The referee selected to officiate the UEFA Champions League semi-final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain previously received a six-month ban for his involvement in match-fixing.
Felix Zwayer, a 43-year-old German official, is assigned to oversee the critical second leg match at the Parc des Princes this Wednesday evening.
Zwayer is recognized as one of UEFA`s top-rated referees and was notably in charge of England`s semi-final victory against the Netherlands during the Euros last summer.
This match presents another high-stakes assignment for Zwayer, as Arsenal look to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg against PSG.
Both teams are poised for an intense battle as they vie for a place in the final, where they would meet either Barcelona or Inter Milan.
However, leading up to the game, attention has been drawn to Zwayer`s controversial past.
In 2005, he faced disciplinary action for accepting a bribe from fellow referee Robert Hoyzer.
At the time, Zwayer was working as a linesman and admitted to taking £250 to influence the outcome of a German second division game.
A subsequent investigation revealed that Hoyzer was receiving payments from a Croatian betting syndicate linked to organized crime.
As a result, Hoyzer was banned from football for life and sentenced to two years and five months in prison.
Zwayer`s ban lasted six months, after which he returned to refereeing and eventually became a prominent Bundesliga official in 2009.
His prior involvement in the bribery scandal has not been forgotten by players, with Jude Bellingham publicly referencing it while criticizing one of Zwayer`s penalty decisions against Bellingham`s former club, Borussia Dortmund.
Following a loss to rivals Bayern Munich three years ago, Bellingham commented: “For me, it wasn`t a penalty. You can look at a lot of the other decisions in the game.”
He added, “When you give a referee who has previously match-fixed the biggest game in Germany, what do you expect?”
