Governing Bodies
FIFA STILL CHASING MISSING $10.3 MILLION LINKED TO GERMANY 2006 WORLD CUP BID
BY MICHAEL HOUSTON
FIFA President Gianni Infantino says the organisation is still trying to get its money back despite a fraud trial over a CFH10 million (£8.3 million/$10.3 million/€9.5 million) payment in relation to the 2006 World Cup collapsing.
Infantino also hinted that the FIFA Ethics Committee will pursue its own investigation into the accused, according to Inside World Football.
Former leading German Football Association (DFB) officials Theo Zwanziger, Wolfgang Niersbach and Horst Schmidt, as well as former FIFA secretary general Urs Linsi, had been charged.
Prosecutors alleged that they misled the DFB about the destination of the payment, yet the Swiss trial ended without a verdict in April after the five-year statute of limitations passed.
Legendary German footballer Franz Beckenbauer, who led Germany’s bid for the 2006 World Cup and was chairman of the Organising Committee, was under investigation but never charged owing to his health, according to the Office of the Attorney General.
The coronavirus pandemic contributed to the statute of limitations passing.
he DFB claims the payment was the return of a personal loan taken out by Beckenbauer from then-Adidas chief executive Robert Louis-Dreyfus, which went through a FIFA account, but investigators noted that the DFB had earmarked the payment as a contribution to a non-existent World Cup gala event.
Allegations have been raised over the legitimacy of the 2006 World Cup bid, which was successful by just a one-vote margin as Germany beat South Africa 12-11 in the final round.
The Office of the Attorney General claimed the money ended up in the possession of a Qatari company belonging to the disgraced Mohamed Bin Hammam, a former FIFA Executive and Finance Committee member who was banned from the sport for life for various offences in 2011.
“Of course we are not happy with the way the process was concluded,” Infantino said in a video press conference.
“Just because the process was not concluded in time, it doesn’t mean… we are going to sit down as if nothing happened.
“Ten million Swiss francs were paid out of a FIFA account.
“Even if it was many, many years ago – much earlier than when I became FIFA President – it’s something we cannot just sit still about and accept.”
Infantino also suggested the accused could still be held accountable by FIFA.
“We will continue to analyse this and we also have our ethic bodies as well who are looking into it,” he added.
“Obviously they were all waiting for the outcome of the Swiss criminal process.
“The story has not finished, even if it concerns the past, we will not accept that 10 million Swiss francs can just go out without a proper reason.”
FIFA has been dogged by corruption scandals for much of the last decade, with investigations into some still ongoing.
Earlier this week, former FIFA deputy secretary general Markus Kattner was banned from football for 10 years after being found guilty of conflicts of interest and abusing his position in the wake of an illicit bonus and pay rise scheme.
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex-secretary general Jérôme Valcke, who were also implicated in the investigation, are serving six- and 10-year bans from the sport respectively.
-insidethegames
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
Visit the Sports Village Square Channel:
UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
Visit the Sports Village Square Channel:
https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
Morocco Seek to Extend Group Stage Unbeaten Run Against Debut African Opponents Haiti
Scotland Face Familiar Foes Brazil in Bid to Rewrite World Cup History
Switzerland and Canada Battle for Knockout Berth in High-Stakes Encounter
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
- World Cup5 days ago
‘Most Oppressed Team’: Iran Set for FIFA Showdown Over Travel Rules
- World Cup3 days ago
U.S. defends Iran World Cup travel restrictions, says discussions ongoing
- World Cup1 week ago
Doku Faces World Cup-or-Fatherhood Dilemma as Belgium Star Awaits First Child
- World Cup1 week ago
Back in Canada After 39 Years: A Return to Where the Journey Began
- World Cup1 week ago
Tunisia Become Second African Casualty as Sweden Hit Five in World Cup Rout
- World Cup1 week ago
Salah Eyes Birthday Gift as Egypt Seek Historic World Cup Breakthrough Against Belgium
- World Cup6 days ago
South Africa’s Zwane Banned for Three Matches After World Cup Red Card
- World Cup3 days ago
Victory on the Pitch, Respect in the Stands: Japan Fans Clean Up After Tunisia Rout