Scandal in Bremen
Fake vaccination card: Ex-Werder coach Markus Anfang confesses to fraud
Markus Anfang scored a huge own goal with the forged vaccination card
© Stuart Franklin / Getty Images
Markus Anfang, former Werder Bremen coach, has now admitted through his lawyer that he had forged his vaccination certificate. He claims to have felt increasing pressure as an unvaccinated person.
His departure was the low point: After relegation to the 2nd division, Werder Bremen thought that it couldn’t get worse. But it got worse. The Bremen public prosecutor’s office started investigations against coach Markus Anfang because of a forged vaccination card. The coach resigned a few hours before the game against Schalke last November, although he denied the allegation. Now the U-turn: the beginning admitted the falsification of his vaccination certificate.
“The lawyer commented on the accusation and admitted the allegation,” said the spokesman for the Bremen public prosecutor’s office, Frank Passade, on Wednesday afternoon. Previously, the “Deichstube” and the “Bild” reported about it.
It is not known how Markus beginning forged it
The public prosecutor’s office did not comment specifically on how exactly the beginning finally had his vaccination certificate forged or possibly forged it himself. “He has issued a declaration of origin,” Passade told “Bild”.
According to information from the “Deichstube” portal, the 47-year-old is said to have admitted the allegation to the public prosecutor in December. As a reason for his misconduct, he is said to have given the increasing pressure, which has become greater and greater for him as an unvaccinated person.
From a legal point of view, a decision would now be conceivable using the so-called penalty order route. “That is still hypothetical, but it is very close,” said Passade. The public prosecutor’s office would propose a fine to the court, and if the court accepted it, the penalty warrant would be served with a fine at the beginning.
There is a lot to be said for a fine instead of a trial
After the initial confession, there is a lot to suggest that the ex-trainer will have to pay a fine and that there will be no main hearing. The beginning should have a great interest in avoiding a court hearing with a lot of media interest.
The former Cologne coach had only come to the Weser in the summer and should start the reconstruction of the Green-Whites after the first relegation in 41 years – and lead the North Germans back to the Bundesliga as directly as possible.
With his resignation and the media interest from the investigation, beginning had sparked a great stir on the Weser. After his departure, Danijel Zenkovic was the interim coach on the bench in the 1-1 draw against Schalke. Its positive corona test ensured that U19 coach Christian Brand had to step in after the 2-1 defeat in Kiel before Ole Werner was presented as the new coach at the end of November.