On the field they are the rulers. Referees steer the game, often deciding on victory or defeat. As confident as they act in the stadiums, they often have to be humble behind the scenes. Because in the German refereeing system, the felt has spread, nepotism and bargaining run through the system.
NO active Bundesliga referee wants to talk about it publicly. Some don’t because they are currently at the top of the bosses’ favor and don’t want to lose this status. The others because they fear reprisals: fewer and worse games, no more assignments as a video referee, etc.
Ex-referee Manuel Gräfe has officiated 289 games in the Bundesliga
A Bundesliga referee to BamS: “I’ll do the devil and hold my head publicly. You just have to see what the DFB did with Gräfe – and that was one of the best.”
Manuel Gräfe (49) ended his career last year. Even during his playing days, he did not mince his words, repeatedly criticizing nepotism and the injustice of the referee bosses. At the DFB he was considered a troublemaker, and several attempts were made to get rid of him before he reached the age limit.
Gräfe was unimpressed by this – to this day. His devastating verdict: “Never before have the referees started a season with so many wrong decisions, some of them extreme. The quality, which has been declining for twelve years, is also due to DFB politics. Extraneous regional and personal criteria often appear to be decisive for promotions, relegations and appointments, instead of deciding solely on merit.”
Even the novice referees in the lowest leagues can quickly tell you a thing or two about that.
BamS referee Thorsten Kinhöfer (213 Bundesliga games): “There are always agreements between football circles and observers in the observation system – according to the motto: ‘You judge my referee well, then your protégé will get a good grade from me next time.’ In order to fight your way through all leagues to the Bundesliga, every referee needs an advocate or mentor who encourages you.
Another problem: the question of quality. When is a referee good – and when not?
Kinhöfer: “There are no hard facts when assessing referee performance. No time or running distance is measured or the number of whistles is counted. Of course, the door is open to interpretation. A lot depends on whether or not the right people like the way you referee games.”
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So it is logical that not only the best are up to the Bundesliga, but also – and above all – the darlings of the bosses. Referees who may not whistle so well, but who don’t argue back, simply allow themselves to be guided and influenced.
When it comes to the question of who becomes a Fifa referee, it often boils down to having the best network. Because there is no application process, no casting – the bosses around referee boss Lutz Fröhlich (64) can freely determine who is allowed to whistle internationally.
Many Bundesliga referees also secretly complain about the poor leadership qualities of their superiors. Mistakes are not explained or addressed, the referees and video referees are not given a clear line. Gräfe: “Every referee now acts as he likes on the field. It all leads to this chaos that you see almost week after week now.”
A video referee confirms BamS: “There is already a lot of uncertainty. The fear of making mistakes paralyzes many of us. But everyone shuts up because video referees have already been removed and exchanged. Interestingly, for the most part, not the ones with the most bugs, but rather the ones that might get uncomfortable or are unpopular with the bosses.”
In addition, new instructions for the video referees wear down the referees: Sometimes they should intervene as little as possible, then send the main referee in the stadium to the monitor more often, a little later everything is different again.
Referee boss Fröhlich admits: “There is room for improvement. As far as working directly with the referees is concerned, we need to continue to work on a unified line.”
Lutz Michael Fröhlich is the chairman of the Referees Committee
The Bundesliga managers see it that way too. You’ve had enough of the video chaos by now, you’re just annoyed. According to BamS information, at their meeting at the beginning of the week, they asked Fröhlich that the Cologne cellar should intervene significantly less – analogous to the Uefa and Fifa competitions.
But do so many mistakes really happen?
In recent years, the referee bosses have repeatedly presented statistics that should prove how few mistakes the Cologne video cellar makes. The problem: those responsible for the DFB decide for themselves which decisions are wrong and which are right. A Bundesliga manager on BamS: “That’s the biggest joke. It’s like writing my transfer certificate in BILD am SONNTAG myself. Of course, the grade 1 to 2 comes out rather than 5 to 6. What is wrong and what is not must be judged independently in the future.”
A new form of independence could indeed help solve the problem of cheating.
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Most recently, the demand came up to fill the chief post of refereeing externally. With someone who is impartial with the rope teams and has nothing to do with promoting loved ones.
Manuel Gräfe, for example, brought up the ex-referee and Swiss Urs Meier (63). BamS referee Kinhöfer would even go one step further: “Why does it always have to be an ex-referee? If you were a good player, you are by no means a good coach.”
His suggestion: “Someone from another area from outside can also take over. Maybe an ex-manager or ex-coach. Someone who brings the entire system into shape, provides new ideas and a breath of fresh air and then, of course, brings experts in rules, public relations, marketing, etc. into the team. Successful commercial companies do the same thing.”
But also important: The job must finally be limited to a few years – otherwise the clique and nepotism will start all over again very quickly…
