Appearance after vaccination card scandal
“I’m scared”: Trainer Beginning remains unvaccinated
03/20/2022, 02:10 am
In November, Werder Bremen throws out coach Markus Anfang – not because of sporting failures, but because he had presented a fake vaccination card. The ex-coach deeply regrets his lie, but he is still not vaccinated.
Former Werder coach Markus Anfang did not get vaccinated against the corona virus even after the scandal surrounding his fake vaccination card. “My health situation doesn’t make it easy for me to get vaccinated. I’m afraid,” the 47-year-old explained to “Bild am Sonntag”.
“Everyone has their own personal story. I’ve had myocarditis myself and I’m very afraid of this vaccination,” said Beginning on ZDF’s “Aktuelles Sportstudio”. “I’m fighting my fears.” His father had to be revived several times in the stadium in 2019 after a heart attack. “I experienced that first hand, it does something to you.” That’s why he still didn’t get vaccinated: “No one can take my fears away.” However, he is currently in contact with several doctors and is looking for a solution.
In November, investigations into the use of a fake vaccination card were launched against the soccer coach. Beginning then resigned in Bremen, was suspended by the sports court of the German Football Association and sentenced to a fine. The Bremen district court also sentenced him to a fine.
“I wanted to stay coach”
Beginning says he regrets using the forged document: “I lied. And I would like to apologize for that.” The reason was that he wanted to keep his job as a coach despite his fear of vaccination. “The ID itself was not important to me. I wanted to remain a coach, the thing didn’t interest me,” said the former Bundesliga professional of “Bild”.
“I committed a crime, but I can say that I’m not a criminal in principle,” he said on ZDF. Beginning described the fact that he still celebrated carnival with the fake vaccination card in November as a “huge mistake”. “The 2G plus rules applied that day, but I didn’t behave correctly. I was caught in the lie and couldn’t get out of it,” he said.
He hopes that he still has a future in the football business. “Of course you want a person to have a second chance, but I can’t wait for that.” The initial suspension will be suspended on probation from June 10 – then he could theoretically work as a coach for a club again.