Markus Anfang, who was banned from football for using fake documents to falsely claim he was vaccinated against Covid, said Friday he is grateful for the chance to coach German third-tier side Dynamo Dresden.

Seven months after he quit as head coach of Werder Bremen in the midst of the scandal, Anfang has signed a two-year deal with Dresden, who have just been relegated from Germany's second division.

"I am very grateful for this opportunity," the 47-year-old told a press conference in Dresden.

"I have to live with the fact that I made a mistake.

"I did not live up to my function as a role model.

"I have disappointed and lied to many people."

He resigned from Bremen last November after it emerged he and his assistant coach Florian Junge, who also joins him at Dresden, used forged certificates to avoid quarantine as contact cases.

A district court in Bremen fined Anfang 36,000 euros ($38,169) last February, but he escaped having a criminal record.

In January, Anfang had also been fined 20,000 euros and banned by the German Football Association (DFB) for one year, back dated to last November, but suspended from 10 June (Friday).

"I brought it on myself," he said.

"I can't expect everyone to forgive me."

He also explained that he is afraid to be vaccinated against Covid due to the risk of possible side effects on his heart.

"Nobody can take away the fear of it that I have due to events in my family," he said.

His father suffered a heart attack during a football match in 2019 and Anfang was present as medics fought to save his life.

Anfang has previously suffered from an inflammation of the heart but insists he has nothing against others being vaccinated.

Dynamo sports director Ralf Becker, who worked alongside Anfang at second-division club Holstein Kiel from 2016-18, said confidence in the new head coach's qualities outweighed any reservations.

"For us, it was crucial that he openly and honestly admitted his past misconduct and sincerely regretted it," Becker explained.

"Everyone makes mistakes. Markus has taken responsibility for his."