Bremen coach quits over claims of fake vaccine certificate

By: The Associated Press Posted: 4:47 AM CST Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 Last Modified: 4:47 AM CST Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021

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BREMEN, Germany (AP) — Werder Bremen coach Markus Anfang and his assistant quit the club on Saturday over investigations into whether they used fake certificates of vaccination against the coronavirus.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/11/2021 (1779 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bremen managing director Frank Baumann said Anfang and Florian Junge “are taking responsibility and are helping to end the unrest that has arisen around the club and the team in the past few days.”

The Bremen prosecutors’ office is looking into claims both coaches used fake coronavirus vaccine documentation. Second-division Bremen said on Friday that Anfang had denied any wrongdoing.

File--- File picture taken Oct.30, 2021 shows Werder's coach Markus Anfang during the interview in Bremen, Germany. He has resigned as coach of Werder Bremen. With this, the 47-year-old reacted on Saturday a few hours before the home match against FC Schalke 04 to investigations by the public prosecutor's office. There are suspicions that Anfang used a forged vaccination certificate. (Carmen Jaspersen/dpa via AP,file)

“I received both of my vaccinations in an official vaccination center and got the documents to prove it,” Anfang had said in a club statement. “I very much hope that this matter will soon be cleared up.”

On Saturday, ahead of the team’s game against Schalke, Anfang told Bremen he was quitting “due to the extremely stressful situation for the club, the team, my family and myself.”

Proof of vaccination or a recent recovery from a virus infection is needed in Germany for entry to many restaurants or other public places, depending on different states’ rules.

Anfang took over as Bremen coach in June after the club was relegated from the Bundesliga following 40 years in the top division. Bremen is eighth in the second-division table.

Assistant coach Danjiel Zenkovic was to take charge for the game against Schalke.