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FRANKFURT, Germany — A leading soccer referee in Germany has been awarded 48,500 euros ($52,800) after a court found he was discriminated against when he was no longer considered for games because of his age. The court in Frankfurt found Manuel Gräfe had been disadvantaged by the German soccer federation's practice of not considering referees over the age of 47. Gräfe officiated 289 Bundesliga games from 2004 through 2021. The court ruled that a strict age limit was not justified but it rejected a claim for damages including lost earnings.
