A referee accused of match-fixing will officiate the River vs. Urawa Red Diamonds match

River is preparing for its debut in the Club World Cup against Urawa Red Diamonds, this Tuesday starting at 16:00, at Lumen Field Stadium in Seattle. Beyond the sporting aspect, the lead-up was marked by a decision that did not go unnoticed: Felix Zwayer, a 44-year-old German referee, was appointed to officiate the match, despite the controversy that has followed him for two decades.

In 2004, when he was just starting his career, Zwayer was accused of accepting a 300-euro bribe to favor a team, according to the German newspaper Die Zeit. Although he did not receive a criminal conviction, he was suspended for six months for covering up key information in one of the biggest match-fixing scandals in German football.

Despite that early sanction, Zwayer managed to climb the ranks in European refereeing. He has officiated matches in the Bundesliga, the Champions League, and international tournaments under UEFA and FIFA. However, his record returned to the spotlight in 2021, when footballer Jude Bellingham publicly questioned him after a controversial penalty, recalling his involvement in that scandal. The German Federation sanctioned the player, but the debate over the German referee's ethics remains open.

Despite the criticism, both UEFA and FIFA continue to support Zwayer. Proof of this was his selection to officiate the 2024 Europa League final, and now River's debut in the Club World Cup, an event that, regardless of the result, will once again put him in the spotlight.