Writes the DFB boss to his corrupt predecessor

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Association boss Keller: "The greatest respect"

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Philipp von Ditfurth / picture alliance / dpa

They were big words, almost like an oath: "Believe me, I want to know what was going on." For him, according to DFB President Fritz Keller in May last year, the SPIEGEL revelations about dubious cash flows in connection with the 2006 World Cup »also damaged the summer fairy tale, the happiness of those days«.

He wants to try everything to clear up the processes, "so that this shadow gets away from us" (SPIEGEL 21/2020).

What was meant was the suspicion that with the millions that Franz Beckenbauer had donated to a corrupt Qatar, FIFA officials had been bribed because they had voted for Germany to host the 2006 World Cup.

"It's clear to me that the whole story stinks and a lot of lies," said Keller.

And announced that he would write to everyone involved "personally and ask them again to say what they know".

But Keller's big words evidently followed little action.

At the end of October, the "Bild" newspaper reported that Beckenbauer had been relieved of the summer fairy tale.

The accusation that the 2006 World Cup came to Germany by buying votes was off the table, at least for the "Kaiser".

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