Football matches to resume - Hearing for appeal in Gräfe v. DFB case delayed
The court hearing to determine former referee Manuel Grafe's compensation claim against the German Football Association (DFB) has been canceled and rescheduled indefinitely. The scheduled Thursday session was abruptly called off by the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court because of material alterations to the complaint made on Wednesday night, according to a response provided to the German Press Agency. No alternative date has been set for the hearing.
In the summer of 2021, Grafe's Bundesliga career came to an end owing to the then-DFB age limit of 47 years. In November 2022, the Frankfurt District Court awarded Grafe, now 50, a winning compensation amount of 48,500 euros in a dispute with the DFB over age discrimination.
Grafe disagreed with this decision, as the court had not included a potential loss of earnings for the 2021/22 season due to age discrimination in the compensation. His claim for this sum was denied on the grounds that there would have been no assurance of a certain number of appearances even if he had sought a spot on the Bundesliga referees' list. Both Grafe and the DFB lodged appeals against the Frankfurt District Court's judgement.
