Felix Zwayer, born on May 19, 1981 in Berlin, is a German football referee affiliated with the Berlin Football Association. Since 2004, he has been a DFB referee and in 2009, he was promoted to the Bundesliga. In 2012, he obtained the FIFA referee category and currently belongs to UEFA's elite group.
In his international career, Zwayer has officiated in notable matches, including his role as the main referee in the UEFA Nations League 2022/23 final between Croatia and Spain, held on June 18, 2023 in Rotterdam.
A noteworthy anecdote in his career occurred on February 21, 2016, during a Bundesliga match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund. After a controversial decision, Leverkusen's coach, Roger Schmidt, refused to leave the field after being sent off by Zwayer, leading to an eight-minute interruption of the game.
Zwayer is known for his strict and firm refereeing style, rigorously applying the regulations and maintaining control of the matches.
However, his career has not been devoid of controversies. In 2005, he was involved in a match-fixing scandal in Germany, where he accepted a bribe of 300 euros to influence a match in favor of Wuppertaler SV. As a result, he was suspended for six months. Years later, in December 2021, after a match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, player Jude Bellingham publicly criticized Zwayer, referring to his involvement in the 2005 scandal. These statements reignited controversy about his past and led Zwayer to take a temporary break from refereeing.
Germany
