The European Football Association "UEFA" confirmed today, Friday, that Polish referee Szymon Marciniak will officiate the Champions League final, after he apologized for participating in an event linked to an extremist right-wing movement. UEFA noted that it had "communicated with a non-governmental organization from a network fighting discrimination in European football, which raised initial concerns about Marciniak's participation in the event. They requested that Marciniak remain the referee for the Champions League final, strongly emphasizing that removing him from officiating the match would undermine the promotion of anti-discrimination efforts."
In turn, Marciniak stated: "I want to express my sincere apology for my participation and for any harm or pain it may have caused." He added in a statement, "After further reflection and investigation, it has become clear that I was severely misled and was not fully aware of the true nature of the event in question and its affiliations. I had no knowledge that it was linked to a Polish extreme-right movement; had I been aware of this fact, I would have categorically declined the invitation."
