Vaccination pass scandal: DFB blocks coaches from the beginning of June

Frankfurt / Main (dpa) – The resigned Werder coach Markus Anfang is no longer allowed to work as a coach at least this season because of his vaccination card affair.

The sports court of the German Football Association banned the 47-year-old retrospectively from November 20 for one year on Wednesday, but suspended this sentence from June 10 until mid-2023. In addition, Beginning has to pay a fine of 20,000 euros.

“Through their actions, Markus Beginning and Florian Junge have violated the role model function as coaches to a considerable extent,” said Hans E. Lorenz, the chairman of the DFB sports court, about the former coach of the second division Werder Bremen and his assistants. Junge got away with a fine of 3,000 euros and a ten-month ban, which will also be suspended on probation from June 1st. These probations are “justified in view of the confessions they have made, to give them the opportunity to make a new commitment for the 2022/2023 season,” said Lorenz.

On November 20th, the Bremen Health Department initiated investigations against Beginners and Youngsters because of the use of fake vaccination cards. Two days later, both resigned from their posts at Werder on the day of the home game against FC Schalke 04. According to the public prosecutor’s office, Beginning has now admitted the use of a forged document. In terms of sports law, there is therefore a violation of the hygiene concepts of the DFB and the German Football League.

Because the fake certificate indicated that Beginning and Young had been “doubly vaccinated against the corona virus”, they no longer took part in Werder Bremen’s prescribed corona tests from early autumn, according to the DFB statement. In addition, both would have presented this vaccination certificate to the Bremen health department in order to avoid being in quarantine as a contact person after a positive test with Werder professional Marco Friedl.

The Bremen health department then reported to the public prosecutor’s office because the authority had noticed several irregularities in the vaccination card. This started the scandal. For example, the coach is said to have had an away game with his former club SV Darmstadt 98 in Würzburg on the day of his supposed first vaccination appointment in Cologne.

Further research by the criminal investigation authority also revealed: In the initially forged document, the first vaccination date was followed by a batch number that was never vaccinated. According to the chief public prosecutor, Frank Passade, the number of the second appointment was vaccinated – but not on the day specified in the initial certificate.

However, the judgment of January 26 is only the first consequence of this scandal under sports law. The public prosecutor’s office continues to investigate the former Bundesliga professional from Fortuna Düsseldorf and Schalke 04. Among other things, his forged document is said to have gained access to a carnival celebration in his hometown of Cologne at the beginning of November, in which only vaccinated or recovered people were allowed to take part. It is not yet clear whether he will have to answer to the court or pay a fine.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:220126-99-859893/3

–