Germans investigate betting referee claim

Soccer: The German soccer association (DFB) has called an emergency board meeting this morning to investigate allegations that a referee manipulated matches on which he had placed bets.

The referee, 26-year-old Robert Hoyzer from Berlin, is suspected of manipulating several German Cup and second-division matches, but no first division Bundesliga games.

He resigned as a referee on Friday and resigned his membership of the Hertha Berlin club but denies the allegations.

"This case has caused great damage to the DFB," said Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, co-chairman of the DFB. "Just from a psychological aspect, incredible damage has been done, for the German federation and for the referee organisation."

He called for a general ban on referee betting, while a DFB spokesman said an investigation had been launched which would "leave no stone unturned".

A DFB statement yesterday said it was focusing its investigation on last August's 4-2 victory by third division Paderborn over then Bundesliga side Hamburger SV in the first round of the German Cup.

With Hamburger SV leading 2-0, Hoyzer awarded Paderborn two questionable penalties. he also sent off the Hamburg side's striker Emile Mpenza for insulting him.

"German soccer and Hamburger SV have suffered great damage," said Bernd Hoffmann, the head of Hamburger SV yesterday. "We will use all legal means to right this wrong."

DFB officials have a complicated task ahead: Hoyzer refereed 27 games in various leagues in the last season alone. A DFB source said yesterday there was evidence of other rigged matches.

Hoyzer was considered one of the rising stars in the German refereeing circles. "He had a great talent. I know him for years and watched his development, this is a great shock for me," said Bernd Schulz, president of the berlin football association (BFV).

The DFB has already ruled out replaying the match, so threats of legal action from Hamburger SV will be little comfort for Klaus Toppmöller, who says the Paderborn game cost him his job.

"There were allegations already after the game," he told ZDF television yesterday. "Every little thing was decided against us. I always hoped that football is clean. But now you have to have your doubts that everything runs correctly."

The scandal has brought back memories of Germany's great football scandal of 1971, when it emerged that money was changing hands at nine clubs to throw games. The DFB brought charges against 53 players, two coaches and six officials in a marathon legal process that lasted six years.