UEFA confirm referee for Tottenham vs Manchester United Europa League final

UEFA have made a major call ahead of the Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, confirming a controversial referee set to take charge in Bilbao.

The countdown begins, as Tottenham Hotspur are eight days away from either finishing the season on a high or ending what could go down as one of the most disappointing campaigns in the history of the club.

The Europa League final tie against Manchester United is a clash of huge significance for the Lilywhites. It holds the potential to either cap off a difficult season with silverware or deepen the wounds, especially with how it could influence transfer business going into the summer.

With the showdown set for May 21 at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, UEFA have now made their referee decision public ahead of the final.

UEFA appoint Felix Zwayer as referee for Tottenham vs Manchester United

Football.London has confirmed that Felix Zwayer has been appointed as the referee for the Europa League final between Spurs and Manchester United.

The German official has overseen close to 700 matches in his career and was most recently in charge of the UEFA Champions League semi-final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.

That game saw a touch of controversy, after a penalty was awarded following a VAR check for a handball by Miles Lewis-Skelly.

While his vast experience at the top level cannot be denied, Zwayer’s career has not been without blemishes, with past controversy surrounding his officiating history.

Back in 2005, Zwayer served a six-month ban after allegedly accepting a bribe of over £200, a punishment that followed his decision to report a match-fixing scandal to the German football authorities.

Felix Zwayer’s refereeing history with Tottenham and Manchester United

His name again drew attention in 2021, when Jude Bellingham publicly criticised him following a Bayern Munich versus Borussia Dortmund clash. The comments led to Bellingham receiving a fine, but also reignited scrutiny around Zwayer’s reputation.

This will be the first time the referee has taken charge of a European club final, though he did oversee the 2023 Nations League final between Croatia and Spain, and has also been appointed for domestic German Cup and Super Cup finals.

Zwayer has previously officiated two Tottenham matches. The first came in the 2015/16 Europa League away draw against Fiorentina, where he issued five yellow cards, four of them to Spurs.

He later took charge of the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League group stage defeat to Barcelona at Wembley Stadium, in which he handed out six bookings, again four to Spurs players.

He has overseen four matches involving Manchester United, with the Red Devils remaining unbeaten across those games.

• READ MORE: Even Paul Scholes calls Tottenham favourites to win the Europa League

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