World Cup: Polish referee Szymon Marciniak recovers from heart condition to take charge of final
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Polish referee Szymon Marciniak during the World Cup last-16 match between Argentina and Australia.
PHOTO: AFP
DOHA – Polish official Szymon Marciniak nearly quit being a referee after he was diagnosed with tachycardia, a condition in which the heart beats abnormally fast.
He missed Euro 2020 but has since recovered. On Sunday, he will be on the biggest stage as Fifa announced on Thursday that he will take charge of the World Cup final between Argentina and France.
The adrenaline will undoubtedly be high, his heart will again be beating fast, but Fifa referee chairman Pierluigi Collina felt that he was the best man after the 41-year-old impressed in Qatar.
Marciniak, who will be the first Polish referee in charge of a World Cup final, has already officiated matches involving both teams – Argentina’s last-16 win over Australia and France’s group-stage victory against Denmark.
“I had a difficult time 1½ years ago with tachycardia. In the beginning, it was very difficult for me. I had to stop. I missed the European Championship, which for a referee at their peak age was a terrible feeling,” he said in an interview with Fifa.
“Sometimes I think life takes something from us to give you back double happiness and I can say I’m a great example of this.
“Only me and my team know how difficult this was. (As for the game) there are so many big stars, anything can happen, so concentration, concentration and more concentration. There can be no relaxing for one second.”
Marciniak knows how to handle all the pressure as he is a regular Champions League and Europa League referee.
He was in charge of the 3-3 Champions League thriller between Barcelona and Inter Milan this season and also Porto’s 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid.
He was also the main man in the 2018 Super Cup clash between Atletico and Real Madrid. That same year, he oversaw two games in the Russia World Cup and dismissed Germany’s Jerome Boateng for aggressive play.
Marciniak’s assistants on Sunday are compatriots Pawel Sokolnicki and Tomasz Listkiewicz, whose father Michael was a linesman for the 1990 World Cup final between Argentina and West Germany.
The trio also worked together at the 2018 World Cup.
Poland’s Tomasz Kwiatkowski will be in Marciniak’s ear as the video assistant referee (VAR) while American Ismail Elfath will be the fourth official. AFP, REUTERS
