Jude Bellingham is on a Euro semi-final collision course with a referee he slated over his match-fixing past.
Controversial official Felix Zwayer will take charge of England's crunch showdown with the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday (July 10) night. And it could prove awkward for Bellingham, who got fined and investigated by police for hitting out at the German ref.
Zwayer was banned for six months back in 2005 after he admitted to accepting a €300 bribe from fellow referee Robert Hoyzer following a game.
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Bellingham blasted a decision to allow Zwayer to take charge of a game between his Borussia Dortmund side and Bayern Munich in 2021, which he lost 3-2. The Three Lions superstar said: "You can look at a lot of decisions in the game.
"You give a referee, that has match fixed before, the biggest game in Germany. What do you expect?" German football bosses launched an investigation into Bellingham's comments, while Dortmund backed him.
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But Bellingham was subsequently fined €40,000 for his comments on TV, while Zwayer took a two-month break from football.
It's understood the FA are less than impressed with UEFA's decision to allow Zwayer to take charge of such a seismic game - given the bad blood that exists between Bellingham and the official.
But UEFA has stood by the choice, insisting Zwayer has been one of the best and most consistent referees at the tournament. Zwayer took charge of the Nations League final between Spain and Croatia in 2023.
The 43-year-old was implicated in a €2million match-fixing scandal involving Second Division referee Hoyzer, who confessed to fixing and betting on games and was sent to prison.
As part of the investigation, Zwayer had his apartment searched and was found to have behaved in a 'grossly anti-sporting' manner.
