EM 2024 - England's fear of the German referee Zwayer
It's a controversial encounter: German referee Felix Zwayer will officiate the second semifinal between England and the Netherlands in Dortmund. The referee selection caused quite a stir on the island. The tabloid "The Sun" referred to the appointment as a "nightmare."
The English team, however, is trying to calm the nerves. National player Luke Shaw said that the decision would not affect the team's attitude in the game. We have to respect the appointment, he said. Coach Gareth Southgate reassured: "I'm not worried about who the referee will be. He will referee at a very high level," so the 53-year-old national coach.
EM 2024: Criticism of referee appointment at England vs. Netherlands
The cause of the commotion goes back almost three years, when national player and superstar Jude Bellingham still played for Borussia Dortmund. Bellingham had complained loudly about Zwayer after a game against Bayern Munich, who had made some wrong decisions in the match and indirectly accused him of bribery. "You're giving a referee who was involved in match manipulation a major game in Germany. What do you expect?", Bellingham had said.
The English professional had referred to the Hoyzer scandal 19 years ago, in which Zwayer was indirectly involved. The young referee had known about the bribery of his colleague Robert Hoyzer but had not reported it and was suspended from the DFB for a few months as a result. Zwayer was one of the key witnesses in the case. For his testimony, Bellingham was fined 40,000 euros.
Consequences for Felix Zwayer from Bellingham's statements
The story was not yet over: Zwayer took a several-week break after that due to intense criticism following Bellingham's statements. The referee had spoken of "very burdening incidents and moments" for his family and reported a death threat.
For Zwayer, the semifinal is the fourth game he can referee in this tournament. So far, the native Berliner has shown solid performances. He made a major error in the quarterfinal between Romania and the Netherlands (0:3), when he disallowed an attack by the outsider at a 0:1 stand in the final phase, after he had fallen on a bee of the Dutch player Denzel Dumfries. If Zwayer makes such an error in the semifinal, the discussion about him will surely get louder. The UEFA has defended its decision and stands by its referee.
Despite Jude Bellingham's past criticism towards him due to alleged wrong decisions and indirect accusations of bribery during a game against Bayern Munich, Gareth Southgate remains confident in German referee Felix Zwayer officiating England's semifinal against the Netherlands at EM 2024. Bellingham's remarks had led to intense criticism and a break for Zwayer due to his family's safety concerns and a reported death threat. The English national team, including Bellingham, will face Zwayer once more, adding another layer to their semifinal encounter.
