New information has surfaced that suggests Germany’s winning bid for the 2006 World Cup was likely aided by bribes to FIFA officials.
On Friday, the German newsweekly Der Spiegal reported the German bidding committee set up a slush fund of 10.3 million Swiss francs that was contributed in secrecy by former Adidas chief Robert Louis-Dreyfus.
According to Der Spiegal, the secret fund was reported used to sway the votes of four Asian representative on FIFA’s 24-member executive committee before the committee voted to award the tournament to Germany on July 6, 2000.
Germany won by a vote of 12-11 after the four Asian representatives joined European legion in voting for Germany, after Charles Dempsey of New Zealand unexpected abstained from voting.
Also according to the magazine’s report, both Franz Beckenbauer, the former German national and legend who headed the bidding committee, as well as Wolfgang Niersbach, the current head of the German Football Federation, were aware of the secret slush fund by at least 2005, along with other highly-ranked football officials who were aware of the situation.
Louis-Dreyfus passed away in 2009, while only one of the Asian representatives responded to inquiries by Spiegal, only saying that the questions were unworthy of a response.
However, Wolfgang Niersbach with the German Football Association denied these claims, saying the magazine who reported it didn't even have any proof of bribes occurring. Fedor Radmann, who was part of the 2006 organizing committee for the World Cup, also vehemently denied the accusations.
Talking to Germany's Sky Sports News, he said, “The bid committee never bribed anyone. I am prepared to say that under oath. We bought no vote.”
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