THE VAR officials for Rangers’ Champions League clash have reportedly been arrested for stealing a ROAD SIGN just hours before the crucial showdown.
The Scottish giants are taking on Dynamo Kyiv in European action tonight in Poland – but there is already controversy before a ball has been kicked.
Experienced Polish referee Bartosz Frankowski was initially appointed as VAR, with fellow official Tomasz Musial backing him up as assistant VAR.
However, both officials have now dramatically been REMOVED from the game after incredible details emerged.
TVP Sport are reporting that Frankowski and Musial – and a third individual – were caught allegedly stealing a ROAD SIGN by police in the early hours of the morning.
They’re reporting that both officials were arrested at 1.43am for ‘destroying road infrastructure.’
The men, who are reported as being intoxicated, were then taken to a sobering-up centre – which will cost them money as police charge for use.
This is somewhere used by many places in Europe when the crime is deemed not serious enough to be banged up in a cell.
Senior Superintendent Kamil Golebiowski said: “At around 1:40am we received a report of three men carrying a road sign down the street.
“Police officers were dispatched to the scene. All of the men were intoxicated and had over 1.5 per milligrams of alcohol in their blood. They were taken to a sobering-up centre.”
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TVP say they approached the head of Polish refereeing for a comment, but he was unaware of the situation and has not made comment.
However, both officials have been removed by Uefa for the match.
As always for Uefa matches, the refereeing team was confirmed 48 hours before the match.
On Sunday night, Lithuanian referee Donatas Rumsas was confirmed to be leading the officials.
Polish officials Frankowski and Musial were listed as his VAR officials.
However, neither Frankowski or Musial are listed as part of the officiating team any longer.
Instead, fellow top flight Polish ref Tomasz Kwiatkowski is now the VAR, with Pawel Malec his AVAR.
Frankowski, 37, is one of the top referees in Poland an experienced international referee.
Fifa-listed for ten years, he was an official at both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 – acting as VAR in the latter.
WHAT IS A ‘SOBERING-UP CENTRE?
POLICE will usually try to return a drunk person home if they are wandering in the streets, as it is not an offence.
But if some kind of offence HAS been committed, then law enforcement have the option to take people to a ‘sobering-up centre’ – sometimes known in Europe as a ‘drunk-tank’.
In Poland, there are 52 cities that use these, admitting over 300,000 a year.
While it may save people from a night in the cells, those admitted have to PAY for attending this centre.
And just so those who go there know they’re in trouble, the police will charge them a rate as high as the most expensive hotel in the city.
Locals dub these the ‘most expensive hotel in town’.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
