German Referee Going to Jail

A Berlin court handed disgraced German referee Robert Hoyzer a 29-month jail sentence for his role in fixing soccer matches. His lawyer says they will appeal.

It seems that the whole idea for this scam started with a night of drinking. Hoyzer became friends with Croat Ante Sapina, the ringleader in the scandal, while drinking at a bar run by Sapina's older brother. The two dispute who first suggested it, but on that night in May 2004, the idea of fixing matches took shape. This little idea went on to earn over $2.3 million and give Germany a black-eye just months before it hosts the World Cup.

The plot grew to involve various other people including another official named Dominik Marks who Hoyzer 'recruited.' In the end Hoyzer got 29-months, Sapina got 35-months and Marks, who cooperated with the prosecutor, received a suspended sentence of 18-months.

Germany now has seven months to repair their tarnished image before they host the finals.

On a very different note, but still about referees, a Bosnian referee may be banned from soccer for a year after he knocked out a player who disagreed with one of his calls. I would much rather see this happen then what Hoyzer did.