Uefa issue two referees with huge bans after drunkenly taking road sign before Champions League clash
UEFA have banned two referees for drunkenly taking a road sign before a Champions League clash.
Bartosz Frankowski and Tomasz Musial were arrested in the Polish city of Lubin back in August.
The pair had been appointed as VAR and AVAR officials for the third qualifying round tie between Dynamo Kyiv and Rangers.
However, they were replaced by the Polish FA following their drunken antics the night before the match.
Police caught the two referees on CCTV before arresting them, with Uefa fining them at the time.
Frankowski and Musial have now both been handed lengthy bans for their behaviour.
They have been suspended until June 30, 2025 by Uefa’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.
Their punishment is for breaking “basic rules of decent conduct”, the governing body confirmed.
In a statement, Frankowski said: “I am still trying to find words that will sufficiently express how much I regret this incident and how sorry I am.
“I realise that with one such violation, I ruined 22 years of refereeing, ruined my entire career. I should have calmly prepared for the match and not gone anywhere.
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“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. It was stupidity, an idiotic fantasy, I don’t even know what to call it.”
He also claimed the incident was simply a “prank” and had been a “stupid game” that went wrong.
The 38-year-old, who is a Fifa referee, added: “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.
“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.”