DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Felix Zwayer has been appointed as the referee for England's upcoming semifinal match against the Netherlands at Euro 2024. This will mark Zwayer's fourth game at the tournament, with his previous assignment involving the Dutch team in their 3-0 victory over Romania in the round of 16.
The decision to appoint Zwayer has stirred controversy due to his past association with a match-fixing scandal in Germany. In 2006, Zwayer, then a young assistant referee, received a six-month ban over allegations of receiving money from another referee, Robert Hoyzer, who was banned for match-fixing. The incident involved Zwayer accepting 300 euros from Hoyzer before a game in 2004. However, a subsequent ruling in 2014 concluded that while Zwayer failed to report the incident promptly, there was no evidence of him manipulating any matches. In fact, Zwayer eventually provided crucial evidence in the case.
