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Beckenbauer under pressure to explain 2006 World Cup scandal
Frankfurt: Legend Franz Beckenbaue faces mounting pressure to explain his part in Germany’s 2006 FIFA World Cup scandal after the emergence of a document directly linked to him.
The 2006 bid’s leading figure of Germany was linked to disgraced former FIFA official Jack Warner in reports published Tuesday, reports Xinhua.
One day after German football federation president Wolfgang Niersbach resigned, two German newspapers linked Beckenbauer to Warner, who was then a member of the FIFA executive committee.
“We appeal to him (Beckenbauer) to bring himself more closely into the explanation of what happened,” said Rainer Koch, one of the two caretaker presidents after Niersbach’s resignation.
Koch confirmed on Tuesday that Beckenbauer signed a contract promising Warner “various services” four days before the 2000 vote on the host of the 2006 World Cup. Germany won by one vote over South Africa.
Warner, who stepped down four years ago, has been suspended for life by the FIFA ethics committee and faces corruption charges in the United States, which is seeking his extradition from Trinidad and Tobago.
“We’ll have to look very closely into the circumstances of how the 2006 World Cup was awarded,” Koch said.
Until know, German federation officials have been more concerned about a suspect payment to FIFA of 6.7 million euros ($7.22 million) in connection with the 2006 World Cup, which is also the target of a tax evasion investigation by German authorities.
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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.