Referee turmoil at the European Championship

Shaw: “His story with Bellingham doesn’t matter”

(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Luke Shaw has commented on UEFA's controversial refereeing decision ahead of the European Championship semi-final between England and the Netherlands on Wednesday (9pm). The defensive specialist is certain that the previous history between Jude Bellingham and Felix Zwayer will have no effect on the game. 

UEFA's decision to select Zwayer of all people for England's semi-final match against the Netherlands has caused heated debate in recent days. Former German referee Manuel Gräfe, for example, reacted with shock: "Irresponsible towards everyone," was his conclusion. 

There is also an explosive history between Zwayer and England star Bellingham. When the attacking player was still playing for Dortmund in the 2021/22 season, he caused a stir with harsh words after a dramatic 3:2 defeat against Bayern: "You give the most important game in Germany to a referee who has already manipulated games before. What do you expect?"

An explosive history
What did Bellingham mean? Zwayer had been banned for six months in the wake of the Hoyzer scandal in 2005. It turned out that he had not reported the manipulations of fellow referee Robert Hoyzer, even though he knew about them. 

Jude Bellingham(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Bellingham was eventually fined for his comments against Hoyzer. Bad blood was also left behind. So now there will be a reunion in the European Championship semi-final. England defender Shaw, however, is not worried that the unpleasant incident will have an impact on the game. Let's hope he's right about that.