The German Football Association (DFB) has banned referee Robert Hoyzer for life for his part in the the country’s match-rigging scandal.
Hoyzer has admitted fixing a number of matches after receiving bribes of €67,000 from a Croatian betting syndicate.
“Hoyzer has caused serious damage to German football in general and German referees in particular for which we have only one sanction within the sport,” said the DFB’s Rainer Koch in his ruling on Friday.
“He will still have to appear in a court of law but that is separate from this judgement.”
Hoyzer admittted rigging Hamburg’s loss to third division SC Paderborn in the first round of the German Cup earlier this season, which forced The DFB to agree a compensation package worth €2m to Hamburg.
Berlin prosecutors are currently investigating 25 people, including three other referees and 14 players, who are suspected of being involved in match-fixing.
With Germany hosting next year’s World Cup finals, the revelations have come as a huge embarrassment to the country’s football authorities.
