Beckenbauer punished by FIFA Ethics Committee

The adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee has warned Franz Beckenbauer and fined him CHF 7,000 after he failed to cooperate with an investigation into bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The sanction comes into force immediately for football official Beckenbauer, who was was provisionally banned from all football-related activity for 90 days over the issue in June 2014. 

“Mr Beckenbauer failed to cooperate with an Ethics Committee investigation conducted by the then chairman of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee regarding the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bids despite repeated requests for his assistance. This included requests to provide information during an in-person interview and in response to written questions presented in both English and German,” a statement from FIFA reads.

“Mr Beckenbauer thus did not behave in accordance with the general rules of conduct applicable to football officials in the context of the investigations, thereby violating article 13 of the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE).

“In addition, the adjudicatory chamber found Mr Beckenbauer to have violated article 18 (Duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting) and article 42 (General obligation to collaborate) of the FCE. 

“The present case did not look into the matters related to the awarding of the 2006 FIFA World Cup to Germany. 

“As Mr Beckenbauer subsequently demonstrated a willingness to cooperate, he has been sanctioned with a warning and fine of CHF 7,000. Mr Beckenbauer had been previously provisionally banned for some time in regard to the present case.”

Beckenbauer also found himself in hot water in 2015 over the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany following claims an alleged slush fund of €6.7million was used to buy votes, with the 70-year-old head of the World Cup organising committee at the time.

He has since admitted he made a mistake in the bidding process to host the tournament but denied any votes were bought.