When Werder Bremen host FC Energie Cottbus on Saturday, 13.09.2008 at the Weser Stadium (3:30pm kick-off), referee Herbert Fandel will take charge of what will be his 237th Bundesliga game.

On the day, Werder captain Frank Baumann will be making his 237th Bundesliga appearance in the Green-White jersey. The last time that Fandel refereed a game involving Werder was back in March 2007 when Thomas Schaaf’s men fell to a 3-6 defeat and finished the game with just ten men after Per Mertesacker saw red.

The 44 year old professional pianist, and director of a music school in Bitburg-Prüm, has been refereeing in Germany’s top flight since 1995 and just three years later he had risen to the status of ‘FIFA Referee’. Fandel took charge of Seville’s UEFA Cup triumph over FC Middlesbrough in 2006 (4-0) and AC Milan’s UEFA Champions League final revenge on FC Liverpool in 2007. Fandel was active as a referee at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and more recently at the 2008 European Championships in Austria and Switzerland.