Two Champions League referees slapped with huge UEFA ban after 'stupid joke'

Polish Referee Bartosz Frankowski shows a yellow card to Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma (Image: Getty Images)

Two Polish referees, Bartosz Frankowski and Tomasz Musial, have been slapped with a ban by UEFA for bringing the game into disrepute due to their drunken antics prior to a Champions League match. The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has suspended both officials from refereeing duties until June 30.

This decision follows their arrest by police ahead of a European qualifier between Rangers and Dynamo Kyiv in Poland in August.

UEFA was forced to scramble for replacements to operate VAR for the match in Lublin after Frankowski and Musial were apprehended for attempting to steal a road sign in the early hours of the morning. Frankowski was scheduled to act as VAR for the Champions League qualifier, with Musial assisting him.

However, they spent the morning of the match sobering up in a police cell, leading UEFA to bring in Tomasz Kwiatkowski and Pawel Malec to fill their roles. The governing body of European football has now delivered its verdict, dealing a significant blow to their careers.

Frankowski is considered one of Poland's top officials, having officiated at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, where he served as a VAR. Both he and Musial have experience working in Poland's Ekstraklasa and the Champions League.

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Lublin City Police Senior Superintendent Kamil Golebiowski revealed to TVP Sport: "At around 1.40 am, 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 mille of alcohol in their blood. They were taken to a sobering-up centre."

In response to the incident, Frankowski expressed his remorse: "I am still trying to find words that will sufficiently express how much I regret this incident and how sorry I am," he admitted. "I realise that with one such violation, I ruined 22 years of refereeing, ruined my entire career. It was stupidity, an idiotic fantasy, I don't even know what to call it.

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Referee Bartosz Frankowski has been banned until June. (Image: Getty Images)

"I should have calmly prepared for the match and not gone anywhere. As one of the police officers later told me, our prank was spotted by CCTV cameras. And they intervened. I would like to clarify that we were in no way aggressive. These were stupid jokes. We did not suspect that it would be perceived this way. We had no bad intentions.

"The prank with this sign was a stupid game. Now, looking back, I understand that it was not a very smart idea. It was a sign that was lying next to where road works were being carried out. And we were passing by. I am very sorry that this happened. And on a purely human level, it was stupid, because I know that my unfortunate behaviour will cast a shadow on many years of hard work.

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"What happened was irresponsible and unprofessional on my part, and I am fully aware of that. I would just like to emphasise that there were no acts of aggression in my behaviour, I did not break the law and there was no unlawful behaviour on my part towards police officers or anyone.

"I was not charged with any offence, I was only fined. I sincerely apologise to the Polish FA and I also apologise to my family. I understand the consequences that await me, but I hope that I will be able to rehabilitate myself."

Two Champions League referees slapped with huge UEFA ban after 'stupid joke'

Two Champions League referees slapped with huge UEFA ban after 'stupid joke'

Two Champions League referees slapped with huge UEFA ban after 'stupid joke'

Two Champions League referees slapped with huge UEFA ban after 'stupid joke'

Two Champions League referees slapped with huge UEFA ban after 'stupid joke'