Markus Beginning: Former Werder Bremen coach has to pay 36,000 euros for fake vaccination card

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Markus Beginning as coach of Werder Bremen (archive image): 90 daily rates of 400 euros each

Photo: nordphoto GmbH / Stoever / imago images/Nordphoto

Werder Bremen's former coach Markus Anfang has to pay a fine of 36,000 euros for using a fake vaccination card.

That was decided by the district court in Bremen, according to a statement from the public prosecutor's office.

Accordingly, the penalty order was issued at the request of the public prosecutor.

It amounts to 90 daily rates of 400 euros each, it is said.

"The accused had presented a fake vaccination certificate to the Bremen Health Department in November 2021 as proof of his Covid-19 vaccinations - which actually did not take place," said the public prosecutor.

Criminal order against assistant coach

A penalty order was also issued against the initial assistant coach in a similar case.

The public prosecutor's office did not provide any details.

The assistant coach is Florian Junge, who was also under investigation.

Beginning had admitted to the public prosecutor's office that he had used a fake vaccination card in order to continue playing football.

According to his own statements, he had not had himself vaccinated because he was afraid of complications as a result of the vaccination.

He did not say where the forged document came from.

On November 20, just a few hours before the second division home game against FC Schalke 04 (1-1), Anfang resigned as coach of Werder Bremen.

The public prosecutor's investigation into the fake vaccination card against him had previously become known.

In January, Beginning was banned for one year by the sports court of the German Football Association retrospectively from November 20 and sentenced to a fine of 20,000 euros.

This ban will be suspended on probation from June 10 until mid-2023.

ptz/dpa