Felix Zwayer, the German referee, is set to oversee the crucial Champions League semi-final second leg between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. The match is scheduled for Wednesday in Paris, with PSG holding a slender 1-0 lead from the initial encounter at the Emirates.

At 43 years old, Zwayer will be at the helm in the Parc des Princes as both teams battle for a spot in the Munich final on Saturday, May 31. Despite being held in high regard by UEFA, Zwayer's career is marred by controversy.

Back in 2005, as an emerging official, Zwayer was implicated in a bribery scandal by accepting £250 from colleague Robert Hoyzer. He served a six-month suspension, while Hoyzer was handed a jail term of two years and five months, plus a lifetime ban from football.

Zwayer may be familiar to fans for officiating England's Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands. Jude Bellingham, too, has had previous encounters with him; Zwayer refereed last Saturday's Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig game, which ended in a 3-3 draw.

Bellingham notably criticised Zwayer's integrity in a 2021 interview after a Borussia Dortmund match, saying: "You give a referee, that has match fixed before, the biggest game in Germany. What do you expect?" The English midfielder questioned several decisions from that game, including a contentious penalty call against Mats Hummels.

Bellingham faced a hefty £34,000 fine due to his controversial comments. Referee Zwayer demanded an individual apology and told Bild: "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."

Arsenal's Mikel Arteta is setting all controversies aside and instead is focussing on Wednesday's match, where the Gunners aim to reverse their first-leg loss. Arteta shared his anticipation with 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."