Match-fixing scandal clouds Tottenham-Manchester United Europa League Final

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are preparing for an epic final. However, the appointment of referee Felix Zwayer, who was previously sanctioned for match-fixing, has caused shock.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will face each other in the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League (UEL) final, which will be held on the 22nd in Bilbao, Spain, at the Estadio San Mamés.

It is literally a "doomsday match." Tottenham and Manchester United are each having a terrible season, sitting in 17th and 16th place in the Premier League, respectively. However, both have reached the finals in European competitions and are challenging for the title.

Tottenham has suffered the humiliation of losing a staggering 20 matches in the league based on the 36th round. This marks a record for the most losses in a single season in the club's history since the Premier League was founded in 1992. It is the first time in 112 years that the club has recorded 20 losses in a 38-match season since the 1912-1913 season.

The same goes for Manchester United. On the 11th, Manchester United lost 0-2 at home to West Ham United, putting them in a seven-match winless streak in the league. The number of losses has risen to 17. Football statistics outlet "Squawka" noted, "Manchester United recorded 17 losses in a single season for the first time in 51 years. This is only the second time in Premier League history that a team has gone seven matches without a win. The last record was in 1992."

Two teams with shared misfortune are meeting at the brink in the final. Ahead of the match, the officiating team was announced. UEFA stated on the 12th, "German referee Zwayer will officiate the UEL final between Tottenham and Manchester United. He will be assisted by fellow Germans Robert Kempter and Christian Dietz."

Additionally, UEFA introduced, "Zwayer has been officiating on the international stage since 2012. He has officiated seven UEFA Champions League (UCL) matches, including the UCL semifinal between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal this season, two UEL matches, and one UEFA Europa Conference League match. This will be the second time Zwayer is the main referee in a UEFA competition final. He officiated the UEFA Nations League final between Croatia and Spain in 2023."

However, there is fierce controversy among fans. This is because Zwayer has a past record of being sanctioned for match-fixing. He was suspended for six months by the German Football Association (DFB) in 2005 for being involved in a match-fixing scandal with fellow referee Robert Hoyzer.

At that time, Hoyzer led match-fixing in a German second division game and handed Zwayer €300 (about 470,000 won). Afterward, Zwayer reported Hoyzer's plan to the DFB, bringing the situation to an end. While the principal offender, Hoyzer, was permanently expelled from football, Zwayer received only a six-month suspension because he reported the incident late and there was no direct evidence of his involvement.

Since returning from suspension, Zwayer has continued to officiate UEFA matches beyond Germany, maintaining his career. However, criticism surrounding him has not ceased. He is notorious for being overly lenient with cards or making controversial decisions, regardless of his past match-fixing sanction.

Of course, there is significant backlash regarding the fact that Zwayer is still active as a main referee. He officiated the UEL semifinal between England and the Netherlands last year. At that time, Gareth Southgate, who was in charge of the England national team, strongly protested that assigning a referee with a past sanction was "not even a consideration."

Jude Bellingham was also fined after criticizing Zwayer. After losing to Bayern Munich during his time at Dortmund in 2021, he expressed dissatisfaction with Zwayer's officiating and mentioned Zwayer's involvement in match-fixing during a post-match press conference. Subsequently, referee Zwayer paused his officiating activities, citing mental distress.

Meanwhile, Zwayer has officiated matches for both Tottenham and Manchester United. Based on past records, Manchester United has reason to smile. Tottenham has recorded one draw and one loss in the two matches he officiated, while Manchester United has achieved two wins and two draws in four matches without a loss.

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