“I kept myself fit for three years”
© Imago
The judgment on a claim for damages by the former referee Manuel Gräfe against the German Football Association of around 800,000 euros is scheduled for June 5. This was announced by the presiding judge Richard Kästner after the start of the appeal hearing before the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court.
However, an extrajudicial agreement between the two parties to the dispute is also not excluded. “I kept fit for three years and always stretched out my hand. The ball is now at the DFB,” said Gräfe after the negotiation. “We are ready if there are constructive suggestions from the DFB. The financial side plays a certain role, but it is also about rehabilitation,” said Gräfe’s lawyer Olaf Methner.
Clarification outside the courtroom would be welcome to the OLG. “On the one hand, money can flow, another option is to approach each other. When it comes to being active again as a referee, bridges could be built,” said Kästner.
Gräfe hopes for discussions with DFB
The now 51 -year -old grave had to end his Bundesliga career after 289 missions in the summer of 2021 because of the age restriction of 47 years at the time at the DFB. The current amount in dispute is essentially calculated on revenue that the Gräfe as an impartisian could have achieved in the three subsequent seasons if the DFB would not have been deleted by the Bundesliga referee list.
“I was always ready to come back. You should only have come back to me. You could have saved a lot,” said the Berliner at the negotiation and then confirmed his willingness to talk: “It would be nice if you come back and agree. I look forward to discussions if they are accepted by the DFB.”
Gräfe was awarded compensation of 48,500 euros in the legal dispute in the legal dispute in the legal dispute in the legal dispute due to age discrimination. The negotiation had taken place in November. Gräfe had nevertheless appealed against this judgment because the court had not granted him a potential loss of earnings that had been acclaimed for the 2021/22 season of 190,000 euros. Now it’s more than three times.