The German Football Federation (DFB) was sentenced on Wednesday (25) to pay a fine of 130 thousand euros (R $ 830 thousand) for a case of tax fraud related to the 2006 World Cup organization held in German territory.
The former managers of the federation “deliberately defraud the tax authorities, there is no doubt,” said a judge of the Frankfurt Court while reading the sentence.
The prosecution had requested a twice larger fine of 270 thousand euros ($ 1.7 billion).
At the center of this process, which was opened in March 2024, is the payment of 6.7 million euros (R $ 42.7 million) to a committee responsible for organizing the tournament to cover the supposed spending of a gala party that has never been held, making its cost non -taxable.
According to the court, the amount of 6.7 million would have been used by the president of the 2006 World Cup organizing committee, the legendary former player Franz Beckenbauer, who died in January 2024, to corrupt members of the FIFA (International Football Federation) Financial Commission to ensure a subsidy of 170 million euros (R $ 1.1 billion) of the maximum football entity.
After this scandal, DFB saw its status of public utility organization be revoked.
“DFB cannot allow themselves everything, even though football is the favorite sport of the Germans,” the judge insisted, for whom the image of the federation was “stained”.
The DFB leaders “made unplaced payments and maintained FIFA’s corrupt system,” said Judge Eva-Marie Distler.
Accusations against three former federative responsible, Theo Zwanziger, Wolfgang Niersbach and Horst Schmidt were removed upon payment of fines, between 10,000 and 65,000 euros each.
The charges against three former federation officials, Theo Zwanziger, Wolfgang Niersbach and Horst Schmidt, were removed after they paid fines ranging from 10,000 (R $ 63,700) to 65 thousand euros (R $ 414,400) each.
