Felix Zwayer: Previously banned referee to take charge of Tottenham v Man Utd final

German referee Felix Zwayer, who once served a ban for alleged involvement in a match-fixing plot, will take charge of next week’s all-English Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United.

Zwayer, now 43, was given a six-month suspension in 2006 after he was investigated for taking a £250 bribe from official Robert Hoyzer, who was subsequently handed a life ban.

It emerged that Zwayer, who has denied wrongdoing, was one of the officials to notify the authorities of Hoyzer’s match-fixing scheme and his relatively short ban was recognition of that.

Since the ban was imposed, Zwayer has become one of Europe’s leading referees and officiated in Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final second leg defeat by Paris St-Germain last Wednesday.

Zwayer also took charge of England’s European Championship semi-final victory over the Netherlands last summer.

When England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham played for Borussia Dortmund, the midfielder was fined 40,000 euros (£34,000) in 2021 for criticising Zwayer by making a reference to his ban.

The Europa League final will be played in Bilbao on Wednesday, 21 May.

Bosnian Irfan Peljto will referee Chelsea’s Conference League final against Real Betis on 28 May in Wroclaw, Poland.

Romanian Istvan Kovacs will take charge of the Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan on 31 May in Munich, Germany.