Werder Bremen’s stadium announcer Arnd Zeigler and E-Junior coach Mario Wiggert from Schleswig-Holstein have been awarded the fair play prizes of the German Football Association.
The ceremony by DFB Vice President Ronny Zimmermann and two-time world champion Renate Lingor took place before the start of the Bundesliga game between SV Werder Bremen and FC Augsburg.
“Surveys show us how important it is to parents that fair play is taught to the children in the football club,” said Zimmermann, according to a DFB statement. “That’s another reason why the DFB awards its Fair Play Prize every year.”
The 57-year-old Zeigler received the award for the “fair play gesture in professional football”. In the northern derby of the 2nd Bundesliga against HSV, Bremen’s Marvin Ducksch scored the supposed 1-1 equalizer with a free kick. Referee Sascha Stegemann disallowed the goal because a Bremen player pushed his way into Hamburg’s three-man wall. This has been banned since the 2019/2020 season. The stadium went wild when Stegemann disallowed the goal, but by explaining the rule matter-of-factly, Zeigler managed to calm the angry Werder fans.
E-Junior trainer Mario “Willi” Wiggert from SG Bad Schwartau was awarded the prize for “fairest amateur”. In his very first game, a young referee made a glaring mistake. After a handball by a child of SG Schwartau in his own penalty area, he interrupted the game with a whistle – penalty. But when just a moment later a player from SG Trave shot the ball into the goal, the referee recognized the goal and pointed to the center line. Instead of protesting, the 39-year-old Wiggert encouraged the young referee: “It’s fine, mistakes happen, then we’ll just continue with the goal.”
The DFB has been awarding the “Fair Play Medal” every year since 1997, recognizing particularly fair players, teams and officials.