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German football federation denies ‘baseless’ allegations it used bribes to get 2006 World Cup

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FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2005 file photo German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer, left, the President of the 2006 World Cup organising committee, walks from the stage with Jens Grittner, right, the press spokesman for the organizing committee, and Wolfgang Niersbach, a organizing committee member, following a press conference in Leipzig, Germany. (AP Photo/Herbert Knosowski, file)

BERLIN – The German football federation is denying allegations it used bribes to secure the 2006 World Cup.

The DFB says news magazine Der Spiegel’s report Friday that a slush fund of 10.3 million Swiss francs (about $6 million at that time) was used to secure four votes from FIFA’s 24-member executive committee is “completely baseless.”

The federation says it “refutes the authors’ conclusions, made without any facts, that votes were bought in this context for the awarding of the World Cup” and “that neither the DFB president nor the other members of the organizing committee were involved or could have known about such operations.”

The DFB said it “reserves the right” to take legal action against Der Spiegel.

FIFA said earlier Friday that the magazine’s “serious” allegations will be reviewed.

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