Germany FA Raided by Police in Euro 2024 Corruption Probe
A shocking corruption probe into suspected ticket and hospitality violations at Euro 2024 has seen the German Football Association (Deutscher Fussball Bund or DFB) raided by investigators on Wednesday, as reported by German newspaper Bild.
Source: s.yimg.com
According to sources, the DFB’s offices were visited as part of nationwide searches, prompted by investigations into a German national, a French national, and others. The searches were carried out by prosecutors in Bochum and the criminal office of North Rhine-Westphalia, who issued a joint-statement confirming the searches were taking place in several locations around Germany.
The case, as per Bild, relates to hotel invitations and several thousand tickets that might have been illegally allocated to preferred guests ahead of Euro 2024, which was hosted by Germany and took place in 10 cities. The German national, at the time a municipal employee from the host city of Gelsenkirchen, is suspected of having received tickets, travel, and hotel benefits worth $2,736.
Herbert Reul, the Interior Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, expressed his strong stance against corruption, stating, ‘A football ticket is not part of one’s salary. Anyone in the public sector who has their hand out will get a visit from us.’
He further emphasized, ‘Major events like the European Football Championship, in particular, rely on public trust – trust in the sport and in the authorities that make it possible. We will not allow that trust to be damaged by a few invitations and tickets.’
The statement by prosecutors and police also highlighted the investigation’s focus on ‘unauthorised advantages, including a visit to an international football match.’
Notably, the DFB was not immediately available for comment, and Uefa did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Prosecutors in Bochum declined further comment.
The news comes at a time when the German national team suffered a shock World Cup exit at the hands of Paraguay, who handed die Nationalmannschaft its first-ever penalty-shootout defeat. This result has led to questions over the future of coach Julian Nagelsmann, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz sparked backlash by praising the team on social media despite the defeat.
Nagelsmann’s first tournament in charge was indeed Euro 2024, where his side lost to eventual champions Spain in the quarter-finals.
