View Full Version : German referreeing scandal


nez75
23-01-2005, 19:15
Theres a big football scandal in Germany at the minute with match fixing involving referee's. I bet it goes on this country (cough- Mark Clattenburgh- cough- that Tottenham goal- cough- at Old Trafford- cough):



FRANKFURT, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Germany's Football Association (DFB) will hold an emergency meeting on Monday following the shock resignation of a referee under suspicion of fixing at least one Cup match and betting on the result.

Referee Robert Hoyzer, who according to the DFB has denied the allegations, is suspected of betting on the first round German Cup tie between first division Hamburg SV and regional league side SC Paderborn last August.

DFB joint-president Theo Zwanziger said on Sunday that there was also evidence of manipulation of other games involving the 25-year-old Hoyzer, who resigned on Friday.

"Since Friday we have had evidence that he rigged games," Zwanziger said on German television station ARD.

The match at the centre of the allegations is Hamburg's Cup defeat by Paderborn on August 21, 2004.

Hamburg took a 2-0 lead but went on to lose 4-2 after Hoyzer sent off striker Emile Mpenza in the first half for insulting him and awarded two penalties to the regional league side.

Hamburg were bottom of the Bundesliga at the time after losing their first two games. Coach Klaus Toppmoeller went on to lose his job in mid-October and he blamed his dismissal on Hoyzer.

"The referee cost me my job," Toppmoeller told Bild newspaper on Sunday. "I always hoped that football was clean but you have to doubt that now."

Germany was rocked by a massive corruption scandal in 1971, with sanctions eventually imposed on 53 players, two coaches, six officials and the clubs Arminia Bielefeld and Kickers Offenbach.


TICKET SALES

The current scandal threatens to overshadow the announcement on Monday of ticket sales procedures for the 2006 World Cup, which Germany is hosting.

The DFB called an emergency meeting on Monday and said they would look to complete their investigation as soon as possible.

"It is always the obligation of the board of control to reach their conclusions swiftly, particularly in so stressful a case," board president Horst Hilpert told German sports news agency SID on Sunday.

DFB spokesman Harald Stenger added: "We will leave no stone unturned in this investigation."

Hamburg SV said they would consider legal action if their suspicions were confirmed.

"Great damage has been inflicted on Hamburg SV and on German football," Hamburg's club chief Bernd Hoffman told ZDF television. "We will use all legal means to put right this wrong."

The DFB has already ruled out any possibility of replaying the match.

"I had the impression at the time that this was a match we could never win," Toppmoeller added in an interview with ZDF

From Reuters.

bobsyouruncle
23-01-2005, 21:12
noticed graham poll's been controversial again in his handling of free kicks.
yesterdays game man city-v-west brom, richard dunne's excellent free kick into the top corner ruled out because graham poll said he hadnt blown his whistle.....
hmmm, had he blown it when thierry henry scored his free kick against chelski a while ago, :suspect: .......... the contoversy continues........

craigb
01-02-2005, 12:20
Originally posted by jonluvsnique
hmmm, had he blown it when thierry henry scored his free kick against chelski a while ago, :suspect: .......... the contoversy continues........

Sorry but there's no controversy there.

In the case of the Henry goal he had asked TH whether he wanted to take it quickly or did he want the full 10 yards. TH said he wanted it quickly (so no need to wait for a whistle as the ref isn't stopping play to get the wall back) and took it.

In the case of Dunne he had asked for the 10 yards, Poll clearly signalled to RD to wait, moved the wall back and started to move away, was about to blow the whistle (but hadn't yet) and RD took it.

It's (very) harsh, but GP had little choice as the law of the game backs him up.

Back on topic, the match fixing in Germany is shocking - sad day for football.

It would be niave to say the big 3 in the Premiership don't get preferencial treatment from refs (especially Man U at Old Trafford), but certainly not to this level.