In early 2005, German football was overshadowed by the discovery of a €2 million match fixing scandal centred on second division referee Robert Hoyzer, who confessed to fixing and betting on matches in the 2. Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal (German Cup), and the then third division Regionalliga. The scandal has been described as the largest controversy in German football since the Bundesliga scandal of the early 1970s, as numerous players, coaches and officials have been accused of involvement with an organised crime group in the scheme, which came on the eve of Germany playing host to the 2006 World Cup.
Although it does not appear that any Bundesliga games were involved, the matches in question included a DFB Cup first-round contest between regional side SC Paderborn and Bundesliga heavyweights Hamburger SV played on 21 August 2004. Hamburg lost 2–4 as two highly questionable penalties were awarded to Paderborn and Hamburg footballer Émile Mpenza was sent off for protesting as the club was eliminated from the lucrative competition.
Four referees – Lutz Michael Fröhlich, Olaf Blumenstein, Manuel Gräfe, and Felix Zwayer – went to officials of the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund, DFB) with their suspicions about Robert Hoyzer. Initially, the DFB did not immediately act, but after becoming aware of the accusations, Hoyzer stepped down from his role as a referee. Indications are that Hoyzer had regular meetings in Berlin with a group of three brothers who were part of a Croatian gambling syndicate connected to an organized crime group. After a confession from Hoyzer, several suspects were put under surveillance and on 28 January 2005 a number of people were arrested. Milan Šapina, operator of the Café King sports betting agency and his brother Philip were taken into custody, along with Hertha BSC players Alexander Madlung, Nando Rafael, and Josip Šimunić. Madlung, Rafael, and Šimunić all played in Hertha's surprising 3–2 defeat to third-division side Eintracht Braunschweig in their 22 September 2004 German Cup match, with Madlung giving up a crucial 80th minute own goal, only four minutes after coming on as a substitute. The trio came under suspicion for having been known to associate with the Šapina brothers, but there has been no proof that they actually participated in the manipulation of this or any other match.
As witnesses against Hoyzer, the Berlin referees Lutz Michael Fröhlich and Manuel Gräfe were immediately relieved of their officiating responsibilities for their own safety, being replaced by Franz-Xaver Wack and Thorsten Kinhöfer. The referees scheduled to officiate matches in the 19th round of Bundesliga play on 29 and 30 January 2005 were all changed the day before the games were played. Hoyzer co-operated with investigators in helping to uncover the details of the scheme, implicating other officials, players, and a group of Croatian-based gamblers. This led to an investigation by the league, as well as a criminal investigation. By the end of 2005, it appeared that the scandal did not directly involve the Bundesliga and was confined to lower divisions. The investigations lead to the following results:
Hoyzer was banned for life from any role in football and received a 2-year-5-month prison sentence. Jail sentences for Hoyzer and five other defendants were confirmed in December 2006 after they had lost their final appeals in court.
Referee Dominik Marks was banned for life and received a 1-year-6-month sentence for his involvement.
The three Croatian brothers orchestrating the scheme received sentences ranging from 2-year-11-month in prison to 1 year – suspended.
Referee Felix Zwayer was banned for 6 months for his involvement including allegedly accepting a €300 bribe from Hoyzer.
Referee Torsten Koop received a three-month ban for not promptly reporting an approach from Hoyzer.
Matches involving officials and players accused or convicted for their involvement in the scheme were subject to review by the league.
Hamburger SV received compensation worth up to €2 million for its forced early exit from the DFB Cup and compensation for certain other teams affected was arranged.
After review, replays were ordered for a number of lower division games, while other results were allowed to stand.
A number of changes have been put in place or proposed to ensure closer oversight of referees and other game officials.
Once the criminal issues involved have been resolved, it is expected that a number of civil suits will arise as some clubs and individuals seek compensation for harm suffered as a result of the scandal.
The DFB-Kontrollausschuss ('DFB Committee of Control') reacted to the scandal with a number of measures intended to prevent similar incidents in the future:
The committee originally intended to follow the UEFA practice of designating game officials on just two days' notice before the match, rather than on the existing schedule of four days' notice. This suggestion was abandoned as impractical.
Referees who are promoted to officiate in second-division games will first be observed over a three-year period in the Regionalliga.
Previously, matches involving Bundesliga teams in the German Cup had not been subject to observation by an arbitrator, but will be in the future. This fourth official will be certified for first division matches and able to act as a substitute game official on short notice if required.