Coronavirus crisis hurts football referees in Germany

Bundesliga referees no longer have the time for a full profession outside of football. And with Germany yet to introduce professional match officials, they are also hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and the suspension of football.

Stuttgart (dpa) – The coronavirus restrictions are not only hitting football players and their clubs hard – referees are as affected in Germany which is yet to introduce professional match officials.

While many believe pro referees will soon make their debut, the current generation must still make do with payments per match and one lump sum.

That even though top referees, especially those also officiating in European cups, have no time for another profession because they are dealing with their next match in every aspect, from personal fitness training to video analysis of the next teams.

“A Bundesliga referee can work one or two days, maximum. And the top ones who officiate on the international level can’t have another profession at all,” says former referee Knut Kircher.

“But only a few of them have a flexible agreement with their employer allowing them to work more now that they have time. And this also affects (their) families and financing things.”

Referees have been deprived of income of more than 10,000 euros (10,900 dollars) in some cases since the Covid-19 disease led to the suspension of play in mid-March, so far at least until April 30.

Bundesliga referees get an expense allowance of 5,000 euros per match, and even more money is lost for those on European duty or selected for the Euro 2020 tournament now postponed until 2021.

“A big chunk of income is being lost in the professional area,” admits German Football Federation (DFB) vice-president Ronny Zimmermann who is responsible for refereeing.

The DFB is so far not compensating referees for the income they have lost but match officials also get a fixed sum per season in the five-digit area, and up to some 80,000 for a FIFA referee.

Kircher says this is now the safety net for referees although “it is originally designed for when for example they are injured and can’t officiate for two months.”

The fixed sum was the latest step towards professional referees and some of them such as Marco Fritz, Felix Zwayer and Felix Brych can live from it.

Even more worse off are assistant referees in the coronavirus crisis because they only receive 2,500 euros per game.

Zwayer’s assistent Thorsten Schiffner has told the Heilbronner Stimme paper of “significant” financial losses as he said: “The crisis shows that it is important to have income outside football.”

However, like referees they hardly find the time for such a profession because they have to keep fit as well in-between matches and prepare for the next one; or they can’t work more because employers are also struggling amid the pandemic.

Top referees would have also liked to have spoken out about their situation during the coronavirus crisis. But that was rejected by the DFB, without giving a reason.