PZPN faces scrutiny over VAR technology and refereeing allegations

Paweł Sokolnicki, a long-time assistant to World Cup referee Szymon Marciniak, has leaked correspondence addressed to the leadership of the Polish Football Association (PZPN). In the letters, Sokolnicki raises serious allegations regarding the functioning of the new VAR Centre and the quality of referee training in Poland.

Sokolnicki claims that during the Polish Cup final, the new VAR Centre lacked connectivity, forcing officials to operate using old “bus-based” methods. He further criticized the semi-automated offside technology (SOAT), stating it is non-existent or unprepared, which leads to offside decisions being described as “more like fortune-telling than a reliable assessment of the facts on the pitch.”

Separately, controversy has erupted following a match between Korona Kielce and Widzew Łódź. While some experts argued that a goal scored by Morgan Faßbender was invalid due to an offside position, the PZPN Referee College released an analysis defending the decision, stating the player had no influence on the defender and the goal was scored legally.