Polish Referee Marciniak Will Officiate Champions League Final — UEFA

European football governing body, UEFA, announced on Friday that Polish referee Szymon Marciniak will officiate the men's Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan, despite his attendance at a far-right conference.

The decision came after Marciniak released a statement claiming that he had been "gravely misled and completely unaware" of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question, which took place in Katowice on Monday.

In his statement, Marciniak expressed his regret, stating, "I had no knowledge that it was associated with a Polish extreme-right movement. Had I been aware of this fact, I would have categorically declined the invitation." UEFA considered Marciniak's explanation and concluded that he would still fulfil his role as the referee for the 2023 UEFA Champions League final.

The controversy surrounding Marciniak's attendance at the event prompted the Polish anti-racism and anti-Semitism organization Nigdy Wiecej (Never Again) to write a letter to UEFA, demanding an explanation from the referee. The group raised concerns about his participation in a gathering associated with far-right ideologies.

Marciniak, who previously officiated the World Cup final between Argentina and France in Doha last year, will now take charge of the highly anticipated Champions League final in Istanbul on June 10th.