Thursday brings Aston Villa to Athens to take on Olympiacos in Piraeus in Leg 2 of the Europa Conference League semi-finals. The English side trails by two goals after the first leg. Still, the club sitting fourth in the Premier League is rearing for a comeback in Europe. To advance to the championship match against Club Brugge or Fiorentina, they will need to win by a score of three goals or more at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was out with an injury and a ban for the first leg. However, he might get the nod to start the second leg, which could give Villa a lift. After a strong performance against Brighton on Sunday, Robin Olsen will likely go to the bench.
Conference League referee has a history of match-fixing
Villa’s comeback will be one of the storylines to follow in Greece. The main referee for the match recently served a six-month ban for a match-fixing incident in Germany. 42-year-old Felix Zwayer will officiate Thursday’s match. Despite his status as a UEFA “elite category” referee, the German has a checkered past.
Zwayer’s half-year ban came following his role in a match-fixing penalty in 2005, The Telegraph reports. Allegations surfaced that Robert Hoyzer, his fellow referee for the Bundesliga, had taken bribes to manipulate games. In their report, Zwayer and three other officials detailed the illicit actions. But as part of the lawsuit, Zwayer served a six-month suspension.
In 2021, during Borussia Dortmund‘s match against Bayern Munich, the event was brought up once more. The decision to dismiss Dortmund manager Marco Rose and not award a penalty was met with strong criticism. The game resulted in a 3-2 victory for Bayern, thanks to a goal by Robert Lewandowski.
What did Borussia Dortmund players say then?
Zwayer did not engage in match-fixing himself. Rather, he helped Hoyzer and took a bribe from him, leading to his ultimate punishment in 2005. In an interview, former Dortmund…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/conference-league-referee-has-history-of-match-fixing-ban/
Author : Martina Alcheva
Publish date : 2024-05-08 18:53:26
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.