Because of the Real Madrid Goal… UEFA Punishes Polish Referee Tomasz Kwiatkowski
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has decided to exclude Polish referee Tomasz Kwiatkowski, who was the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) in the Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid match, from upcoming officiating assignments. This comes after the controversial decision he made regarding the penalty taken by Argentine player Julián Álvarez.
According to the Spanish newspaper AS, the Polish duo, Kwiatkowski and his colleague Szymon Marciniak, had been working together consistently since 2022, both on the field and in the VAR room. However, UEFA has decided to separate them for the first time in the upcoming Europa League match between Tottenham and Eintracht Frankfurt, where Kwiatkowski will not be part of the officiating crew.
This decision follows the heavy controversy surrounding Julián Álvarez’s penalty, which was canceled due to a supposed double touch by the Argentine player, based on Kwiatkowski’s intervention as the VAR. The incident sparked wide disagreement among analysts and fans, as it was a fine and difficult call to interpret.
Although UEFA defended the decision the following day by releasing footage showing Álvarez’s slight second touch, AS reported that Kwiatkowski’s exclusion from the next match is seen as an “unofficial punishment,” especially since UEFA offered no explanation for the sudden change.
Notably, the decision came directly after the Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid match, which raises speculation—especially given UEFA’s usual public support for its referees, as seen with Marciniak, who kept his assignment, unlike his colleague Kwiatkowski who was temporarily sidelined.
The newspaper added that it contacted UEFA for an official comment, but the response was brief: “We do not comment on referee appointments.” The referee appointments are handled by UEFA’s refereeing committee, chaired by Roberto Rosetti.
