Police raid DFB offices, Niersbach house over World Cup claims

Police have raided the offices of the German Football Federation (DFB) and the home of its president Wolfgang Niersbach over corruption claims relating to the hosting rights for the 2006 World Cup.

The corruption scandal that has engulfed FIFA has involved claims regarding the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany, with FIFA’s Ethics Committee last month launching an investigation into Franz Beckenbauer, who fronted the country’s organising committee for the showpiece event.

Beckenbauer admitted that a payment had been made to FIFA during the bidding process, but insisted it was in return for a financial grant and has described it as a “mistake”.

The story took a dramatic twist early on Tuesday as investigators searched the premises of the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt, as well as the home of president Niersbach and his predecessor Theo Zwanziger.

“Prosecutors in Frankfurt have opened investigations on suspicion of serious tax evasion linked to the awarding of the football championship in 2006 and the transfer of €6.7m of the organising committee for the German Football Association (DFB) to the Fifa football association,” local prosecutors said in a statement.