Felix Zwayer to referee Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham despite Jude Bellingham barb and previous ban for involvement in match-fixing scandal

UEFA have confirmed that referee Felix Zwayer will be in charge for the showpiece event in Bilbao on May 21. This comes nearly 20 years on from him being suspended for six months by the German Football Association for accepting a £250 bribe while working as an assistant to ex-official Robert Hoyzer - who was banned for life for match-fixing scandal in 2004.

This will be Zwayer's first European club final, but he has officiated big games such as the 2023 Nations League final, England's Euro 2024 semi-final win over the Netherlands, and Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League semi-final second-leg victory over Arsenal. The 43-year-old's name was in the headlines in 2021 when then-Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham criticised the decision to put Zwayer in charge of his team's clash against Bayern Munich because he had "match fixed before". The England midfielder went on to receive a £34,000 fine.

Zwayer was banned for six months for accepting the aforementioned bribe from a fellow referee who was fixing a match between second-tier German club Wuppertaler SV and Werder Bremen Amateure in 2004. His information in bringing the plot to light got him a reduced suspension, while Hoyzer never refereed again.

Despite him rebuilding his career, his selection for the United versus Tottenham clash in San Mames next week is still likely to cause something of a stir.