FIFA’s ethics watchdog has started formal proceedings against six individuals, including Franz Beckenbauer, over the awarding of hosting rights to Germany for the 2006 World Cup, world soccer’s governing body said Tuesday.

    The others involved are former German Football Association (DFB) chief Wolfgang Niersbach, who resigned over the affair last year, his predecessor Theo Zwanziger, Helmut Sandrock, Horst Schmidt and Stefan Hans.

    “In the cases of Mr. Beckenbauer, Dr. Zwanziger, Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Hans, the investigatory chamber will investigate possible undue payments and contracts to gain an advantage in the 2006 FIFA World Cup host selection and the associated funding,” the investigatory chamber of Zurich-based FIFA’s ethics committee said in a statement.

    Niersbach resigned from the DFB presidency after failing to provide explanations for a 6.7 million euro (US$7.52 million) payment from organizers of the 2006 World Cup at which he was a vice president to FIFA.

    A DFB-commissioned report revealed this month that while there was no evidence of Germany paying FIFA members in return for their votes, payments were made to at least one former FIFA official through a web of accounts involving several other firms or individuals, including Beckenbauer.

    Beckenbauer, a World Cup-winning player and coach who headed the 2006 World Cup, admitted to making mistakes but denied any wrongdoing over the tournament in Germany.

    The report showed he transferred 10 million Swiss francs (US$10.1 million) in 2002 via a Swiss law firm’s account to a company owned by then FIFA official Mohamed Bin Hammam, the former president of the Asian Football Confederation who was banned from all soccer-related activity in December 2012.

    (SD-Agencies)