Referee Felix Zwayer has made his comeback to German professional football more than two months after his heavily criticized refereeing of the Bundesliga top game between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Munich.

The 40-year-old FIFA referee officiated Sunday's second division game between Hannover 96 and Darmstadt 98. “It was great and we had a lot of fun.

That's exactly what I'm passionate about and what I like to do the most," Zwayer said in a Sky interview after the game.

This 2-2 draw wasn't easy to manage either.

Already in the early phase, the 96ers demanded a penalty kick after two scenes in the penalty area (6th/22nd minute).

But Zwayer rightly allowed play to continue both times.

When Darmstadt equalized 2-2, he and his assistant on the line initially decided offside, but were then corrected by the video assistant in Cologne.

After Munich's 3-2 win in Dortmund on December 4, Zwayer took a break of several weeks and even thought about ending his career.

The Berliner was attacked on social media after this game and was heavily criticized, especially by Dortmund.

In an interview he later even reported a death threat.

"Things happened that were extremely drastic and that also affected my private environment," he said.

The triggers were several mistakes by the referee in this charged game.

Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham then indirectly accused him of corruption, alluding to the Robert Hoyzer scandal 17 years ago.

Zwayer played a role in this affair at the time, but always firmly rejected the allegations.

He was also never proven to have been manipulated.

Bellingham was fined 40,000 euros by the DFB sports court.

He also “discussed the issue and checked it off together with those responsible at BVB,” said Zwayer on Sunday.

After his break, he announced a comeback last week and was immediately called on by the DFB for the game in Hanover.

This decision was preceded by “a sporting performance check” and also sport psychological help.

"Conversations with colleagues, friends and professionals from the field of sports psychology brought me an incredible amount," said Zwayer on Sky.

“You gain insights and a different perspective on things.

I was very happy to accept all this help.”

Above all, fellow referees, but also coaches and players have defended Zwayer against the massive hostilities in recent weeks.

"I'm really happy that he's back.

He's one of the best referees we have," said Hanover coach Christoph Dabrowski after the game.