Tottenham's Europa League final referee was banned after role in match-fixing scandal

The final showdown between and will be officiated by a referee previously embroiled in a match-fixing scandal.

Felix Zwayer between Ruben Amorim's and teams. The 43-year-old recently took charge of the semi-final second-leg tie

However, Zwayer's past is marred by a controversy dating back 20 years. Two decades ago, the German was probed for allegedly accepting a bribe of £250 from fellow referee Robert Hoyzer.

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In 2006, Hoyzer received a lifetime ban after confessing to fixing and attempting to fix several matches. It was believed the German accepted bribes amounting to €67,000 (£56,650) to manipulate four matches for a Croatian betting syndicate.

Hoyzer was found to have rigged a German Cup match, resulting in Hamburg being eliminated by Paderborn, a decision that led to the dismissal of then-Hamburg coach Klaus Toppmoller. One of the controversial decisions saw Hoyzer inexplicably send off Hamburg forward Emile Mpenza.

Zwayer, on the other hand, was handed a six-month suspension while under investigation for allegedly accepting a £250 bribe. He denied any misconduct and was among several officials who reported Hoyzer's scheme to the authorities.

He revealed that Hoyzer once approached him to rig a 2.Bundesliga encounter between Rot-Weiss Essen and Cologne. Zwayer said: "When I got this firm offer from Hoyzer, I went to my refereeing colleagues. I stress once again that I strongly rejected this offer straight away."

Since serving his suspension, Zwayer has risen to become a top-tier referee in European football, frequently taking charge of significant fixtures. He officiated the Euro 2024 semi-final where England claimed a 2-1 win against the Netherlands.

During this high-profile match, Zwayer was in charge of Jude Bellingham again, who had previously made headlines at Borussia Dortmund, when he called out the official's past ban. When Zwayer dismissed a late penalty call for Dortmund and then awarded a controversial spot-kick to Bayern Munich due to Mats Hummels' handball, Bellingham, now with Real Madrid, publicly criticised the referee, highlighting his prior sanction.

Bellingham, who was fined €40,000 (£34,000) for unsportsmanlike behaviour, said: "You give a referee that has match-fixed before the biggest game in Germany - what do you expect?"

Zwayer later expressed his wish for an apology directly from Bellingham, telling : "I would prefer to clarify this in a personal conversation with Jude Bellingham and have offered such a personal conversation to Borussia Dortmund.

"For me, it's not about punishment, but about the realisation that he went too far. I would accept a sincere apology. The statement deliberately creates the false impression that I did not referee the match to the best of my ability.

"It is personal, disparaging and disrespectful. Even if you put yourself in the subjective perspective, which is marked by emotion, his statement is far from professional or factual."