On Saturday, May 31, as part of Matchday 5 of the 2025-2026 Champions League group stage, Paris Saint-Germain (5th) will face Tottenham (10th) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9 pm, CET). The referee for the match has been chosen: Felix Zwayer (44 years old). He has considerable Champions League experience, having officiated 39 matches.
He will be assisted by Robert Kempter and Christian Dietz. The fourth official will be Daniel Schlager. Video assistant referees (VARs) will be Sören Storks and Christian Dingert.
Yellow cards –
With Mr. Zwayer in charge, we can expect yellow cards to be shown very early in the match. Indeed, while the French average per match is 3.53 yellow cards (standard deviation of 0.39), the referee this Wednesday has averaged 5.21 yellow cards per match throughout his Champions League career (Transfermarkt figures). This is very high, suggesting that players will be protected. Let’s hope this is done without neglecting dialogue and in favor of a match free of tension and injuries.
Direct Red Cards –
The referee this Wednesday was much less severe when it came to direct red cards. Zwayer has averaged 0.13 dismissals per match in his career, while the French average is 0.17 (standard deviation of 0.07). This suggests a more controlled approach, rather than resorting to indiscriminate punishment, and is more about calming the players down.
Second Yellow Cards –
Felix Zwayer has a habit of sending off a player after their first yellow card in a match, having given a second yellow card to the same player an average of 0.15 times per game. This is higher than the French average of 0.09 (standard deviation of 0.03). Given the high number of yellow cards and relatively few red cards initially, this is quite logical.
Penalties –
Regarding penalties, the referee for this match is significantly higher than average, awarding 0.56 penalties per game, while the Ligue 1 average is 0.34 (standard deviation of 0.08).
History –
Zwayer has refereed PSG three times, all at home: a 2-2 draw against Napoli (2018-2019 group stage, featuring Angel Di Maria’s famous goal), a 7-2 victory against Maccabi Haifa (2022-2023 group stage), and a 2-1 win against Arsenal (2024-2025 semi-final second leg).
He has also refereed Tottenham once in the Champions League: a 2-4 defeat against FC Barcelona (2018-2019 group stage).
