FIFA suspends Franz Beckenbauer for 90 days
By Mike Dyce
FIFA has been investigating corruption in the decision on where to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. German great Franz Beckenbauer, who managed West Germany in the late 80s and Bayern Munich in the mid-90s, was a FIFA executive when those decisions where being made.
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Beckenbauer had a role as an ambassador for the Association of Russian Gas Producers (RGO) prior to Russia winning the 2018 bid. That has led many to assume he may have been influenced by lobbying and bribery during the selection process
Beckenbauer has been reluctant to cooperate and consequently has been suspended from participating in football activities for 90 days because of his lack of cooperation. The justification for the suspension is a violation of FIFA’s Code of Ethics.
Yeah, apparently FIFA has a code of ethics and more surprisingly they enforce it.
FIFA released a statement on the 90-day ban:
"Franz Beckenbauer has been provisionally banned from taking part in any football-related activity, at any level, for 90 days. The deputy chairman of the FIFA Ethics Committee’s adjudicatory chamber, Alan Sullivan, issued the ban at the request of the chairman of the investigatory chamber, Michael J. Garcia. The ban is effective immediately. The decision was taken pursuant to the FIFA Code of Ethics art. 83 par. 1, on the grounds that a breach of the Code of Ethics appears to have been committed and a decision on the main issue may not be taken early enough.The apparent breach relates to Mr Beckenbauer’s failure to cooperate with an Ethics Committee investigation despite repeated requests for his assistance, including requests that he provide information during an in-person interview or in response to written questions provided in both English and German. The case is now the subject of formal investigation proceedings being conducted by investigatory chamber member Vanessa Allard as chief of the investigation."
It is kind of shocking that FIFA made this decision, especially considering Beckenbauer is supposed to be leading the Samsung GALAXY 11 in a fictional game against aliens in an effort to save planet Earth.