Germany's 2006 World Cup organising team should not have paid FIFA, says bid organiser Franz Beckenb
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Germany's 2006 World Cup organising team should not have paid FIFA, says bid organiser Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer, who headed Germany's 2006 World Cup organising committee, says a transfer of 6.7 million euros ($10.2 million) to FIFA in 2005 was a mistake, but rejected claims it was a return of a loan to buy votes in favour of the country's World Cup bid.
In a brief statement, the former World Cup-winning player and coach, who is a key figure in an affair involving an alleged slush fund used to bribe FIFA voting members back in 2000 to award the tournament to Germany, again said the Germans never bought votes.
"In order to get a subsidy from FIFA (for the organisation of the 2006 World Cup) those involved went ahead with a proposal from the FIFA finance commission that in today's eyes should have been rejected," the statement read.
"I, as president of the then organising committee, bear the responsibility of this mistake. But he said any claims of a votes-for-cash deal were not true.
"There were no votes bought in order to get the nod for the 2006 World Cup," Beckenbauer, 70, said.
Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-27/fifa-transfer-for-2006-world-cup-a-mistake-franz-beckenbauer/6887200
Uh huh. Sure.
Does this mean Russia is off the hook now for bribing FIFA to get the 2018 World Cup? lol