Who is Szymon Marciniak, the referee who did not charge Argentina a penalty against Australia?

Szymon Marciniak is the designated referee for the match between Argentina and Australia for the round of 16 of Qatar 2022. A crucial match for the ‘Scaloneta’ that seeks to show that it can be a strong candidate to win the world title at the hands of Messi.

In the first half, the referee was the focus of Argentine looks and complaints by not charging a penalty for a clear handball from an Australian player in a play by Papu Gómez. From VAR there was also no call or warning of a possible penalty, a fact that was frowned upon by the albiceleste, with the vivid memory of what happened yesterday with Uruguay and the two uncollected penalties.

It is not the first time that Szymon Marciniak has denied a penalty to the Argentina National Team and it is not the first time that he has led it in a World Cup. In the last edition, the Pole was in charge of the match between the Argentines and Iceland in the team’s World Cup debut in Russia in 2018. With a bitter draw between the two teams, Marciniak ignored a clear penalty on Pavón that fell in the rival area. For the referee there was no foul. Now in Qatar 2022 this scene is repeated and hopefully it will be the last.

Marciniak made his debut in the Polish top division in 2009 and became a FIFA referee in 2011. He has been a judge of the Champions League since 2014 and of the Europa League since 2015 and the same year the final of the European Under-21 Championship. During this 2022 he has directed eight Champions League matches, a World Cup qualifying match and two team friendlies. His first match in this World Cup was in France’s 2-1 win over Denmark in Group D.