Robert Hoyzer, the German referee, has been sentenced to two years and five months in prison for his role in a match-fixing scandal.
Hoyzer, 26, and another referee, Dominik Marks, 30, were found guilty of rigging games in return for payment from Ante Sapina, the Croatian ringleader of a £1.4 million betting fraud.
Marks received a suspended sentence of 18 months for his role in the biggest match-fixing scandal to hit
"It wasn't a youthful misdemeanour but a serious crime," presiding judge Gerti Kramer said.
Hoyzer's jail term came as a shock as prosecutors took his confession into account and only sought a suspended sentence. "He violated his important duty of neutrality," said Kramer, adding the former referee was aware of the vast winnings he generated and sought to recruit other officials.
Sapina, 29, an obsessive gambler who placed huge sums on the referees' matches, was jailed for two years and 11 months. His brothers Filip, 38, and bar-owner
Lawyers for Hoyzer, who plans to write a book about the affair, and Sapina said they would appeal. They remain at liberty until the appeals are decided. "We are very disappointed by the verdict. Even the prosecutors had sought a suspended sentence," Hoyzer's lawyer, Thomas Hermes, said.