2/18/2024 0 Comments Franz beckenbauer fifa 22Niersbach, under investigation for tax evasion in relation to the affair, said he was taking the responsibility for a controversial 6.7 million euro ($7.22 million) payment to FIFA allegedly used to bribe officials of world soccer's governing body to vote for Germany's World Cup hosting bid. German FA (DFB) president Niersbach resigned on Monday, buckling under mounting pressure over an issue that has tarnished the reputation of the world's biggest national soccer federation. The magazine's report in October had claimed a slush fund had been set up with Louis-Dreyfus' support to buy votes for Germany's World Cup bid.īeckenbauer, who answered the questions of an external law firm hired by the DFB to investigate the matter, has refused to comment again since his brief statement last month, opting to remain at his home in Austria. He has since said that, in hindsight, this was a "mistake" but added that claims of a votes-for-cash deal were untrue.Īt the heart of the investigation is the 6.7 million euros payment from the German FA to FIFA that Der Spiegel magazine claimed was a return on a loan from Louis-Dreyfus to help buy votes for Germany's World Cup bid at the FIFA election in 2000. "As it stands now, the suspicions keep growing and growing."įormer World Cup winning captain and coach Beckenbauer - the country's most iconic footballer - has admitted to facilitating the payment to FIFA which was allegedly a return on a loan in 2000 for German organisers from then Adidas CEO Robert-Louis Dreyfus. "But he needs to answer questions," said German MP Oezcan Mutlu, who is a member of the parliamentary committee on sport. Even if I cannot do this for 90 days it is something the honorary president can survive.Niersbach, along with two other former World Cup organising committee colleagues, is under investigation for tax evasion related to the payment after police raided the DFB and his home last week.īeckenbauer was not suspected of tax evasion and was not part of the Frankfurt prosecutor's office probe, officials have said. On Friday, Beckenbauer told German television: "I am the Bayern Munich honorary president. Garcia says he now has "almost all" of the documents referred to by the Sunday Times report. The independent ethics committee are doing a good job and should have the full support of everybody." "The case is now the subject of formal investigation proceedings being conducted by investigatory chamber member Vanessa Allard as chief of the investigation."įifa vice-president Jim Boyce said: "This very much shows once again how the Fifa reform process is working. In a statement, Fifa said: "The apparent breach relates to Mr Beckenbauer's failure to co-operate with an ethics committee investigation despite repeated requests for his assistance. World football's governing body said Beckenbauer was asked to supply answers to written questions provided in both English and German. That aside, I wouldn't be able to contribute anything to clear up the matter anyway." Garcia's remit includes looking into allegations that Qatari football official Mohamed bin Hammam made payments totalling £3m to football officials in return for their support for the Qatar bid - as set out in a Sunday Times investigation.īut Beckenbauer said: "I politely requested a meeting in which we could talk about the matter in German. No details have been given on what Garcia wanted to speak to Beckenbauer about. Fifa executives, including vice-president Jim Boyce, had called for those who refused to co-operate with the investigation to be 'named and shamed'."įifa said Beckenbauer ignored "repeated requests" to assist with an independent investigation into the bidding process for the 20 tournaments. "Beckenbauer is on the Fifa committee looking into the future of the game and is honorary president and global ambassador at Bayern Munich. The BBC understands Beckenbauer twice refused to meet Garcia because he felt Garcia had no power to make him comply - as Beckenbauer was no longer actively involved in football. "Franz Beckenbauer had been asked by Fifa's ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia to meet him and help answer some of the lawyer's questions. Richard Conway BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent
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