It could be a spectacular trial: Manuel Gräfe is going to court. On TV, he commented on his motivations and reactions from other referees.
The complaint by ex-Bundesliga referee Manuel Gräfe against the German Football Association due to age discrimination has been received by the association. This was confirmed to the German press agency on Friday. The 47-year-old Berliner had to end his career at the end of last season after 289 Bundesliga appearances, although he would have liked to continue whistling – because he had reached the prescribed age limit.
In the early evening, before Switzerland’s European Championship match against Spain, Gräfe commented on his motives live on ZDF – the referee will be working as a TV expert during the tournament.
Manuel Gräfe: “It must finally be performance”
“Something has to change at some point. It finally has to be performance,” said Graefe. It cannot be that age, gender, nationality or other factors decide who is allowed to pursue his profession and who is not. But Gräfe does not believe that he can be actively involved in the pipe again. But he knows that the same question will soon come to other colleagues – and named Deniz Aytekin by name.
Gräfe emphasized that it was not about him. It’s about the system and the fundamentals. He is aware that there will be no quick decision. “The court mills grind slowly,” he said. He expects a termination in six to twelve months: “It will be a difficult path – but hopefully something will change in the end.”
On ZDF, Graefe also sharply criticized the system and its effects. “This approach also has an impact on the grassroots.” He had received several emails in which young referees complained that they would be denied promotion to professional refereeing because they were “too old”. “That’s just wrong,” said Gräfe. Many colleagues would give up in exasperation. And that will not change – and damage the association in the long term.
The DFB does not want to comment on the lawsuit
After the Gräfes complaint has been received, the next step will be to ask the DFB to give an opinion. The association will not comment on the process publicly for the time being, the DFB announced.
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
