England facing ref trouble?! Journalists & fans question appointment of Felix Zwayer as official for Netherlands Euro 2024 semi-final after Jude Bellingham & match-fixing controversy

Zwayer has been a UEFA-approved referee since 2004 and has taken charge of three games at Euro 2024 so far, and he will now officiate the semi-final in Dortmund. However, the trouble started when fans realised Zwayer was the same referee Jude Bellingham had criticised during his time at Borussia Dortmund and questioned the German referee's past with match-fixing. England fans are now concerned that Zwayer and Bellingham's past confrontations may cause the refereeing in the game to be biased towards Ronald Koeman's side during the crucial semi-final.

Viaplay journalist @JanAageFjortoft wrote on X: "I am not sure what UEFA are thinking by putting Zwayer at the England game. Back in 2021, Bellingham told me this after the game. And was fined €40,000 by German football officials"

England fan @lovebellingham wrote: "Really don’t understand why they would have Zwayer ref the England game. Especially when everyone knows what happened between him and Jude when he was at Dortmund lmao this is stupid"

X user @AlanRzepa said: "Baffled as to why he’s allowed to officiate at the top level if he was found guilty of match-fixing"

@lulu11_lu posted on X: "Again someone who has match fixed before should never referee again especially BIG matches like have you gone mad, UEFA. You don’t have any other less shitty German referees than Felix Zwayer???"

England fan @ydayda11 blamed UEFA: "Assigned a known match fixer aka Felix Zwayer to the semifinal England vs. Netherlands. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!! There’s an obvious conflict of interest: one English player called him out on this in 2021! You’re trying to make sure England go home! DISGUSTING"

In 2005, the German became embroiled in a match-fixing controversy in which Zwayer acknowledged accepting money from Robert Hoyzer, a banned referee who was charged with match-fixing but not with changing the result of a game. Zwayer was banned for six months as soon as this was discovered. Zwayer took a two-month hiatus from officiating in December 2021 in response to remarks made by Bellingham after Borussia Dortmund lost 3-2 to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

The German has become one of the best referees in Europe since that incident and has overseen a number of crucial clashes. He will likely approach the semi-final as a normal game, however, a rise in temperature may see the German called into question.