Who is Felix Zwayer? Meet the referee officiating England vs Netherlands Euro 2024 semi-final clash who is a convicted 'match-fixer' and has enraged Jude Bellingham in the past

German referee Felix Zwayer will take charge of England's Euro 2024 semi-final clash against the Netherlands.

The 43-year-old has been a referee since 2004, and will lead an all-German officiating team in Dortmund alongside assistants Stefan Lupp and Marco Achmuller, as well as VAR Bastian Dankert.

Zwayer's appointment for England's clash against the Dutch was not a popular choice amongst both sets of fans, as England look to reach back-to-back Euro finals.

The experienced official was banned for six months back in 2006 by the German Football Federation after it was revealed he accepted a €300 (£252.90) bribe to cover up for another official Robert Hoyzer in 2005.

Here is everything you need to know about the England vs Netherlands referee who previously received a six month ban for his involvement in match-fixing and has had a public spat with England star Jude Bellingham.

Who is Felix Zwayer?

Zwayer is a German football official who is based in the German capital Berlin.

The 43-year-old was born on May 18, 1981, and officiates for SC Charlottenburg of the Berlin Association.

The German is an official Fifa referee and is also ranked as a Uefa elite category referee.

He has been an official since 2004 and has worked his way up through the ranks of German and European football.

The Berlin based Zwayer made his Bundesliga debut back in 2012, quickly becoming a regular face within the league.

Match-fixing

In 2005 it came to light that Zwayer accepted a €300 bribe from referee Robert Hoyzer, who was enthralled in a much larger match-fixing scandal at the time in Germany. 

As a result of the revelation, Zwayer was banned from officiating any games for six months by the German Football Association for his part.

It was Zwayer himself, who later revealed Hoyzer's match-fixing scheme, and after serving his six-month ban, he slowly started to rebuild his own reputation and his career.

Despite Hoyzer receiving a ban for life. 

Felix Zwayer's credentials   

Zwayer has been a Fifa-listed referee since 2012 and has been involved in multiple Uefa and Fifa competitions such as the qualifiers for the World Cup and the European Championship.

The German national has also officiated many top-flight club competitions including the Champions League and Europa League, whilst also being a prominent figure in the Bundesliga. 

Zwayer has never refereed a World Cup game, however he was involved in the 2018 World Cup as one of the video assistant referees in Russia.

History with Jude Bellingham

He was involved in yet another refereeing scandal in 2021 for his performance in Borussia Dortmund's game against Bayern Munich.

The German ref was heavily criticised for not awarding Dortmund a penalty and sending off their coach at the time Marco Rose. 

Bellingham who was a Borussia Dortmund player at the time lashed out at the referee.

'You are giving a referee who has already fixed matches before the biggest game in Germany. What do you expect?', said Bellingham after the game. 

Bellingham was fined £34,000 for the comments he made.

Who is the referee England vs Netherlands Euro 2024 semi-final?

• Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)
• Assistant Referees: Stefan Lupp ( GER) and Marco Achmüller (GER)
• Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert (GER)
• Assistant VAR 1: Christian Dingert (GER)
• Assistant VAR 2: Marco Fritz (GER)
• Fourth official: Daniel Siebert (GER)