Overview

• Manuel Gräfe, a former Bundesliga referee, is seeking €830,000 in damages from the German Football Association (DFB) for alleged age discrimination.
• Gräfe was forced to retire in 2021 due to the DFB's age limit policy, which mandates retirement for referees at 47 years old.
• In January 2023, the Frankfurt Regional Court awarded Gräfe €48,500 for age discrimination, but he appealed for further compensation for lost earnings over three additional seasons.
• The DFB also appealed the initial ruling, arguing there was no guarantee of referee assignments even if Gräfe had remained eligible.
• The appeal hearing at the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court, delayed twice in 2024 due to procedural issues, is now scheduled for later this week.