Just over a week before the Champions League final, UEFA is investigating the allegations made by an anti-racism group from Warsaw against final referee Szymon Marciniak. The European Football Union takes this very seriously, the association said on Thursday evening at the request of the German Press Agency and called for "urgent clarification". "After examining all the evidence," a further announcement will follow. The final between Manchester City and Inter Milan will kick off on 10 June (21:00 CET in the F.A.Z. live ticker for the Champions League, on ZDF and DAZN) in Istanbul.

Speaking to the newspaper "Przeglad Sportowy" on Thursday evening, Marciniak said that as a long-time referee, "fairness and respect for others always come first, and I want to pass on these highest values to others". He distances himself "always from racist, anti-Semitic and intolerant statements," the Pole said.

"I always say 'stop the hate' and I will promote that the most important thing is to be a good person." The Polish Ministry of Sports quoted Minister Kamil Bortniczuk of the national-conservative ruling party PiS. "I am in contact with referee Szymon Marciniak. The denunciation case is a great manipulation." They will contact UEFA and issue a statement in support of referee Marciniak, it said.

The association "Never Again" had previously called on the referee to distance himself from "right-wing extremist activities". In essence, it is about an alleged participation of the Pole in a corresponding event of the politician Slawomir Mentzen of the right-wing nationalist and Eurosceptic party "Konfederacja". Mentzen is considered the new face of the party and is very active on social networks. "We don't want Jews, homosexuals, abortion, no taxes and no EU" - this is how he summed up his party's program in 2019.

"UEFA and the entire football community abhor the 'values' propagated by the party in question and take these allegations very seriously," UEFA said. Marciniak (42) is considered one of the top referees in world football, refereeing the final between Argentina and France at the last World Cup in Qatar at the end of 2022.

Meanwhile, English referee Anthony Taylor has been massively harassed at the airport on his departure after the Europa League final in Budapest, according to videos and reports. "We are appalled by the unjustified and despicable abuse directed at Anthony and his family," the English Premier League's Professional Referees Association said in a statement on Thursday evening. Videos on social media showed the incident, Taylor himself did not initially comment.

The referee had been insulted after the victory of Sevilla FC in the penalty shootout over AS Roma, especially by Roma coach José Mourinho. The Portuguese had watched Taylor in the underground car park of the Budapest final arena and described him, among other things, as a "disgrace". Mourinho faces a penalty from the European Football Union UEFA.