Meet Szymon Marciniak, the referee for Atlético-Real Madrid Champions League, and learn his history with both teams

Polish referee Szymon Marciniak (born January 7, 1981, in Płock, Poland) has been appointed by UEFA to oversee the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid. Europe’s governing body has turned to one of its most trusted and experienced officials – someone capable of handling high-stakes games without being swayed by the atmosphere.

Marciniak is no stranger to matches of this magnitude: he refereed the 2018 UEFA Super Cup final, which Atlético won in extra time (4-2) with goals from Diego Costa (2), Saúl, and Koke. Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos, from the penalty spot, scored for Real Madrid.

An international referee since 2011, Marciniak’s path to officiating is an unusual one — he became a referee after a heated argument with one while playing soccer himself. Challenged to see what it was like on the other side, he took up the whistle and gradually rose to become one of the most respected referees in world football.

His career reached its peak when FIFA selected him to referee the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar between France and Argentina, a historic match that confirmed his standing on the global stage. That same season, he also took charge of the 2023 Champions League final, where Manchester City claimed their first title by beating Inter Milan 1-0, with a goal from Rodri, as well as the final of the most recent Club World Cup, which City also won.

‘World’s Best Referee' for Madrid derby

In recognition of his excellence, Marciniak was named World’s Best Referee by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) in both 2022 and 2023. He has also officiated at Euro 2016 and two World Cups (2018 and 2022).

Both Madrid sides know him well. Real Madrid have had him as a referee eight times, with a record of four wins, two draws, and two losses. The most recent was a 3-2 victory against Atalanta in Bergamo on December 10. Atlético have been refereed by him seven times, winning six and losing just once – a 2-1 defeat to RB Leipzig in 2020. His last game with Atlético was their 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in Paris.

Marciniak will be assisted on the sidelines by fellow Poles Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik, while Tomasz Kwiatkowski will be in charge of VAR.

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