A German court has fined the German Football Association (DFB) over €100,000 in connection with a scandal linked to the hosting of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The case, which has dragged on for more than a decade, revolves around a controversial €6.7 million payment made by the DFB to FIFA. Originally declared as covering the costs of a World Cup gala that never took place, prosecutors allege the funds were misused, including settling a loan taken by the late Franz Beckenbauer, president of the World Cup organizing committee, and bribing FIFA officials.
The Frankfurt Regional Court ruled that although the DFB fully declared and taxed its income from the 2006 tournament, the €6.7 million should have been accounted for in 2002 rather than 2006. As a result, the court imposed a fine of approximately €110,000, reduced from an initial €130,000 due to the lengthy legal process. The DFB has acknowledged the ruling and is considering an appeal after reviewing the written judgment.
Several former DFB officials, including ex-presidents Theo Zwanziger and Wolfgang Niersbach, as well as Horst R. Schmidt, vice president of the organizing committee, were implicated but had their proceedings dismissed after paying fines ranging from €10,000 to €65,000. The scandal severely damaged the reputation of the 2006 World Cup, once celebrated as a "summer fairytale," by exposing a corrupt system involving undeclared payments and vote-buying within FIFA’s executive ranks.
The affair revealed how funds were routed through a Swiss law firm and a Qatari company owned by then-FIFA Executive Committee member Mohammed Bin Hammam. While the exact purpose of the payments remains unclear, the scandal has been a major blemish on German football’s image and has fueled broader investigations into corruption within FIFA.
