Polish football club Jagiellonia Białystok has issued an official statement confirming full backing for head coach Adrian Siemieniec following leaks regarding match referee correspondence.
The club confirmed that Siemieniec attended a hearing before the Polish Football Association on July 30, 2026, as part of an explanatory investigation into discussions over yellow card warnings.
The controversy erupted after Polish sports news portal WP SportoweFakty published text messages exchanged between Siemieniec and referee Arkadiusz Kamil Wójcik regarding official Paweł Raczkowski, who was assigned to referee an upcoming Jagiellonia match.
In the published messages, Siemieniec wrote to Wójcik that Raczkowski was refereeing their match that day and asked how to approach the situation, expressing a desire for cooperation on the matter. Siemieniec added that while he had no objection if a booking was unavoidable, he hoped the referee could warn players who were close to receiving a yellow card so he could react from the bench.
Wójcik replied that Raczkowski was very effective in handling such situations, advising Siemieniec to take Raczkowski aside before the game to inform him which players were at risk of suspension and request advance notification.
Leaked messages and pre-match discussions
According to findings published by WP SportoweFakty, Siemieniec also spoke directly with Raczkowski about yellow cards immediately prior to the match. Raczkowski subsequently reported the incident to his superior following the conclusion of the game.
Jagiellonia Białystok is a professional football club based in northeastern Poland that competes in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of Polish football. Managing yellow card suspensions is a critical tactical consideration for club coaches during league campaigns, as player bookings accumulate toward automatic match suspensions under league regulations.
The Polish Football Association, known locally as Polski Związek Piłki Nożnej or PZPN, serves as the governing body for domestic football in Poland. Its Referees College oversees match officials, while independent disciplinary bodies investigate potential breaches of conduct across top-flight football.
Delays in disciplinary proceedings
The incident sparked additional controversy over the handling of the report within the refereeing body. Marcin Szulc, head of the PZPN Referees College, waited 53 days after the match before forwarding Raczkowski's report to disciplinary spokesman Adam Gilarski.
The referral to the disciplinary officer occurred on the exact day that Wójcik filed a formal complaint with the prosecutor's office against Szulc and a board member of the Referees College. Wójcik accused the refereeing officials of offences including workplace mobbing, making threats, and defamation.
WP SportoweFakty is one of Poland's prominent sports media outlets, frequently covering governance, disciplinary proceedings, and officiating issues across the country's professional sports leagues.
Club statement and position on Siemieniec
In its official statement, Jagiellonia Białystok acknowledged public reports and stated that Siemieniec participated in a meeting with the designated PZPN body on July 30, 2026. The club explained that the session formed part of an ongoing inquiry to verify all facts surrounding the correspondence.
Jagiellonia stated that, based on information available to the club, PZPN officials have not initiated formal disciplinary proceedings against the manager after examining the facts and hearing his testimony.
The club reiterated its readiness to cooperate fully with football federation authorities to ensure every aspect of the incident is thoroughly investigated. Jagiellonia concluded by asserting that Siemieniec retains the complete confidence and full support of the club's board and management.
