Former 'match fixer' referee is set to officiate the finals of the UEFA Europa League

The Europa League final, which features two Premier League sides, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, is scheduled for May 12th. The fixture will be overseen by a referee who has been previously associated with the 'match-fixing' scandal.

Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are looking to cap off a disappointing season on a positive note. Both teams will look to win the UEFA Europa League heading to San Mamés.

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UEFA Europa League finals to be officiated by former 'match fixer'

UEFA has announced that referee Felix Zwayer will officiate the much-anticipated finals in Bilbao on May 21. This decision comes nearly 20 years after Zwayer was suspended for six months by the German Football Association for accepting a £250 bribe while serving as an assistant to former official Robert Hoyzer, who received a lifetime ban for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal in 2004.

Zwayer will be in charge of a European final for the first time in his career. However, he has the experience of officiating big games like Nations League finals, Euros and UCL semifinals.

The referee was even called a 'match-fixer' by English star Jude Bellingham in 2021 when he was in charge of a match between his then side Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Jude Bellingham was even fined £34,000 for making such statements.

Zwayer received a six-month ban for accepting a bribe from a fellow referee involved in fixing a match between the second-tier German club Wuppertaler SV and Werder Bremen Amateure in 2004. His term of punishment was reduced since he cooperated in unveiling the shameful act. His team senior, Hoyzer, was permanently banned for the act.

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