Felix Zwayer will not referee any Borussia Dortmund games for the time being
Felix Zwayer will not take charge of any Borussia Dortmund games for the time being, DFB referees chief Lutz Michael Fröhlich has confirmed.
Felix Zwayer has been barred from refereeing Borussia Dortmund matches in the near future. The referee was the subject of heavy criticism for his performance during the Black and Yellows’ 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich earlier this month. And DFB referees chief Lutz Michael Fröhlich has now revealed that Zwayer will not take charge of any BVB games for now.
"“If we notice that there are an increasing number of incidents between a club and a referee, then we will no longer appoint him for the club,” Fröhlich said on Doppelpass on Sport1. “But that shouldn’t lead to pressure being built up for every little decision by the referee that doesn’t suit a club. In the end, you won’t be able to appoint any referees at all. We do this in exceptional cases. And we will do the same with Felix Zwayer.”"
Zwayer made several contentious decisions in Der Klassiker, most notably failing to award Borussia Dortmund what looked like a clear cut penalty in the second half. He then awarded Bayern a dubious penalty not long after. The spot-kick proved to be decisive and helped the defending Bundesliga champions claim a 3-2 win.
The result saw Bayern extend their lead at the top of the table to four points. They have since further extended their lead to six points.
The Borussia Dortmund players, coaching staff and fans were left incensed by some of Zwayer’s decisions, with Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland especially critical of the referee. Bellingham questioned why Zwayer was allowed to take charge of the most important game in German football, and even brought up the 40 year old’s involvement in a match fixing scandal in 2005. The midfielder received a fine of 40,000 euros for his comments.
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Zwayer called for an apology from Bellingham and approached Borussia Dortmund for a personal conversation. But this offer was rejected by the club as Zwayer made his proposal public in an interview with BILD soon after.