Referee Hoyzer admits match fixing (CNN)
Thursday, January 27, 2005 Posted: 1902 GMT (0302 HKT)
FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) -- German referee Robert Hoyzer has admitted that he fixed matches and offered to co-operate with the investigation into the country's biggest football scandal in over 30 years.
"The allegations against me, which have been raised in public, are in essence true," the 25-year-old Hoyzer said in a statement released by his lawyers.
"I deeply regret my behavior and apologize to the German Football Association (DFB), my refereeing colleagues and all football fans."
Germany's football community reacted to the confession with disgust, while Berlin prosecutors said they had received a complaint highlighting a suspected link with Croatian gamblers.
Volker Roth, head of the referees committee of both the DFB and UEFA, was visibly shaken at a news conference in Frankfurt and said steps had to be taken to prevent a repeat of the affair.
"As a former head German and European referee, I shouldn't let myself be thrown out of kilter, but this business really does upset me," Roth said. "It's unforgivable."
Rudi Assauer, commercial manager of Bundesliga club Schalke 04, described Hoyzer's action as "a slap in the face for German football."
News of the scandal broke on Saturday evening when the DFB announced that Hoyzer was under suspicion of rigging Hamburg SV's Cup defeat by Paderborn SC in August last year, after betting on the result.
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.
Investigation widened
The DFB has since widened its investigation to look at Hoyzer's involvement in five more second division and regional league matches, four of which he refereed himself. Hoyzer did not referee any first division games.
Earlier this week Hoyzer denied having bet on any matches that he had refereed, while his lawyer strongly criticized the DFB's handling of the case and said his client had been pressured into signing a resignation letter.
Hoyzer changed his story on Thursday after a second consultation with his lawyers.
"I have documented completely and unsparingly my behavior and my entire substantial knowledge of all facts and people known to me in this matter and am available to prosecutors and the DFB to provide a full explanation," concluded the statement, released by lawyers Holthoff-Pfoertner.
Hoyzer told separate German television stations that he had profited by a five-figure euro sum from his actions and said other people in football were involved.
Public prosecutors said on Thursday they had been involved in the case since Wednesday, in response to complaint lodged by the DFB and also a private individual in the southern town of Passau.
"The essence of the criminal complaint of the DFB is ... the 'urgent suspicion' that the referee influenced the result of a match under his control," the statement read.
"According to the complaint, it could 'not be ruled out' that 'Mr Hoyzer had contact with betting customers in a Berlin locale mainly frequented by Croatians' where there was 'evidently betting targeted at matches under Mr Hoyzer's charge'."
New measures
Germany's Football Association has announced that it will in future assign referees to matches with just two days' notice, to help prevent further match-fixing cases.
Volker Roth, head of the DFB's referees committee, announced the change as part of a series of new measures.
Roth said that giving out the name of the referee so close to the game would restrict opportunities for anyone interested in getting to the referee.
"The two-day period has been the practice in the Champions League and UEFA Cup for a long time," said Roth.
He said that in future seasons cup matches would have a refereeing observer present from the first round, instead of from the second round, as is current practice.
New referees would face a three-year observation programme in the lower leagues before moving up to the second division.
....
Nevertheless we will provide you a rocking world championship 2006
... but now you know why we will propably win it
Thursday, January 27, 2005 Posted: 1902 GMT (0302 HKT)
FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) -- German referee Robert Hoyzer has admitted that he fixed matches and offered to co-operate with the investigation into the country's biggest football scandal in over 30 years.
"The allegations against me, which have been raised in public, are in essence true," the 25-year-old Hoyzer said in a statement released by his lawyers.
"I deeply regret my behavior and apologize to the German Football Association (DFB), my refereeing colleagues and all football fans."
Germany's football community reacted to the confession with disgust, while Berlin prosecutors said they had received a complaint highlighting a suspected link with Croatian gamblers.
Volker Roth, head of the referees committee of both the DFB and UEFA, was visibly shaken at a news conference in Frankfurt and said steps had to be taken to prevent a repeat of the affair.
"As a former head German and European referee, I shouldn't let myself be thrown out of kilter, but this business really does upset me," Roth said. "It's unforgivable."
Rudi Assauer, commercial manager of Bundesliga club Schalke 04, described Hoyzer's action as "a slap in the face for German football."
News of the scandal broke on Saturday evening when the DFB announced that Hoyzer was under suspicion of rigging Hamburg SV's Cup defeat by Paderborn SC in August last year, after betting on the result.
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.
Investigation widened
The DFB has since widened its investigation to look at Hoyzer's involvement in five more second division and regional league matches, four of which he refereed himself. Hoyzer did not referee any first division games.
Earlier this week Hoyzer denied having bet on any matches that he had refereed, while his lawyer strongly criticized the DFB's handling of the case and said his client had been pressured into signing a resignation letter.
Hoyzer changed his story on Thursday after a second consultation with his lawyers.
"I have documented completely and unsparingly my behavior and my entire substantial knowledge of all facts and people known to me in this matter and am available to prosecutors and the DFB to provide a full explanation," concluded the statement, released by lawyers Holthoff-Pfoertner.
Hoyzer told separate German television stations that he had profited by a five-figure euro sum from his actions and said other people in football were involved.
Public prosecutors said on Thursday they had been involved in the case since Wednesday, in response to complaint lodged by the DFB and also a private individual in the southern town of Passau.
"The essence of the criminal complaint of the DFB is ... the 'urgent suspicion' that the referee influenced the result of a match under his control," the statement read.
"According to the complaint, it could 'not be ruled out' that 'Mr Hoyzer had contact with betting customers in a Berlin locale mainly frequented by Croatians' where there was 'evidently betting targeted at matches under Mr Hoyzer's charge'."
New measures
Germany's Football Association has announced that it will in future assign referees to matches with just two days' notice, to help prevent further match-fixing cases.
Volker Roth, head of the DFB's referees committee, announced the change as part of a series of new measures.
Roth said that giving out the name of the referee so close to the game would restrict opportunities for anyone interested in getting to the referee.
"The two-day period has been the practice in the Champions League and UEFA Cup for a long time," said Roth.
He said that in future seasons cup matches would have a refereeing observer present from the first round, instead of from the second round, as is current practice.
New referees would face a three-year observation programme in the lower leagues before moving up to the second division.
....
Nevertheless we will provide you a rocking world championship 2006
... but now you know why we will propably win it 
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