**Europa League Final Referee Faces Scrutiny Over Past Match-Fixing Ban and Threats**
As anticipation builds for Wednesday night’s Europa League final in Bilbao between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, all eyes are not only on the players but also firmly fixed on the man in the middle, Felix Zwayer. The German official has a storied history in European football, with significant highlights but also considerable controversy shadowing his career.
Felix Zwayer, now 43, is no stranger to high-pressure fixtures, having officiated at Euro 2024 and overseeing the 2023 UEFA Nations League final. For Wednesday’s clash, he will be supported by assistants Robert Kempter and Christian Dietz, with Bastian Danker in charge of VAR. Despite his track record of refereeing top-tier matches, Zwayer’s career has been marred by past scandal, casting a complex shadow over his current assignments.
Zwayer began his refereeing journey with the German Football Association (DFB) in 2004, steadily progressing through the ranks. By 2007, he was handling 2.Bundesliga matches and soon thereafter was promoted to the Bundesliga. However, it was his early years that would prove consequential.
While working as an assistant referee in 2004, Zwayer’s reputation suffered a major blow. He was implicated in a match-fixing investigation after allegations surfaced that he accepted a €300 payment from notorious referee Robert Hoyzer, who would later be banned for life for orchestrating multiple fixed games. Although an investigation failed to establish that Zwayer influenced the result of the particular match in question, he served a six-month suspension as a result — a disciplinary mark that would follow him for years.
After completing his ban, Zwayer gradually rebuilt his professional standing, rising to become one of the most prominent officials not only in Germany but in European football at large. Yet, his chequered past refused to stay buried for long; a German newspaper investigation in 2014 dredged up the details once more, ensuring that controversy would continue to trail the referee.
The debate about Zwayer’s integrity resurfaced spectacularly in December 2021, when he presided over a heated Bundesliga encounter between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich — a fixture watched by millions. Tensions peaked after Zwayer chose not to award Dortmund a penalty following a contentious incident involving Marco Reus and subsequently granted Bayern a spot kick after a handball by Mats Hummels. Borussia Dortmund were left aggrieved, and the fallout escalated swiftly.
Jude Bellingham, then one of Dortmund’s star players, voiced his frustrations in a post-match interview, pointedly referencing Zwayer’s match-fixing past: “You give a referee that’s match-fixed before the biggest game in Germany… what do you expect?” His comments sparked widespread debate, ultimately resulting in Bellingham being fined €40,000 (£34,000) and even sparking a criminal complaint for slander from the referee’s assessor, though the matter did not progress further.
The weeks that followed saw Zwayer subjected to intense public scrutiny and, more disturbingly, death threats. The backlash was so severe that he considered stepping away from refereeing altogether. After a brief sabbatical, he returned quietly, taking charge of less prominent 2.Bundesliga fixtures as he looked to reintegrate himself back into the world of professional officiating.
As Zwayer prepares to lead the officiating team in one of the season’s most significant matches, conversation continues to swirl around the suitability and scrutiny of officials with complex histories. UEFA’s decision to appoint him serves as a reminder of both his experience and the enduring debate about the rehabilitation and oversight of referees.
While Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur focus on lifting silverware, the football world will be watching Zwayer to see if he can deliver a controversy-free performance, or whether his presence once again becomes a talking point post-match. In a final where the stakes are already towering for both English clubs, the spotlight will burn brightly on the referee whose professional past ensures he remains one of football’s most discussed — and divisive — figures.