The German Football Federation (DFB) insisted Friday a $7.6 million (6.7 million euro) payment made by the 2006 World Cup organisers to FIFA had nothing to do with the awarding of the event to Germany.
The payment was unearthed by the DFB during an internal investigation into the awarding of the 2006 World Cup prompted by the wave of scandal engulfing FIFA.
The DFB explained that in the course of their probe to ensure nothing amiss had occurred during the bidding process “it had come across a 6.7 million euros payment made to FIFA in April 2005, money which could have been used for something else other than its original intended target (FIFA’s cultural programme).”
The DFB stressed: “The payment was not connected with the awarding (of the 2006 World Cup) made almost five years earlier.”
At the vote in July 2000 Germany saw off South Africa by 12 votes to 11 to win the right to hold the 2006 World Cup, with South Africa going on to stage the 2010 edition.
The DFB said they had found no “irregularities” in Germany’s winning bid to stage the football showpiece.
The DFB says it is trying to see whether it’s possible to recuperate the 6.7 million euros.