FIFA's Ethics Committee has banned former German FA (DFB) President Wolfgang Niersbach "for one year for failing to report potential misconduct" surrounding the award of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, according to John Revill of REUTERS.
The adjudicatory chamber of FIFA's Ethics Committee "barred Niersbach from all football-related activity." FIFA investigators "had sought a two-year ban."
Niersbach, who still sits on FIFA's council as well as the UEFA exec committee, "resigned from the DFB presidency in November" after he was unable to explain a €6.7M ($7.4M) payment from the German World Cup organizers to FIFA.
A report in May from the investigatory chamber of FIFA's ethics committee -- an independent body -- found Niersbach "had violated its ethics code and recommended he be banned for two years from all football-related activity and fined."
Niersbach, who has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing, said that at the time "he disagreed with the severity of the recommendations" (REUTERS, 7/25). Niersbach: "The decision is a hard blow. After the oral negotiations in Zurich, I was confident that the ethics commission would not impose a ban ... I consider the now imposed ban inappropriate and excessive. I'm consulting lawyers to see if I should take legal action against the decision" (SID, 7/25).
