FIFA confirmed it is "investigating 11 of its own officials," including Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer and Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President Ángel María Villar, according to SKY SPORTS. Blatter and Platini are currently suspended for 90 days over a "deferred payment made between them -- a judgement they are appealing" -- while secretary general Jérôme Valcke has also been banned on suspicion of misuse of expenses. But two new names have "now been thrust into the spotlight" -- Germany's Beckenbauer and Spain's Villar -- "who both refused to co-operate with the investigations into the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups." Beckenbauer was on the exec committee which awarded the 2022 finals to Qatar but claimed last year that FIFA Chief Investigator Michael Garcia had "no power whatsoever" to make him comply to his probe into the controversial '10 decision. Beckenbauer also headed the organizing committee for the 2006 World Cup in Germany and "was forced to reject allegations in his home country on Sunday that a slush fund was set up to buy the votes to host the tournament." Villar, who has been head of the RFEF since '88, is "the second-most powerful man at UEFA behind Platini and replaced the Frenchman" on Tuesday as interim chair of the 2018 World Cup organizing committee. Villa also led the "unsuccessful joint-bid between Spain and Portugal to host the World Cup in 2018," which was given to Russia. A statement on Wednesday confirmed that proceedings relating to Villar and Beckenbauer have "already been passed on to the adjudicatory chamber." FIFA also confirmed that "formal investigation proceedings relating to the suspicion of infringements of the FIFA Code of Ethics are among others ongoing against Worawi Makudi, Jeffrey Webb, Ricardo Teixeira, Amos Adamu, Eugenio Figueredo and Nicolas Leoz" (SKY SPORTS, 10/21). The London DAILY MAIL reported the investigations into both men "have been completed and are now awaiting verdict." The news comes after Germany was "sensationally accused of buying the 2006 World Cup last week." The claims "implicate Beckenbaur and current German FA President Wolfgang Niersbach" and were described as "very serious" by FIFA, which will add them to its "host of other investigations." It is alleged that Beckenbauer, who is already under investigation by FIFA for another matter, and Niersbach "knew about the slush fund by 2005 -- a year before Germany hosted the World Cup." The German FA insisted the money "was not exchanged for votes but are looking into where the funds went." They "never appeared in the bidding committee's budget" (DAILY MAIL, 10/21)
