A German referee who admitted influencing games was sentenced to two years and five months in prison on Thursday for his part in the biggest match-fixing scandal to hit Germany [Images] in over 30 years.

Robert Hoyzer, 26, and another referee, Dominik Marks, were found guilty of having fixed matches in return for payment from Ante Sapina, the Croatian ringleader of a two million euro betting fraud.

Marks received a suspended sentence of one year and six months. Sapina, an obsessive gambler who placed huge sums on the referees' matches, received a jail term of two years and 11 months.

Sapina's older brothers Filip, 38, and bar-owner Milan, 40, were both given suspended sentences for aiding Ante's criminal operation. Filip was given one year, and Milan one year and four months.

The scandal, uncovered at the start of this year, has embarrassed Germany's soccer authorities as the nation prepares to host the 2006 World Cup.

Among the catalogue of charges, Ante Sapina bet 240,000 euros ($280,500) and won 870,000 on a single match, a second division game between Karlsruher SC and MSV Duisburg on Dec. 3, 2004 which Duisburg won 3-0 with Marks, 30, refereeing.

In another match, Hoyzer, 26, awarded regional league side Paderborn two penalties as they came from two goals down to knock out first division Hamburg SV in the first round of the German Cup. He also sent off Hamburg striker Emile Mpenza.

Ante Sapina, 29, made more than 750,000 euros from Paderborn's 4-2 victory, according to the indictment.

Hoyzer's overall reward was 67,000 euros and an expensive new television set for the nine matches he fixed or tried to fix, while Marks was accused of amassing 36,000 for his involvement in four games.

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