Champions League blunder ref ‘STRIPPED’ of Euro 2024 tournament opener following Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich scandal

REFEREE Szymon Marciniak may be REMOVED from the Euro 2024 opener between Germany and Scotland after his controversial officiating in the Champions League semi-finals.

Marciniak, 43, made headlines around the world after Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich this week as an erroneous offside flag cost the Germans a last-gasp equaliser.

Getty

Getty

Bayern star Matthijs de Ligt thought he had sent the tie to extra-time when he hit the back of the net in the 13th minute of stoppage time.

But Polish ref Marciniak had blown his whistle for offside before he got the shot that beat Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

Assistant referee Tomasz Listkiewicz had deemed that Noussair Mazraoui was marginally offside during the build-up as he challenged for a header before the ball dropped to De Ligt to lash in.

Linesmen are advised to delay raising their flags, particularly when margins are so tight.

Replays proved to be inconclusive and De Ligt revealed that the official APOLOGISED to him on full-time.

The decision enraged Bayern, who saw Alphonso Davies’ opener getting cancelled out by a late brace from Joselu.

And it appears Marciniak is facing punishment for acknowledging the flag and not allowing play to continue.

And, according to Przegląd Sportowy, Marciniak has now been AXED from his scheduled appearance in Euro 2024 hosts Germany’s first match of the tournament.

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The Polish publication claims the experienced referee was pencilled down for the encounter between Julian Nagelsmann’s men and Scotland on June 14 at Bayern’s Allianz Arena in Munich, of all places.

However, the chances of that happening are now “close to zero” after the scenes that unfolded in Madrid.

This one will have stung Kane the most... what's the German for schadenfreude?, says Dave Kidd

By Dave Kidd

OF all the trophies Harry Kane has missed out on, the Bundesliga will have stung the most.

This was supposed to have been a dead cert. This was nailed-on.

Bayern Munich had won 11 successive Bundesliga titles, so when the England captain signed for the great Bavarian powerhouse last summer, we all said: “Well, at least he’ll finally win something.”

Yet on Sunday evening, there were Bayer Leverkusen — known in Germany as ‘Neverkusen’ because they hadn’t previously won the league thanks to several late implosions — cavorting around, 16 points clear, unbeaten in all competitions and confirmed as champions with five games to spare.

And so the greatest trophy curse in footballing history continues.

And this one really is freakish because Leverkusen’s story is almost as extraordinary as Leicester City’s miracle title in 2015-16 — the season when Kane won his first Premier League Golden Boot and Tottenham ended up ‘third in a two-horse race’ behind Arsenal.

Kane is always the runner-up, always the nearly man, always the fall guy, too often a figure of fun for those taking pleasure in the misfortune of others.

Does anyone know the German word for schadenfreude…?

Read Dave Kidd’s column in full.

Or read more from Dave Kidd.

Bayern’s departing boss Thomas Tuchel didn’t hold back on his assessment of Marciniak as he accused him of breaking “every rule”.

Tuchel said after full-time: “I think it’s pretty clear and [there] cannot be in my opinion any doubt that it is against every rule of modern football.

“The first big mistake is from the linesman, he did it in an action in overtime in an action with Alphonso Davies he did it also, he raised his flag straight away.

“I don’t know if he was offside. I got a strange feeling. To raise your flag in a situation like this when you can never be sure that this is offside, to have the guts to raise the flag in a situation like this is a huge call. And it’s the wrong call.

“The referee has the chance when he sees that we win the second ball and we win the rebound and we get the shot away within five seconds, he has the chance not to whistle. He takes the decision to whistle – it is against every rule.

“We accept we lost. It is what it is but that would not have happened on the other side.”

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