‘My decisions were in favor of Barçelona’ – Marciniak speaks out on Champions League controversy

TL;DR

Referee Szymon Marciniak defended his decisions during Barcelona's Champions League semi-final loss to Inter, claiming they favored Barcelona until VAR intervened. He stated that VAR corrected him on a penalty decision that was marginally outside the box.

Key points

Szymon Marciniak refereed the Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Inter.
Barcelona lost to Inter Milan 7-6 on aggregate.
Marciniak stated his decisions favored Barcelona until VAR intervened.

Mentioned in this story

Szymon MarciniakHansi FlickPedriJoan Laporta

BarcelonaInternazionaleUEFA Champions League

Raphinha right winger of Barcelona and Brazil, referee Szymon Marciniak and Alessandro Bastoni centre-back of Internazionale and Italy during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and FC Barcelona at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 6, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images Referee Szymon Marciniak has spoken out about his decision making in Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final defeat to Inter last season. The Catalans exited the tournament 7-6 on aggregate to the Nerazzurri in a tie which featured plenty of controversial decision. , and all criticised the match official after the game, but he has insisted that his decisions were actually in favor of Barca – until VAR intervened. “I didn’t harm Barça during the match against Inter,” he said, per AS. “My decisions were in favor of Barça, and VAR had to correct me. My decisions were in favor of Barça because I didn’t award a penalty. VAR called me over, showed me the replay. “Then, I awarded the penalty. They corrected me because the penalty was four or five centimeters from the line. “So, if we’re honest, I made two decisions in favor of Barça, but they corrected me. That’s life, isn’t it?”

Q&A

What did Szymon Marciniak say about his refereeing decisions in the Champions League?

Szymon Marciniak claimed his decisions favored Barcelona until VAR intervened to correct a penalty call.

How did Barcelona exit the Champions League against Inter Milan?

Barcelona was eliminated by Inter Milan with a 7-6 aggregate score in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

What were the controversial decisions in the Barcelona vs Inter Milan match?

The match featured several controversial decisions, including a penalty call that VAR corrected, which Marciniak initially ruled in favor of Barcelona.