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Beckenbauer's ban lifted

June 27, 2014

Soccer's world governing body, FIFA, has lifted a ban from taking part in any football-related activity imposed on Franz Beckenbauer. This came after he had failed to answer questions about alleged corruption.

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Deutschland Fußball World Cup 2014 - Franz Beckenbauer
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

The management company that looks after Beckenbauer's affairs, MHM, said in as statement issued on Friday that FIFA had lifted the 90-day ban imposed on him earlier in June. There was no immediate confirmation from the world governing body itself.

FIFA had imposed the ban on June 13, saying "Der Kaiser" had failed to cooperate with investigators looking into allegations that Qatar paid bribes in order win secure votes in its bid to host the 2022 World Cup - a bid that it won.

A few days later, Beckenbauer complied with the request to answer chief investigator Michael Garcia's questions.

"For your information: The FIFA ethics commission this afternoon received the answers of Franz Beckenbauer to all their questions via mail and fax," Beckenbauer's manager Marcus Höfl announced in a statement posted on the micro-blogging website Twitter on June 19.

The dispute with FIFA first came to the fore after the 68-year-old former national team star and coach had initially refused to respond to Garcia's questions, saying he had difficulty understanding the text because they were in "legal English."

pfd/ipj (SID, dpa)