Franz Beckenbauer
Pressure is growing on Franz Beckenbauer to speak out on the latest corruption allegations surrounding the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
The former Bayern Munich great, who captained and coached Germany to World Cup titles, has been linked to disgraced former FIFA official Jack Warner in reports published yesterday. He was the 2006 bid’s leading figure and the president of the committee.
One day after German soccer federation president Wolfgang Niersbach resigned, two German newspapers linked Beckenbauer to Warner, who was then a member of the FIFA executive committee.
“We appeal to him (Beckenbauer) to bring himself more closely into the explanation of what happened,” said Rainer Koch, one of the two caretaker presidents after Niersbach’s resignation.
The Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Bild reported Tuesday that Beckenbauer’s signature was on a draft contract with Warner, promising favors shortly before the vote on the host of the 2006 World Cup. Germany won the bid by one vote over South Africa in 2000.
Warner, who stepped down four years ago, has been suspended for life by the FIFA ethics committee and faces corruption charges in the United States, which is seeking his extradition from Trinidad and Tobago.
The two dailies said Beckenbauer’s signature was on the draft contract, which was also initialed by his right-hand man, Fedor Radmann. They reportedly signed off on the document four days before the vote on the 2006 World Cup host. The contract promised Warner friendly matches and tickets.
Warner was at the time the president of the North American region, known as CONCACAF. AP
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