Franz Beckenbauer accused of attempted bribery in Germany 2006 World Cup bid

Niersbach is also facing an investigation by prosecutors on suspicion of tax evasion linked to the awarding of 2006 World Cup venue.

Franz Beckenbauer signed a document promising “various services” to disgraced former Federation Internationale de Football Association vice-president Jack Warner shortly before the vote to stage the 2006 World Cup, according to acting DFB chief Rainer Koch.

The former Bayern Munich great, who captained and coached Germany to separate World Cup titles, was the 2006 bid’s leading figure and later the president of the organizing committee. “Verbalisations allow that conclusion”.

German football has lurched into a crisis over Spiegel magazine’s report last month alleging that the votes of four members of FIFA’s executive committee were bought in 2000, when Germany narrowly won the vote to host the 2006 finals.

Niersbach stepped down while denying any personal wrongdoing and, asked about speculation of him taking over, Germany team manager Bierhoff said: “I do not want to talk about what will now come next as it is not an issue of the national team”. The letter suggested far-reaching DFB “consideration” for Warner’s central and north American confederation in return for support.

FIFA’s secretary general Jerome Valcke – Blatter’s No. 2 – has also been suspended for 90 days, having earlier been put on leave following allegations surrounding bribes in South Africa’s staging of the 2010 World Cup and the resale of tournament tickets above face value.

Niersbach resigned from the German FA on Monday, buckling under mounting pressure.

Beckenbauer, who answered the questions of an external law firm hired by the DFB to investigate the matter, has refused to comment again since his brief statement last month, opting to remain at his home in Austria.

Intensively involved “We have a request that he becomes more intensively involved in clearing up the processes”, said Koch in an interview with German channel ZDF.

German organisers of the World Cup 2006 reportedly paid back this amount to Louis-Dreyfus in 2005 under a false declaration.

Warner, who sat on the FIFA Executive Committee for 28 years, and 13 other football officials and sports marketing executives were indicted in the United States on May 27 on bribery, money laundering and wire fraud charges involving more than $150 million in payments. “I have never ever had any agreement of any kind with anyone on Germany’s hosting of the 2006 World Cup”, Warner wrote in an email to German news organization “Sport1” on Wednesday.

But now, German daily Bild claims to have seen a draft agreement, signed in part by Beckenbauer, which it says was aimed at “buying votes for the German bid”.