Referee once linked to match-fixing will oversee England's Euro semifinal

The referee for England's semifinal against the Netherlands at the European Championship will be Felix Zwayer, who once had ties to a match-fixing scandal in Germany.

Wednesday's game will be Zwayer's fourth of Euro 2024 and his second with the Netherlands after refereeing its 3-0 win over Romania in the round of 16.

UEFA and the German soccer federation announced the appointment Monday.

England midfielder Jude Bellingham was fined 40,000 euros ($43,400) while playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2021 for criticizing the appointment of Zwayer.

As a young assistant referee, Zwayer received a six-month ban in 2006 over an allegation that he received money from another referee, Robert Hoyzer, who was banned for match-fixing.

A ruling in the case, which was eventually published in 2014 by German newspaper Die Zeit, stated that Zwayer accepted 300 euros ($325) from Hoyzer ahead of a game in 2004 and had not immediately reported the incident, but said there was no evidence Zwayer manipulate