POLISH referee Szymon Marciniak will make history as the first man from his country to take charge of a World Cup final.
But he is the official who infuriated former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel after the club’s Champions League quarter-final second-leg clash against Real Madrid last season.
Marciniak, 41, was the man in charge when the Blues won 3-2 after extra time only to lose 5-4 on aggregate.
Tuchel was fuming with Marciniak after Marcos Alonso had a goal ruled out by VAR for handball in the 62nd minute.
And at the end of the game, Tuchel went to shake hands with the ref who was caught laughing with Real boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Tuchel said: “I think this is very, very bad timing – and I told him that.”
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After Alonso’s goal, slow-motion video replays eventually showed clearly that the ball had touched Alonso’s right hand before he lashed it into the net.
Yet Tuchel, clearly angry, said: “When you play against Real Madrid, maybe you don’t expect everyone has the courage. I felt the little decisions in the first leg and today as well.
“I didn’t see the goal but I am super disappointed he didn’t come out and check it on its own.
“You should stay the boss and not give the decisions to someone in a chair and who is isolated.”
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Marciniak oversaw France’s group-stage victory over Denmark and Argentina’s last 16 defeat of Australia.
He was in the middle for Liverpool’s first-leg semi-final victory over Villarreal last season.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
