UEFA announces referee for Europa final

UEFA confirmed on Monday that German referee Felix Zwayer will referee the all-English Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United on May 21.

The stage is set for the Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, after the two sides managed to put their domestic woes aside to book their tickets to the final at the San Mames on May 21.

Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils crushed Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, while Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs dispatched Norwegian side Bodo/Glint after a 5-1 aggregate victory on their way to the showpiece.

German referee Felix Zwayer will officiate the all-English final later this month, with compatriot Bastian Dankert taking over at VAR duty, UEFA confirmed earlier on Monday.

This is the second time the 43-year-old has taken charge of a Premier League side’s match in a European competition this term, as was the man in the middle for Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final second leg away to Paris Saint-Germain.

Zwayer is known for being involved in a match-fixing scandal in 2005. He was handed a six-month ban for accepting a €300 bribe from another referee, though the suspension did not stop him from becoming one of the most highly regarded officials in European football

Jude Bellingham was fined €40,000 for publicly questioning the Berlin-born official’s integrity in a post-match interview after Borussia Dortmund lost 3-2 to Bayern Munich in 2021. Zwayer has not been involved in any scandal since.