Referee Szymon Marciniak, chosen to officiate the upcoming Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter, has insisted he has ‘never supported nor legitimised any political party, organisation or individual’ after attending a recent far-right rally in Poland.
Recent reports have suggested that UEFA are considering replacing Marciniak for the Champions League final as a result of his attendance at the event.
Marciniak was listed as a keynote speaker at the rally alongside politician Slawomir Mentzen, who is well known for his homophobic and anti-Semitic views.
After facing backlash in the press in the last few days, Marciniak released a statement via Instagram to disassociate himself from any suggested political alignment.
He wrote: “Regarding today’s media coverage I declare that I have never supported nor legitimised any political party, organisation or individual politician. I do, strongly and clearly, dissociate myself from any kind of radical, racist, or anti-Semitic views, statements or actions.”
The Guardian reported on Thursday that Marciniak could now be at risk of losing his position as the lead official for the biggest club game in European football, just over a week before the big game is due to kick off at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.
So why was Metzen promoting him on social media?