Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has spoken out for the first time regarding UEFA’s appointment of Felix Zwayer as referee for their upcoming Champions League semi-final second leg clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.
Zwayer, a 43-year-old German official, has been confirmed by UEFA to oversee the high-stakes encounter at the Parc des Princes.
With 684 matches under his belt, Zwayer is among the most experienced referees in European football.
However, his career hasn’t been without controversy. Just a year after beginning his officiating journey, Zwayer was implicated in a match-fixing scandal involving fellow referee Robert Hoyzer.
An investigation by the German Football Association led to a six-month suspension for Zwayer, who was found to have accepted a €300 bribe from Hoyzer.
Despite this, Zwayer has consistently denied any wrongdoing and was one of the whistleblowers in the scandal.
Since then, Zwayer has rebuilt his reputation, rising to prominence in the Bundesliga and taking charge of major international fixtures.
Notably, he officiated England’s victory over the Netherlands in the last European Championships.
When asked about the referee selection ahead of the match in Paris, Arteta said, “We always get a report and an understanding of how he likes to manage the game to try to understand him and make sure the players are very much aware of that.”
Zwayer is no stranger to Arsenal, having officiated their 2-2 Europa League draw against CSKA Moscow in 2018, a 1-0 friendly win over Greece in February 2020, and more recently, their Champions League tie with PSV Eindhoven last season.
He has also overseen PSG fixtures, including their emphatic 7-2 win against Maccabi Haifa and a 2018 draw with Napoli.
