Veteran referee Marciniak awaits the Netherlands in Belgrade
On Sunday, the 45‑year‑old Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, appointed by UEFA, will take charge of the Nations League duel between the Netherlands and Serbia in Belgrade. The Netherlands have played four times under Marciniak and have not won a single match, with a loss to Mexico (2‑3) and three draws.
Marciniak: an experienced referee
Marciniak, 45 years old, has been among the best‑known referees in Europe for years. Since 2002 he has been officiating matches in Poland and was added to the FIFA list in 2011. He blew the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France and a year later the 2023 Champions League final between Manchester City and Internazionale. At club level he has overseen, among others, the Europa League semi‑final between Ajax and Olympique Lyon (3‑1) and three Champions League ties of Feyenoord against Manchester City, Lazio and AC Milan. He also was in charge of a Champions League qualifying tie of PSV against Rangers and of FC Twente and AZ in the Europa League.
After the duel with Germany, the Spaniard Alejandro Hernández Hernández received heavy criticism, especially because of the disallowed goal of Virgil van Dijk. Hans Kraay Jr. even went so far as to say that the referee should be suspended for about ten matches. Historically, the appointment is not a good omen for the Netherlands: the team have played four times under Marciniak and have never won. In 2014 the Netherlands lost to Mexico 2‑3, with Wesley Sneijder and Daley Blind scoring the Dutch goals. A friendly against Belgium in 2017 ended in a draw, as did the Euro qualifying match against Northern Ireland in 2019. The last duel in 2021 against Norway ended 1‑1, with a goal from Erling Haaland for the Norwegians and Davy Klaassen saving a point. In total, the Netherlands received seven yellow cards from Marciniak.
Crucial points for the Nations League
On Sunday the Netherlands will hunt for their first victory in Belgrade under Marciniak's supervision, while three points are desperately needed after the draw with Germany. For Serbia the pressure is even greater, as they lost the opening match against Greece 1‑2. Both teams want to use the points for the Nations League group that in 2026/27 will include Germany, Serbia and Greece.
The appointment of Marciniak comes shortly after the much‑discussed performance of Hernández and increases the focus on the refereeing aspect of the match. For the Netherlands this means an extra challenge, but also an opportunity to break the negative statistic. For more in‑depth stories about the Netherlands you can visit VI PRO.