German FA seeks damages from match-fixing referee Hoyzer

BERLIN, Apr 13 (Reuters) The German FA has filed a 1.8 million euro claim for damages against former referee Robert Hoyzer, who was convicted of match-rigging in 2005.

The German FA (DFB) announced today after a board meeting that it would see damages from Hoyzer, who was sentenced to two years and five months in jail.

The DFB said the sum calculated was based on referee fees Hoyzer had earned from the DFB, legal costs to the DFB and a settlement the DFB paid to Hamburg SV for a rigged German Cup match.

Hoyzer was found guilty in November 2005 of fixing games as part of a 2 million euro betting fraud that tarnished Germany's reputation ahead of the World Cup it hosted in 2006.

Hoyzer admitted fixing matches in the biggest scandal to hit German football in more than 30 years. He was found guilty of rigging games in return for payment from Croatian Ante Sapina and was convicted on six counts of accessory to fraud.

In the German Cup case, Hoyzer awarded regional league side Paderborn two penalties and sent off a rival player to help the team recover from two goals down to beat first division Hamburg SV.

Sapina made more than 750,000 euros from Paderborn's 4-2 victory, the indictment said. Hoyzer's overall reward for the nine matches he fixed or tried to fix was 67,000 euros and an expensive new television set. Sapina was sentenced to two years and 11 months.

REUTERS SSC RAI2007