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Beckenbauer answers

Jens Krepela (sid/dpa) / jhJune 19, 2014

In apparent connection with allegations of corruption, Franz Beckenbauer has answered the questions put to him by FIFA's chief investigator. Whether Beckenbauer's ban will be lifted remains uncertain.

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Franz Beckenbauer ARCHIV
Image: Getty Images

After his provisional 90-day ban by FIFA, Franz Beckenbauer's manager Marcus Höfl revealed on Wednesday that the German football legend has answered the questions put to him by the FIFA ethics commission. The ban, imposed by chairman Alan Sullivan, had been submitted last Friday when chief investigator Michael Garcia accused Beckenbauer of "a lack of cooperation" during the investigation behind the controversial, yet successful, bids to host the 2018 (Russia) and 2022 (Qatar) World Cup.

The reason the controversy with FIFA first came to the fore was because the 68-year-old had failed to answer Garcia's questions, citing he had difficulty understanding the text because it was in "legal English."

On Wednesday evening, Höfl tweeted: "For your info: This afternoon, the FIFA ethics committee received Frank Beckenbauer's answers to all their questions."

Even if his management expects this to result in the end of his ban, Beckenbauer cannot automatically assume so. FIFA have revealed that the council in charge of making this decision are free to decide either way. But an end to the ban is likely, especially considering the fact Beckenbauer is a former FIFA member.

FIFA Michael Garcia
Tough call: Ermittler Garcia files for a ban against BeckenbauerImage: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

Beckenbauer rejects the charges

The British newspaper "Sunday Times" reported that Beckenbauer stayed in the Emirates with recently lifelong-banned former FIFA member Mohamed bin Hammam - before going as an advisor to a Hamburg-based company on his second trip. Despite these reports, there is no connection with the ban and Beckenbauer's trips to Qatar in 2009 and 2011.

The subtlety of a corruption charge is something that Beckenbauer fervently denies. "I have nothing to do with corruption. Who is going to approach me and entice me? It's just laughable. I am the wrong person to speak to in this case," said Beckenbauer.

According to his media partner, the widely-circulated German tabloid "Bild," the Kaiser's electoral decisions recently indicated that he voted for Russia in 2018, but with the German FA for Australia 2022 and most recently for the USA - not for Qatar.