Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/595929
maltatoday, Wednesday, 4 november 2015 20 Sport SPORTTODAY football German fa HQ raided over 2006 World Cup corruption scandal The corruption crisis surrounding Germany's 2006 World Cup has intensified after tax authorities launched raids on the country's football federation (dFb) and private residences The raids, which deployed more than 50 officials, focused on 6.7 million euros ($7.4 mil- lion) the DFB transferred to world soccer's governing body FIFA in 2005. Prosecutors said they suspected senior officials at the association of failing to reg- ister the payment properly in tax returns. According to a mid-October report in magazine Der Spiegel, the money was used to buy votes for Germany's successful World Cup bid. The DFB has strongly denied the claims it bought the 2006 tournament. Repeatedly con- tacted by Reuters, it declined to comment on Tuesday's raid. DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach, his predecessor Theo Zwanziger and the association's former General Secretary horst Schmidt are suspected of tax evasion over the payment, pros- ecutors said in a statement. The report in Der Spiegel al- leged that deceased Adidas CeO Robert Louis-Dreyfus loaned the money to the German bid committee to buy votes at the FIFA election, which took place in 2000. Germany won by a sin- gle vote from South Africa. The DFB returned the same sum to Louis-Dreyfus via FIFA in 2005, the magazine said. Adidas, a major sponsor of the DFB, declined to comment on the raids. Niersbach told a news con- ference last month he did not know why the payment to FIFA - already being investigated in- house by both the DFB and the world soccer body - was made. The Frankfurt prosecutor said Niersbach and his two DFB col- leagues were suspected of tax evasion as the 2005 payment was registered in returns as an operational expense, meaning the trio avoided a number of different taxes that should have been paid on it. The tax raid triggered reactions from politicians and members of the parliamentary committee on sport, which invited Niersbach to a hearing on Wednesday that he refused to attend. "A classic case of an own goal," MP and committee member Oezcan Mutlu wrote on Twitter. "This happens when there is no transparency and clarification." Fabregas denies leading 'mini-revolt' at Chelsea CeSC Fabregas has taken to Twitter to proclaim his sup- port for Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, refuting reports he is the leader of rumoured dressing room unrest. The former Arsenal and Bar- celona midfielder was the sub- ject of speculation after a claim from a BBC reporter that one un- named first-team player would rather lose than win a game for Mourinho. The Portuguese's position is under scrutiny after nine losses in 17 games in all competitions this season, but Fabregas backed his boss, who has continually insisted his players are behind him. Fabregas wrote on Twitter: "I would like to clarify that con- trary to a few reports from some online websites, I am extremely happy at Chelsea and have an excellent relationship with the manager. "There may be certain individ- uals from the outside trying to destabilise this club, but I strong- ly believe that we will bounce back and come good again." Chelsea play Dynamo Kiev in Champions League Group G on Wednesday night and at Stoke in the Premier League. The Blues are 15th in the Pre- mier League, with six losses from 11 games. Mourinho will serve a one- match stadium ban at Stoke unless an appeal is submitted against the sanction imposed on Monday following his half-time dismissal at West ham on Octo- ber 24.