German FA boss resigns over 2006 World Cup scandal

As it turned out, it was Germany’s own cash-for-votes allegations over its hosting of the 2006 World Cup that toppled Niersbach on Monday as German football chief.

The president of the German football federation has resigned over a suspect payment to Fifa, saying he was taking “political responsibility” despite not having done anything wrong.

“I hope that the DFB will shed light on the matter as soon as possible, because this affair irritates many people”, said German politician Volker Bouffier, premier of central Hesse state.

The DFB stated its intention to cooperate fully with the investigators, and Niersbach has now left the role while denying any personal wrongdoing.

“I was there from the first day of the 2006 World Cup bid until the end…and in all these years I worked not only in a clean way but also with passion and trust”, Niersbach said in a DFB statement.

“In order to protect this DFB and the office, it is with a heavy heart that I am resigning as DFB president”.

However, his predecessor as head of the German FA, Theo Zwanziger, has accused Mr Niersbach of lying – and claimed he was aware of the payment when it was made.

The committee didn’t provide a reason for the investigation, but Mr. Beckenbauer has been involved in awarding at least three World Cups, including Germany’s bid to host the games in 2006. Niersbach’s home was also searched by police. It was paid through a French businessman and later repaid, according to Mr Niersbach.

The explanation, already unsatisfying, was made worse by Niersbach’s inability to explain why the DFB made made the payment off the books.

Frankfurt prosecutors say the payment was falsely declared to evade taxes. A former journalist, Niersbach was the media chief of the 1988 European Championship in Germany and then became the DFB media director, serving as team spokesman when Germany won the 1990 World Cup with Beckenbauer as coach.

“I am very confident that I will be able to answer all the questions from colleagues on the board and from presidents of regional federations – answers that they are expecting now and that the public is expecting”, Niersbach told TV news channel N24 as he arrived at the DFB headquarters.