UEFA has chosen Felix Zwayer, a former match-fixing referee, to officiate the Europa League final between Manchester United and Spurs.
The German football association ban the 43-year-old for six months in 2006 for accepting a £250 bribe while working as assistant to Robert Heuser. Who was ban for life after Zwayer help uncover a match-fixing scandal.
This will be Zwayer’s first เล่น UFABET ผ่านมือถือ สะดวกทุกที่ ทุกเวลา European final. Although he has officiated a number of high-profile games in recent years.
That includes the 2023 Nations League final and England’s Euro 2024 semi-final win over Holland. With Gareth Southgate insisting his appointment “should not even be consider”.
He also officiated Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain in France last week.
In 2021, England midfielder Jude Bellingham was fine £34,000 for criticising Zwayer, who officiate Borussia Dortmund’s clash with Bayern Munich. After he had “Match-fixing” was first reported in 2005 by the German Football Federation after being accuse of accepting a €300 (£253.82) bribe from another referee who had fixed the match.
An investigation reveal that the referee, then an assistant referee, had been paid by match referee Robert Heuser to favour German second-division club Wuppertaler SV for a match against Werder Bremen in May 2004.
Heuser was subsequently banned for life, while Zwayer was given only a half-year suspended sentence for being part of the group that uncovered the match-fixing scheme.
Since then, the German referee has rebuilt his career and reputation as one of UEFA’s most trusted officials.
However, his selection to officiate Europe’s most important match has caused controversy in the football community.
The decision to referee England’s semi-final in Germany last year was the most controversial. Given his history with the Three Lions and Real Madrid star Bellingham, the
2021 campaign, while Bellingham was still at Borussia Dortmund. Was slamming Swayer’s past after a thrilling 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich.
“You can see a lot of decisions in the game,” Bellingham said in a post-match TV interview. “You give a referee who has fixed matches before, the biggest game in Germany, what can you expect? “
For me, it was not a penalty. He (Hummels) was not looking at the ball, he was struggling for it, it went on him. You can see a lot of decisions in the game.”
Bellingham’s comments have earned him a whopping £34,000 fine.
It will be Swayer’s first time officiating a European club final, although he did referee the 2023 UEFA Nations League final.
Swayer has refereed 37 games in all competitions this season, including just one in the Europa League, and was midway through Arsenal’s recent trip to the Parc des Princes. A
controversial penalty decision has once again found the German refereeing front of mind.
Swayer was called to the VAR monitor after the ball appeared to strike the arm of Miles Lewis-Skelly in the area, causing confusion among fans in the stadium and online when Swayer reversed his decision to award no penalty to Vitinha’s effort instead, with David Raya denying Vitinha’s effort. The German has officiated Spurs
and Manchester United in the Europa League, with the Red Devils unbeaten in his four games in charge.