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Xtra Time Web Desk: UEFA has appointed Felix Zwayer, a referee with a controversial past, to officiate the highly anticipated Euro 2024 semifinal between England and the Netherlands. Zwayer, who will oversee the match in Dortmund on Wednesday, was banned for six months in 2005 after accepting a €300 ($325) bribe from fellow official Robert Hoyzer.

The 2005 investigation revealed that Zwayer took the bribe to favor German club Wuppertaler SV in their match against Werder Bremen Amateure in May 2004. This incident has cast a long shadow over Zwayer's career, resurfacing in 2021 when England midfielder Jude Bellingham publicly questioned his integrity.

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Bellingham, then playing for Borussia Dortmund, expressed his frustrations after a 3-2 loss to Bayern Munich in a Bundesliga clash. Referring to Zwayer's past, Bellingham remarked, "You give a referee, that has match-fixed before, the biggest game in Germany. What do you expect?" His comments came after controversial decisions in the match, where Dortmund were denied a penalty and subsequently conceded one. Bellingham was fined €40,000 for his remarks, though Dortmund's chief executive, Hans-Joachim Watzke, supported him, stating, "Jude was not spreading lies, but what happened in the past."

Zwayer's recent performance in the Euro 2024 round of 16, where he officiated the Netherlands' 3-0 victory over Romania, has done little to quell concerns about his appointment. Despite the controversy, The FA has declined to comment on UEFA's decision.

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England defender Luke Shaw addressed the situation in a news conference, dismissing any notions of a conspiracy. "We have to respect UEFA in whoever they decide to pick as the ref. That won't change anything about us," Shaw stated. He emphasized that the team's focus remains on the game, not on the officials. Shaw added, "I've never played in a game where I thought the officials were acting against us. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, you get angry, but no. Whatever ref has been picked has been picked. We just have to be ready and not focus on that."

As the match approaches, the focus remains on the players and their performance, but the shadow of Zwayer's past looms large over what promises to be an intense semifinal clash.