Ekstraklasa bans referee Wójcik for two years and sanctions coach Siemieniec over text messages

Disciplinary rulings announced

On 2 October 2026, the Ekstraklasa League Commission issued formal disciplinary sanctions against Jagiellonia Białystok head coach Adrian Siemieniec and match officials Arkadiusz Kamil Wójcik and Paweł Raczkowski. The ruling imposed a six-match ban and a 100,000 PLN fine on Siemieniec, along with a two-year ban from participating in Ekstraklasa competitions that is suspended for three years. Assistant referee Wójcik received the strictest penalty in the proceedings, an unconditional two-year disqualification under Article 110 Paragraph 1 Section 2 of the Polish Football Association (PZPN) Disciplinary Regulations. FIFA-listed referee Raczkowski was fined 50,000 PLN for failing to notify football authorities about the contact promptly. The League Commission ordered immediate enforceability for all three rulings.

Background of the text messages

The disciplinary case stems from actions taken ahead of Matchday 33 in the 2025/26 Ekstraklasa season, prior to a fixture between Jagiellonia Białystok and GKS Katowice. Siemieniec initiated contact through text messages with Wójcik, seeking instructions on how to approach Raczkowski regarding players who risked suspensions from yellow card accumulation. Details of the communication emerged publicly on 10 September 2026, following a period in which PZPN bodies had kept the matter internal. The League Commission launched its own inquiry after the PZPN Coaches Training and Licensing Commission and the PZPN Referees College declined to enforce sanctions under their respective conventions. Following its review, the League Commission formally stated that the incident did not involve corruption or any actions aimed at altering the sporting result of the match.

Standards of referee conduct

The League Commission explained that Wójcik violated the PZPN Referee Convention by giving Siemieniec guidance on conveying expectations to Raczkowski. The convention mandates that match officials must avoid contact with club representatives in their competition tier and report any contact attempts to governing bodies. In its ruling, the Commission noted that Wójcik's conduct compromised the impartiality and authority associated with Ekstraklasa referees. Raczkowski received his 50,000 PLN financial penalty specifically for the delayed notification of the improper contact, while preparing for a UEFA Nations League match in Tallinn at the time of the announcement. The Commission stated that while its disciplinary catalogue is more restricted than the full licensing bodies of PZPN, disciplinary action was required to address the breach of conduct rules.

Appeals and external investigation

Wójcik responded to the two-year disqualification through a statement on the social media platform X, confirming that he intends to appeal the decision once the formal justification is delivered. He revealed that he had previously requested the League Commission to suspend disciplinary proceedings until an inquiry by civil law enforcement concluded.

I regret that the Ekstraklasa S.A. League Commission did not grant my request to suspend proceedings against me until the case is clarified by the prosecutor's office. All the more so because the work being carried out by the Warsaw-Ochota District Prosecutor's Office may significantly undermine the Commission's conclusions and damage trust in its assessments in the future.

Wójcik added that he plans to comment on the case in greater detail on his digital channel. Disciplinary appeals will proceed through the formal association channels once the written reasoning is served to the involved parties.