Frankfurt - VfL Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath is on a collision course with German football authorities after saying he would not accept a 10,000-euro (12,700 dollars) fine for insulting a referee.

The German football federation DFB reacted angrily Tuesday after Magath criticized the fine imposed last Friday by its control panel and said he would be appealing.

DFB vice-president Rainer Koch said Magath had "trivialized" an insulting comment to a referee and was "stirring up opinion" against match officials.

Koch, who is responsible for legal and refereeing affairs at the federation, said he had "absolutely no understanding for Felix Magath", saying the coach was trying to play down his behaviour.

Magath was fined for "unsporting behaviour" in a 4-1 defeat of VfB Stuttgart on November 22. Referee Helmut Fleischer ordered the coach to the stands at half-time after a confrontation.

Magath had told Tuesday's Wolfsburger Nachrichten newspaper he had already been punished enough by having to watch the second half from the stands rather than from the touchline.

"Why should I be punished a second time and pay a 10,000-euro fine?" he said.

"I have done nothing wrong in 13 years as a coach, and accepted every decision from a referee as meekly as a lamb. And now the DFB is seizing on this one decision. I believe this is completely wrong." (dpa)