FIFA suspends Beckenbauer
June 13, 2014
FIFA alleges that former Germany player and coach Franz Beckenbauer refused to speak to members of an inquiry into allegations that Qatar paid bribes to secure votes for its 2022 Football World Cup bid.
"Franz Beckenbauer was today provisionally banned from taking part in any football-related activity, at any level, for 90 days," said a statement released by the ethics committee of football's world governing body.
FIFA claims that the 68-year-old Beckenbauer, also known as the Kaiser in his native Germany, refused to reply to requests from Michael Garcia, the former US federal prosecutor who heads the investigation on the vote and possible corruption.
Beckenbauer denies the allegations. "I was ready to answer all the relevant questions," he said. "However, they were in legalese and I did not fully understand such complicated material in English. I asked kindly for a discussion in German, but that was rejected."
"I only have adviser status with FIFA. I am no longer a commission member and therefore I am not obliged to talk to Mr. Garcia," he added.
Beckenbauer, a World Cup winner with West Germany as both player and coach, was a voting member of FIFA's executive committee in December 2010, when it chose Russia and Qatar as the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts respectively.
ng/jr (Reuters, dpa)