Euro 2024: England-Netherlands ref served match-fixing ban

UEFA has appointed a referee who beforehand confessed to match-fixing — and whose integrity was publicly questioned by Jude Bellingham — for England’s Euro 2024 semifinal in opposition to the Netherlands.

Felix Zwayer will officiate Wednesday’s conflict in Dortmund regardless of being banned for six months in 2005 after taking a €300 ($325) bribe from one other official, Robert Hoyzer.

A 2005 investigation discovered that Zwayer accepted a bribe to favour German membership Wuppertaler SV of their match in opposition to Werder Bremen Amateure in Could 2004.

Bellingham referred again to that incident in a postmatch interview in 2021 after Borussia Dortmund misplaced 3-2 to Bayern Munich in an enormous Bundesliga sport.

The England midfielder, who performed for Dortmund on the time, mentioned: “You’ll be able to have a look at numerous the selections within the sport.

“You give a referee, that has match-fixed earlier than, the most important sport in Germany. What do you count on?”

Bellingham was subsequently fined €40,000 for his feedback, which got here after Dortmund had been denied a penalty at one finish and conceded one on the different.

Dortmund chief government Hans-Joachim Watzke added on the time: “To be clear, Jude was not spreading lies, however what occurred prior to now. This assertion should not have been, however I do not see something unfaithful there. I do not count on that to have any penalties for Jude.”

Zwayer officiated the Netherlands’ 3-0 win over Romania within the Euro 2024 spherical of 16 on Tuesday.

The FA declined to touch upon Zwayer’s appointment when contacted by ESPN.

England defender Luke Shaw was fast to dispel any ideas of conspiracy when requested at a information convention Monday if the refereeing scenario was uncomfortable.

“No, under no circumstances,” the Manchester United participant mentioned. “Now we have to respect UEFA in whoever they determine to choose because the ref. That will not change something about us.

“We nonetheless simply concentrate on the sport in hand, not an excessive amount of about what refs we have been given or this and that. For us, it will not make any distinction.”

Shaw went on to say he had by no means performed in a sport the place he thought the officers had been appearing in opposition to his workforce.

“Generally within the warmth of the second, you get offended in video games and also you may assume that, however no,” he mentioned.

“No matter ref has been picked has been picked. We simply must be prepared and never concentrate on that.”