German referee Felix Zwayer has been appointed to officiate the Champions League semi-final second leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.

The encounter is billed for the magnificent Parc des Princes, with PSG holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg.

The highly regarded official Zwayer will oversee the match as both teams aim for the final in Munich on May 31.

However, his career has been marred by a 2005 scandal where he accepted a £250 bribe from referee Robert Hoyzer, before he was handed a six-month ban.

Hoyzer, on the other hand, bagged a two-year, five-month prison sentence and lifetime football ban.

Fans may recall Zwayer from England’s Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands or his recent Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig match.

In 2021, Jude Bellingham recalled Zwayer’s past in a post-match interview while at Borussia Dortmund.

The England forward told Viaplay:

"You give a referee, that has match fixed before, the biggest game in Germany. What do you expect?"

"You can look at a lot of the decisions in the game. For me, it wasn't (a penalty).

Following his comments, Bellingham was handed a heavy fine of £34,000 as Zwayer wanted a personal apology.

The match official said via talkSPORT:

"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.

"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."

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will hope that there would be no controversies on Wednesday night as they are desperate to overturn the first-leg defeat.

The tactician expressed optimism that the Gunners have the capability of turning around the fixture.

Arteta told ESPN:

"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."

Legit.ng earlier reported that Lamine Yamal sent a special message to Barcelona fans after their devastating UEFA Champions League exit.

The Spanish giants lost 3-4 to Inter Milan in a pulsating semi-final second leg at San Siro.

The encounter stretched into extra time before Inter's Davide Frattesi scored a 99th-minute winner.

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Source: Legit.ng