Two UEFA referees have been hit with long bans after they were arrested for stealing a road sign while under the influence ahead of Rangers’ Champions League qualifier with Dynamo Kyiv in August.
Bartosz Frankowski and Tomasz Musial are used to dishing out punishments in their roles but both have found themselves in the firing line after taking it too far prior the European fixture.
Police stated that the pair were caught on CCTV trying to carry the road sign with another person just hours before the game was due to kick-off in Lublin on August 6.
Frankowski and Musial were handed fines at the time and they have now been suspended until June 30, 2025 for breaking ‘basic rules of decent conduct’ by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.
‘At around 1:40am, we received a report of three men carrying a road sign down the street,’ Lublin City Police Senior Superintendent Kamil Golebiowski told TVP Sport after the incident took place.
Bartosz Frankowski was supposed to be the VAR for Rangers versus Dynamo Kyiv in August
Tomasz Musial was originally due to be the AVAR for the Champions League qualifier in Lublin
‘Police officers were dispatched to the scene. All of the men were intoxicated and had over 1.5 per mille of alcohol in their blood. They were taken to a sobering-up centre.’
Frankowski was supposed to be the video assistant referee for the game with Musial as his assistant.
The Polish FA quickly moved to replace the pair with Tomasz Kwiatkowski and Pawel Malec coming in to take their roles.
‘I am still trying to find words that will sufficiently express how much I regret this incident and how sorry I am,’ Frankowski – who has officiated at the last two European Championships – said in a statement.
‘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.
‘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.’
Both officials were replaced amid reports that they stole a road sign in the early hours
According to Frankowski, the incident was nothing more than a ‘prank’ and a ‘stupid game’ that went wrong.
‘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,’ he added.
‘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.’