Aston Villa insider slams ‘very strange’ UEFA announcement ahead of clash v Olympiacos
Bryan King has questioned UEFA’s decision to appoint Felix Zwayer as referee for the Europa Conference League semi-final second-leg clash between Aston Villa and Olympiacos.
The ex-Villa scout finds it “very strange” that Zwayer continues to be allowed to referee games of this size.
Zwayer was handed a six-month ban as part of a German match-fixing scandal in 2005 and will be in charge when Unai Emery takes his side to Greece on Thursday (9 May) as they look to overturn a 4-2 deficit (via The Telegraph, 7 May)
And King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – claims that some supporters of the club aren’t happy about this development.
“It seems very strange to me that he is still allowed to referee,” King said.
“If you have been involved in something like this, it makes things difficult when you are involved in big matches.
“I have spoken to a big Villa fan who is an ex-referee and he is not happy about it at all. It is just yet another strange decision by UEFA.”
Aston Villa supporters will feel even more nervous ahead of Olympiacos clash
Villa fans would have already been nervous enough heading to Greece.
This development will have done very little to ease those nerves, and any contentious decisions will now come under increased scrutiny back at Villa Park.
Everyone involved will be hoping for a clean game with few high-profile decisions to be made, otherwise, questions might be asked.
In other Aston Villa news, an Emiliano Martinez injury update has emerged ahead of the clash with Olympiacos.
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.