Referee with match fixing past to officiate Türkiye-Portugal Euro 2024 game

Türkiye is set to face Portugal in its second Group F game of Euro 2024 on Saturday. The result could see the Crescent-Stars finish their group in first place. With such high stakes, fans have started to worry about the referee of the game who has a history of match fixing.

So, who is Felix Zwayer, the referee to take charge of the Türkiye-Portugal game, whose name has stirred so much debate online?

Zwayer, a FIFA referee and ranked as a UEFA elite category match official, will be officiating a European tournament game for the first time in his career on Saturday.

The German referee has been officiating in the Bundesliga since 2009. In the last 15 years, he has refereed 229 games in the Bundesliga, 30 in the Champions League and 25 in the Europa League.

Confidential case

In 2005, Zwayer was implicated in a match-fixing scandal involving Bundesliga referee Robert Hoyzer, who accepted bribes to manipulate the outcomes of several games he refereed.

Zwayer participated in one such match, accepting a bribe of €300 to overlook critical situations for Wuppertaler SV. In January 2005, Zwayer, along with three other senior referees, reported Hoyzer’s match-fixing activities to the DFB.

Zwayer was banned for six months for his involvement including accepting a €300 bribe from Hoyzer, while Hoyzer was banned for life from any role in football and received a 2-year-5-month prison sentence.

Zwayer’s six-month suspension from refereeing remained confidential for several years until the German newspaper Die Zeit revealed a secret file from the German FA detailing the suspension.

More controversies

His match fixing history has followed Zwayer throughout his career. In December 2021, Zwayer officiated a match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, where he faced significant criticism for not awarding Dortmund a penalty and for sending off coach Marco Rose.

Following the match, Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham said: “You give a referee that has match fixed before, the biggest game in Germany, what do you expect?”