UEFA Under Fire for Appointing Referee with Match-Fixing Past to England vs Netherlands Euro 2024 Semifinal
Felix Zwayer, a referee with a controversial history, has been appointed to officiate England’s Euro 2024 semifinal against the Netherlands on Wednesday in Dortmund.
Zwayer was previously banned for six months in 2005 after admitting to accepting a €300 bribe from another official,
Robert Hoyzer, to favor German club Wuppertaler SV in a match against Werder Bremen Amateure in 2004.
The appointment has raised eyebrows, particularly after Jude Bellingham publicly questioned Zwayer’s integrity in a post-match interview in 2021.
Bellingham’s comments came after Borussia Dortmund‘s 3-2 loss to Bayern Munich in a crucial Bundesliga game.
“You give a referee, that has match-fixed before, the biggest game in Germany. What do you expect?”
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Bellingham was fined €40,000 for his comments, which came after Dortmund were denied a penalty at one end and conceded one at the other.
England defender Luke Shaw was quick to dispel any thoughts of conspiracy when asked at a news conference Monday if the refereeing situation was uncomfortable.
Luke Shaw:
“No, not at all, we have to respect UEFA in whoever they decide to pick as the ref.
That won’t change anything about us.
“We still just focus on the game in hand, not too much about what refs we’ve been given or this and that. For us, it won’t make any difference.”
Shaw went on to say he had never played in a game where he thought the officials were acting against his team.
“Sometimes in the heat of the moment, you get angry in games and you might think that, but no.”
“Whatever ref has been picked has been picked. We just have to be ready and not focus on that.”
England face the Netherlands in a thrilling Euro 2024 semifinal clash.
The Three Lions seek to reach their second consecutive European Championship final,
while the Oranje aim to spoil England’s party and book their own spot in the title decider.
