Two referees banned by UEFA for drunkenly stealing road sign before Champions League game

A brace of lucifer officials person been slapped with lengthy bans by UEFA aft they were arrested for drunkenly stealing a roadworthy motion successful the lead-up to Rangers’ Champions League qualifier with Dynamo Kyiv.

While Bartosz Frankowski and Tomasz Musial person some made careers from dishing retired punishments, the duo person managed to onshore themselves successful superior blistery h2o implicit the boozy nighttime retired anterior to the contest.

Police stated that Frankowski and Musial had been captured connected CCTV attempting to transportation the said roadworthy motion with different idiosyncratic conscionable hours earlier kick-off successful Lublin, Poland, connected August 6 pursuing reports of ‘improper behaviour’.

The 2 Poles received fines astatine the clip and person present been suspended from officiating until June 30 2025 for violating ‘basic rules of decent conduct’ by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.

‘At astir 1:40am, we received a study of 3 men carrying a roadworthy motion down the street,’ Lublin City Police Senior Superintendent Kamil Golebiowski told TVP Sport successful the contiguous aftermath.

‘Police officers were dispatched to the scene. All of the men were intoxicated and had implicit 1.5 per mille of intoxicant successful their blood. They were taken to a sobering-up centre.’

Frankowski was expected to instrumentality complaint arsenic the video adjunct referee for the game, portion Musial had been acceptable to enactment arsenic his assistant. But the Polish Football Association were forced to rapidly telephone successful Tomasz Kwiatkowski and Pawel Malec to regenerate them successful their positions.

‘I americium inactive trying to find words that volition sufficiently explicit however overmuch I regret this incidental and however atrocious I am,’ Frankowski – who has officiated astatine Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 – said successful a statement.

‘I realise that with 1 specified violation, I ruined 22 years of refereeing, ruined my full career. I should person calmly prepared for the lucifer and not gone anywhere.

‘As 1 of the constabulary officers aboriginal told me, our prank was spotted by CCTV cameras and they intervened. I would similar to clarify that we were successful nary mode aggressive. These were anserine jokes.

‘We did not fishy that it would beryllium perceived this way. We had nary atrocious intentions. It was stupidity, an idiotic fantasy, I don’t adjacent cognize what to telephone it.’

According to Frankowski, the pair’s antics with the roadworthy broadside were simply a ‘prank’ and a ‘stupid game’ gone wrong.

‘Now, looking back, I recognize that it was not a precise astute idea. It was a motion that was lying adjacent to wherever roadworthy works were being carried retired and we were passing by,’ helium added.

‘I americium precise atrocious that this happened. And connected a purely quality level, it was stupid, due to the fact that I cognize that my unfortunate behaviour volition formed a shadiness connected galore years of hard work.

‘What happened was irresponsible and unprofessional connected my part, and I americium afloat alert of that. I would conscionable similar to emphasise that determination were nary acts of aggression successful my behaviour, I did not interruption the instrumentality and determination was nary unlawful behaviour connected my portion towards constabulary officers oregon anyone.’

In a abstracted statement, Musial said: ‘I wholeheartedly apologise to the authorities of the Polish Football Association, particularly the Referees’ College, the authorities of Ekstraklasa and each those whom I person disappointed with my attitude.

‘This is the archetypal incidental of this benignant involving me. For galore years of my nonrecreational vocation arsenic a referee, I person worked hard to get to wherever I americium today.

‘At the aforesaid time, I person ever tried to acceptable an example, some connected and disconnected the pitch. I americium alert of the consequences that await me, but I anticipation that I volition beryllium capable to rehabilitate myself and rebuild your trust.’

Frankowski and Musial were suspended by the Polish FA backmost successful August, anterior to the prohibition from UEFA.

The lucifer successful question betwixt Dynamo Kyiv and Rangers finished 1-1 aft Cyriel Dessers recovered a last-gasp equaliser for the Scottish Premiership broadside distant from home.

However, Rangers were beaten 2-0 successful the 2nd limb astatine Ibrox the pursuing week, meaning Dynamo secured a 3-1 aggregate victory.

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