It has been revealed that footballing icon Franz Beckenbauer received payments from the German Football Federation (DFB) totaling €5.5m, for work on the country’s successful 2006 World Cup bid.
According to Der Spiegel, the 71-year-old was said to have conducted the work in an honorary, unpaid capacity. However, the DFB confirmed that the money was paid to Beckenbauer, while saying that the money came from a betting agency that sponsored the 2006 bid.
Beckenbauer’s original contract with the DFB contained performance-related bonuses, which dated back to 2004.
He is among several people under a Swiss criminal probe into suspected corruption around the 2006 World Cup.
Nicknamed Der Kaiser, Beckenbauer remains one of Germany’s most revered players of all time, enjoying an illustrious club career with Bayern Munich and the national team.
He helped West Germany to the European Championship in 1972, and the World Cup two years later. With Bayern, he won the European Cup three years straight from 1974-76, as well as four Bundesliga titles.
In 1990, he led the national team to victory in the World Cup, underlining his legend status.
Beckenbauer, among others, remains under a Swiss criminal probe, which is investigating corruption surrounding the 2006 World Cup.
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