I'll co-operate with ethics probe, says banned Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer has promised to co-operate with FIFA’s ethics investigations into World Cup bidding and has asked for the provisional ban against him to be lifted.

Beckenbauer, the former German great, was handed a 90-day ban while he is investigated for refusing to co-operate with US attorney Michael Garcia’s probe into bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup, won by Russia and Qatar.

It meant the 68-year-old was banned from attending any match and was forced to call off his visit to the World Cup where he was due to work as a pundit for German TV.

A statement released Beckenbauer’s manager Marcus Hoefl said he would respond to the questions by June 27.

The statement said: “Franz Beckenbauer told FIFA on Saturday that he would answer the questions by the ethics committee investigation by June 27 at the latest.

“It is our understanding that there is thus no longer any ’suspicion of a possible violation’ against FIFA rules so we are assuming that the provisional sanctions against him will be removed without delay.”

Hoefl said Beckenbauer will answer all the questions in writing in German.

Beckenbauer said in the statement he was “extremely surprised” by the ban and that FIFA did not give him an opportunity to respond or warn him that a provisional ban was looming.

He added: “It was the first time that FIFA didn’t know how to contact me on the telephone.

“I had also assumed that I didn’t have to answer the questions because I no longer have any official capacity at FIFA. But that’s all cleared up now.”

A FIFA spokeswoman said any decision on lifting the ban would be taken by ethics adjudicatory committee vice-chairman Alan Sullivan.

Beckenbauer has had business links with both Russia and Qatar but there is no suggestion these influenced his vote – and he has never stated which countries he did vote for.

He said last week: “People with a memory will remember that I declared just after (the vote) that the choice of Qatar surprised me. And I was one of the first to say that a World Cup over there was impossible and that it would have to be played in winter.”