Gerard Martin was fouled by Denzel Dumfries in the buildup.
Midfielder Pedri was especially displeased with some of Marciniak’s calls at the San Siro and did not hesitate to express his frustration after the game.
“It’s not the first time this has happened to us with this referee, UEFA should look into it,” Pedri told reporters.
“Every 50-50 for them … There are things that I don’t understand and which are hard to explain.”
When pressed on the specific incidents, he explained: “In the penalty on Lamine [Yamal], which was after given as a free kick, there’s no booking for [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan, which would have been his second booking.”
“I have come three times to Inter’s stadium and extraneous things always happen that don’t go our way,” Barca defender Eric Garcia said.
Former FIFA referee Rafał Rostkowski stepped in to defend Szymon Marciniak, instead directing criticism at the VAR assistant.
Reports from a Middle Eastern outlet suggested Marciniak had commented on his officiating decisions, but the referee later denied the claims in an interview with Polish publication Przegląd Sportowy Onet.
“The statements published by the Egyptian and Spanish media, which resonated strongly on social media, turned out to be a big lie,” the outlet wrote.
“A referee is not allowed to make post-match comments about decisions he has made. As Szymon Marciniak himself informed us , no such statement took place.”
But, not everyone agrees with his decisions, with former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger explaining how Martinez was “looking for a penalty” and that the “referee made a mistake”.
“It was clear that Lautaro Martinez was looking for a penalty, and in my opinion, the referee made a mistake in the decision,” Wenger told beIN Sports.
“He should see who touches the ball first, who reaches it first. It’s Cubarsi.
“For me, it’s clear that it’s not a penalty, and you can’t blow a whistle for a play like that, especially since it looked like a clean tackle. My position is clear: I’m against these decisions that distort football.”
