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One of Manuel Gräfe's last games: April 2021 in Leipzig
Photo: KH / imago images / Karina Hessland
The long-time Bundesliga referee Manuel Gräfe takes legal action against the German Football Association.
"I'm suing the DFB for age discrimination," announced Graefe in an interview with "Zeit Magazin".
»The DFB takes away what I enjoy.
Of course there are also financial losses, I'll try at least to assert these. "
Gräfe had to end his career at the end of last season despite good performances because he reached the age limit of 47 years set by the DFB.
“I would have liked to continue.
My feet, knees, and hips are fine.
But the DFB insists on an age-old guideline, "complained the Berliner and emphasized:" I feel as if I could whistle until I was 50 or longer. "
In court, he wants to fight for the entire referee guild, as the rule also affects other colleagues and even has serious consequences for the lower divisions.
Gräfe, who had received praise from many coaches and players, made it clear: "I will no longer whistle myself, even if I should succeed with my complaint."
In other leagues, the age limit no longer applies, for example in England.
The 50-year-old Martin Atkinson whistles in the Premier League to this day.
Criticism of the DFB and Zwayer
In the conversation, Graefe not only distributes against the DFB, also against his former colleague Felix Zwayer, about whom he said in 2018: "How can someone like that get to the top of the German top referees?" Game postponement by ex-referee Robert Hoyzer In 2005, Zwayer accepted a small amount of money from Hoyzer and initially did not report this process around the manipulation.
"Anyone who once accepted money and kept Hoyzer's manipulation secret for half a year shouldn't whistle for professional football," said Gräfe again about Zwayer, who is now in action in the Champions League, among other things.
»Here we are again at the DFB.
He also promotes Zwayer, despite his average performance, ”he says.
jan / dpa