Euro 2024: Felix Zwayer to referee Netherlands v England

Jude Bellingham, the midfielder from England, is expressing doubt about the referee chosen for the Bayern-Borussia Dortmund match.

A referee from Germany, who was previously accused of being involved in match-fixing by Jude Bellingham, will be in charge of officiating the European Championship semi-final between England and the Netherlands on Wednesday.

Felix Zwayer, who is 43 years old, will be in charge of a refereeing team made up entirely of German officials.

In 2021, during Bellingham's time at Borussia Dortmund, the English midfielder was ordered to pay a penalty of 40,000 euros (£34,000) for bringing up the referee's past suspension for involvement in match manipulation.

Zwayer received a six-month suspension in 2005 for being accused of accepting a £250 payment from official Robert Hoyzer.

Hoyzer was later handed a lifetime ban from football.

Bellingham's Comments On Zwayer

Bellingham spoke out after Dortmund's 3-2 defeat against Bayern Munich.

In the match, the referee decided not to give Dortmund a penalty but did grant a penalty kick to the other team.

Bellingham, who was just 18 years old at the time, expressed to streaming service Viaplay: "When you assign a referee who has been involved in match fixing in the past to officiate the biggest game in Germany, what kind of outcome do you think will happen?"

Bellingham has been instrumental in England's performance in the 2024 European Championships.

He tied up the game in the last minute of regular time during their match against Slovakia in the last 16 stage, and then confidently scored a penalty during the shootout in the quarter-finals against Switzerland.

Bellingham also found the back of the net against Serbia during the group stage.

The Football Association has chosen not to provide a statement.

Uefa is staying silent on the issue and has no intention of replacing Zwayer.