Judge – office, not star

The 4th final of the Polish Cup, in which the Warsaw Legion and the Whitestock Jagiellonia clashed, was an highly tasty dish, even for the conditions of the standards of judging in Poland. possibly for individual reasons.

The profession of a sports referee, although it may concern little serious issues of public life, should be governed by the same rules as a court judge. Unfortunately, this is where the tabloidization takes place.

If individual listened to justice Simon Marciniak’s translation of the decisions made in the match, he most likely felt that he was watching another match. Marciniak was not the main judge, but the alleged justice of VAR, and thus liable for the videoverification of decisions made on the field by Piotr Lasyk. erstwhile the second cancelled punishment throw for Jagiellonia was considered, Lasyk approached VAR and the full of Poland saw that he was looking at the alleged foul in the punishment field. Meanwhile, Marciniak tried to convince the public that the situation was completely different.

Human error? Yes, but not only. We did large harm to Marciniak by granting him the position of king of Polish judges. Wojciech Kowalczyk rightly notes that his very presence, even in a insignificant position, is to exert force on his colleagues from the profession. That's the problem. Personalization. The point is that the final of the mundial was judged by ‘Simon Marciniak’ alternatively than ‘Polish judge’. And it was Marciniak who appeared on various kinds of journeys in honor of success, where the alleged stakes learned how to work brains for confused people for their money.

The success of PZPN, which was the posting of a Polish justice to justice the most crucial match in the planet football erstwhile all 4 years, was utilized and discounted by 1 person, not an institution. Both in the sense of the ultimate Court and the “office” of the judge.

Because that's the point. The justice is expected to be an office and authority due to his function, not his name. We can't make stars out of judges, due to the fact that then we make them... besides favorable working conditions. The work of the justice – in court and on the field – is difficult. And it must be difficult. If it were easy, no 1 would go to court. You wouldn't gotta go out on the field, either, just figure out the result of the game as part of the negotiations. Paradoxically, then, it is bad for Marciniak himself. Yes, FIFA has well-deservedly entrusted him with the planet Cup final, but that does not mean that he will now make "better" decisions than another judges. Even if he does not think so himself, however, this is how the media aura that surrounds him works.

It is precisely the same with courts around which it is besides loud. What kind of justice could Igor Tuley be present after he was made a hero? Will he not be tempted to make decisions erstwhile he is protected by the authority given by the “Electoral Gazette” and the environment? Is that sometimes the reason why he won't halt being a good justice now, which he could have been?

However, returning to sport, all of this happened in the worst place at the worst time, due to the fact that in the Legia Warszawa match, which, according to many observers, is simply favored by the judges and which awakens her simply dislike. specified “War” scandals surely do not help.

So what do we do with the spilled milk now? Can Martiniak inactive be a justice who builds the authority of the function he performs, not his own name? Finally, the last thing: how is it that with specified technology, we inactive have mistakes, and possibly even more controversial than before?

Tomasz Jankowski

Think Poland, No. 11-12 (16-23.03.2025)