PSG vs Arsenal referee served six-month ban for match fixing after accepting bribe

German referee Felix Zwayer will take charge of Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal's semi-final second leg. The two teams meet in the French capital on Wednesday, with hosts boasting a 1-0 advantage from .

Zwayer, 43, will be calling the shots at the Parc des Princes as both sides vie to reach the final in Munich on Saturday, May 31. But the referee, highly rated by , has a tainted history.

As a young official in 2005, Zwayer accepted a £250 bribe from fellow referee Robert Hoyzer. while Hoyzer received a two-year five-month prison sentence and was banned from any role in football for life.

Fans might remember Zwayer from refereeing England's semi-final against the . has also had a run-in with the referee, who took charge of 3-3 draw with on Saturday.

In 2021, during a post-match interview while playing for . "You give a referee, that has match fixed before, the biggest game in Germany. What do you expect?" the star told .

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"You can look at a lot of the decisions in the game. For me, it wasn't [a penalty]. He () is not even looking at the ball and he's fighting to get it and it hits him.

Bellingham was subsequently fined £34,000 for his comments. Zwayer wanted a personal apology, telling : "I would prefer to clarify this in a personal conversation with Jude Bellingham and have offered such a personal conversation to Borussia Dortmund.

"For me, it's not about punishment, but about the realisation that he went too far. I would accept a sincere apology. The statement deliberately creates the false impression that I did not referee the match to the best of my ability.

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"It is personal, disparaging and disrespectful. Even if you put yourself in the subjective perspective, which is marked by emotion, his statement is far from professional or factual."

boss will be hoping for no controversies on Wednesday, as his team bid to overturn their first-leg defeat. Arteta is optimistic that the Gunners can produce a famous comeback.

The Arsenal manager told : "Excitement, goosebumps, wanting the day to arrive, [the feeling] of being very prepared, very convinced and knowing that the opportunity is to play in a Champions [League] final. And when you get to that point, you have to give your life for it."

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