UCL: ‘World’s Best Referee’ to handle the biggest game of Victor Osimhen’s career

In what is potentially the biggest game of Victor Osimhen’s club career, the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals between Napoli and Milan will be handled by referee Szymon Marciniak.

Soccernet.ng reports that the second leg of the quarterfinal matchup is scheduled for Tuesday, April 18, at the Diego Maradona Stadium.

Polish referee Marciniak was recently named “The World’s Best Referee” by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).

Osimhen missed the first leg of the quarterfinals clash due to injury and watched from the sidelines as AC Milan edged a close encounter one-nil.

Many were displeased by the several decisions of Romanian centre referee Istvan Kovacs who showed eight cards to Napoli players in that match, including a red card to Zambo Anguissa.

Osimhen is fit again, and the Super Eagles striker should be in the starting lineup on Tuesday as he looks to help Napoli reach the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

The former Lille forward will hope referee Szymon Marciniak brings his A-game to the eagerly-anticipated clash and ensure it is devoid of controversies.

Szymon Marciniak’s impressive CV

Marciniak, a Polish professional football referee, is widely considered one of the most highly-rated international referees of his generation.

He has already refereed Milan once this year in the Champions League group stage in the Rossoneri’s 4-0 victory at Dinamo Zagreb.

Marciniak’s assistant referees for the match will be compatriots Sokolnicki and Listkiewicz, with the fourth official being the Swedish Nyberg.

Notably, Marciniak was the referee for the 2022 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France in Qatar.

In addition to the World Cup final, Marciniak has also refereed other high-profile matches, such as the 2018 UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. His experience and expertise make him the perfect candidate to referee the upcoming Napoli-Milan clash.

As the football world prepares for what promises to be a thrilling encounter between Napoli and Milan, all eyes will be on Szymon Marciniak to ensure that the game is played fairly and to the highest possible standard.