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GENEVA — It has been a challenging season in the Champions League for the 2022 World Cup final referee Szymon Marciniak and his support officials from Poland. Two stoppage-time decisions by Marciniak and his team have fueled referee controversies that are rare in the elite-level competition. Their decisions affected Bayern Munich going on in the semifinals on Wednesday and Newcastle in a group-stage game in November. Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel called their decision "disastrous." Newcastle coach Eddie Howe says their call was "hugely frustrating." Both times Marciniak and his team's interventions seemed to go against the widely understood advice UEFA gives match officials for its games.
