German Football Association (DFB) logo [Photo: AFP/Yonhap]
German authorities have launched a raid on the German Football Association (DFB) and various administrative bodies in host cities for Euro 2024, following indications of improper benefits exchanged during the tournament.
On July 1, local media, including Bild, reported that approximately 150 investigators from the North Rhine-Westphalia Criminal Investigation Office and the Bochum Public Prosecutor's Office conducted searches at the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt.
Authorities suspect that tickets for the tournament were improperly distributed to city officials and employees. It is alleged that the tournament's organizing company, a joint venture between the DFB and UEFA, provided thousands of tickets and hotel accommodations as bribes to officials in host cities. The raids targeted administrative authorities in most of the Euro 2024 host cities, including Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Dortmund, and Düsseldorf.
There are growing concerns that this case of improper benefits is not an isolated incident but rather indicative of organized corruption aimed at influencing public officials.
In Germany, criticism has intensified following the national team's early exit from the 2026 North American World Cup, compounded by the corruption allegations. The team was eliminated in the round of 32 after losing to Paraguay in a penalty shootout on June 29. This marks the third consecutive tournament, following the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Germany failed to reach the knockout stage.
On July 1, local media, including Bild, reported that approximately 150 investigators from the North Rhine-Westphalia Criminal Investigation Office and the Bochum Public Prosecutor's Office conducted searches at the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt.
Authorities suspect that tickets for the tournament were improperly distributed to city officials and employees. It is alleged that the tournament's organizing company, a joint venture between the DFB and UEFA, provided thousands of tickets and hotel accommodations as bribes to officials in host cities. The raids targeted administrative authorities in most of the Euro 2024 host cities, including Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Dortmund, and Düsseldorf.
There are growing concerns that this case of improper benefits is not an isolated incident but rather indicative of organized corruption aimed at influencing public officials.
In Germany, criticism has intensified following the national team's early exit from the 2026 North American World Cup, compounded by the corruption allegations. The team was eliminated in the round of 32 after losing to Paraguay in a penalty shootout on June 29. This marks the third consecutive tournament, following the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Germany failed to reach the knockout stage.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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