"Without you, the Berlin Football Association would not exist as it does," was probably the defining sentence of the evening, which Dirk Zimmermann, Vice President Legal Affairs, addressed to those present at the "Danke Schiri" event in his welcoming address on behalf of the entire BFV Executive Committee. As part of the campaign, which the DFB carries out together with its regional associations and in cooperation with Das Örtliche, referees who have rendered outstanding services were traditionally honored on the evening of 16 April 2026 in the Haus des Fußballs.

"Valuable for soccer"

Under the moderation of David Heider, Head of Management and Communication of the Referee Committee, the invited guests were presented with their awards in the four categories to the great appreciation of all those present. Referee committee member David Dahlhaus also took the opportunity to personally congratulate the referees and address his words of appreciation: "You are all here because you have achieved something. You represent the other 1,200 referees we have here in Berlin, all of whom are valuable to soccer in their own way. You should be proud of yourselves - and show it to the outside world!"

Nina Neudert, Marketing Communications Manager of pdm solutions GmbH, was also part of the group of honorees, representing Das Örtliche and joining in the thanks to the Berlin referees: "This event is also a chance for us to say thank you for your commitment and the love you show on the pitch. It is important that your work is honored, because without it, soccer would not exist."