FFormer Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger has criticised Polish referee Szymon Marciniak for awarding what he believes was an unfair penalty to Inter Milan during their dramatic second-leg Champions League clash against Barcelona.

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The incident occurred when Inter striker Lautaro Martínez advanced into the box and was challenged by Barça defender Pau Cubarsí, who appeared to slide in and get the ball.

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However, following a VAR review, Marciniak ruled the tackle a foul, concluding that Cubarsí made contact with Martínez’s foot before touching the ball.

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The resulting penalty proved pivotal in Inter’s 4-3 victory.

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Speaking on beIN SPORTS during the post-match analysis, Wenger expressed his frustration with the decision.

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🚨🇫🇷 Arsene Wenger on Inter's penalty: "I'm highly AGAINST these kind of penalties. And I'm highly against using slow motion VAR." ❌🚫 pic.twitter.com/3f18Q7qUl4— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) May 6, 2025

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He argued that Cubarsí clearly played the ball first and questioned the reliance on slow-motion replays to determine such calls, noting that they often distort the true nature of a challenge.

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Wenger, now FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, also criticised Martínez’s role in the incident, suggesting the forward exaggerated the contact and that the challenge did not merit a penalty.

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"I'm highly against this kind of penalty, and I'm against using slow motion on normal pace. He's first on the ball. Why does he touch him? Look what he's doing, Martinez leans into him [Cubarsi]. He looks for the penalty. He knows he won't score now because he feels him there.

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"And the referee in this situation shows that he hasn't made the right decision. Look, he's first on the ball, and that's what counts for me. It doesn't matter if there's contact. It's who plays the ball and who wins the ball first. I'm highly against this kind of penalty," he said.

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