The appointment of Felix Zwayer by UEFA as the referee for the Europa Conference League semi-final match between Aston Villa and Olympiacos has raised eyebrows. Football enthusiasts have cited Zwayer’s prior entanglement in a match-fixing scandal as grounds for questioning his appropriateness for such high-profile events.
As the high-stakes match featuring one of England’s top teams and the Greek champions draws near, speculations have resurfaced regarding Zwayer’s half-year prohibition from soccer-related activities. This suspension resulted from his reported involvement in the infamous 2005 German soccer match-fixing scandal.
The roots of this scandal can be traced back to 2004, when another referee, Robert Hoyzer, awarded two dubious penalties to Hamburger SV during their game against SC Paderborn. The surprising defeat of the Bundesliga team subsequently caught avid followers off guard.
Other referees grew skeptical of Hoyzer’s decisions and relayed their concerns to the German Football Association (DFB). Coupled with reports from an internet gambling provider concerning irregular betting activities, these doubts initiated an extensive criminal investigation.
This incident has earned the label as the most significant controversy to taint German soccer since the Bundesliga scandal in the 70s.
Hoyzer’s Collaboration with Law Enforcement Authorities
Throughout the investigation, Hoyzer admitted to gambling on sports and accepting bribes to deliberately influence the results of soccer matches on behalf of an illicit group.
His admissions and cooperation played a pivotal role in facilitating the arrest and conviction of numerous participants in the gambling syndicate. It was found that the syndicate gained around half a million euros from the Paderborn versus Hamburger match alone.
In Hoyzer’s testimonies, it was revealed that Zwayer supposedly received a bribe of EUR 300 in connection to a match between Werder Bremen and SV Wuppertal, where Zwayer held the position of linesman. According to Hoyzer, Zwayer’s task was to “avoid critical situations for Wuppertaler SV.”
Nevertheless, the DFB could not verify that Zwayer had intentionally swayed the match outcome. His level of cooperation during the investigation led to him being given just a six-month ban. In contrast, Hoyzer received a more severe penalty – a two-year prison sentence and a lifetime ban from soccer.
The disclosure of Zwayer’s purported role in the scandal was only announced in 2014 by a German newspaper. Years following this revelation, athlete Jude Bellingham publicly criticized Zwayer’s refereeing, alleging corruption. Subsequently, the DFB fined the player EUR 40,000 for his outspoken comments.
