A bizarre incident involving UEFA Champions League VAR referees has stunned the European football community. According to Goal.com, Bartosz Frankowski and Thomas Musiel, two referees who were supposed to officiate in the Champions League qualifier between Dynamo Kyiv and Rangers FC, found themselves in legal trouble in Lublin, Poland, over allegations of stealing traffic signs.
Rather than focusing on the match from the VAR control room at the Stadion Miejski in Lublin, these two referees unexpectedly became the center of attention for local police. The Lublin police confirmed that they received a report about stolen road signs and subsequently found three men, visibly intoxicated, carrying the stolen signs around the city. It was discovered that two of them were the VAR referees for the upcoming Champions League qualifier—Bartosz Frankowski and Thomas Musiel—and the third was their friend, another referee named Mikolaj.
In front of the police, the three referees admitted that their judgment had been impaired by alcohol, leading to this foolish act. They were given breathalyzer tests and detained by the authorities.
The incident not only embarrassed the individuals involved but also severely tarnished the reputation of Polish referees and the broader European football refereeing community. Given that both Bartosz and Thomas have previous experience officiating in key UEFA competitions, this misconduct is likely to have significant consequences for their careers.
Currently, the Polish Football Association and UEFA have launched an investigation, and the two referees may face severe disciplinary action.