Szymon Marciniak, a referee from Poland, responded to claims made by the sports publication L’Equipe that Argentina’s third goal against France in the World Cup final ought to have been disallowed.
At the Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Sunday, Argentina defeated the defending champions France 4-2 on penalties to win their third World Cup championship.
After extra time, the dramatic match concluded 3-3, thanks to goals from Argentinian captain Lionel Messi and French star Kylian Mbappe.
L’Equipe objected on Monday, claiming that Messi’s 108th-minute goal, which gave Argentina a 3-2 lead, should not have stood because two Argentine substitutes had entered the field of play to celebrate the successful outcome of a goalmouth melee.
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Polish referee Marciniak, who received praise for his work overall, spoke at a press conference and showed pictures of a France goal that was perhaps also subject to review.
Seven Frenchmen may be seen on the field as Mbappe scores in this snap, which the French neglected to disclose, according to Marciniak.
Marciniak has also discussed some of the conversations he had with players after the game, according to Sport.pl.
We have a good relationship with Paulo Dybala. He always comes to the game to say hello from his grandma, he remembers those Polish roots,” Marciniak said. “Now we also talked to him, after the game he threw himself on our necks.”
“The French also thanked them [the officials]. I had a few words with Hugo Loris, high-fived with Olivier Giroud. He got a yellow card but he had no complaints, he said it was a difficult match.
“I told the sad Mbappe that he is a great player and that he will win more than one cup. He leaned against me, it was emotion. I don’t even want to think about what he had in mind at the time,” Marciniak added.
Didier Deschamps spoke to Marciniak as well, although he was coy about what they discussed, as he acknowledged at his post-match press conference.
“I need to be careful – you saw it as well as I did,” Deschamps said in relation to Marciniak’s performance.
“It could have been worse, it could have been better. Before this match Argentina had been a little bit lucky but I don’t want to take anything away from them; they fully deserve the title.
“It is not because we suffered from any decisions that they came out victorious. I just discussed this with the referee after the game but don’t want to go into details,”Deschamps added.
While France has not officially complained about Marciniak’s performance, it has complained about the racial insults Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni, who missed their penalties in the shootout, received.
Furthermore, Alibceleste goalkeeper Emi Martinez’s “shocking” celebrations in Buenos Aires, in which he made fun of Mbappe by holding up a baby doll with the PSG forward’s face, have been brought up in a complaint to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) by Noel Le Graet, president of the France Football Federation (FFF).
