The German Football Association (DFB) says it will cooperate fully with prosecutors investigating claims of tax evasion in regards to a payment made to FIFA by the 2006 World Cup Organising Committee.
On Tuesday, investigators searched the premises of the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt as well as the homes of its president Wolfgang Niersbach, his predecessor Theo Zwanziger and former general secretary Horst Schmidt.
Prosecutors are looking into claims that the DFB used tax-reducing arrangements to make a €6.7million payment to FIFA from the Organising Committee of the World Cup.
The DFB has now stated its intention to work with Frankfurt prosecutors looking into the allegations.
"The German Football-Association (DFB) supports the investigations of the prosecution Frankfurt, following the accusations of fiscal evasions in an especially hard case, completely," read a DFB statement.
"The accusations are connected to the awarding process of the World Cup 2006 and the payment of €6.7 million from the World Cup Organising Committee to FIFA.
"Tuesday morning, officials from the prosecution and the tax investigation visited the association headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and secured documents.
"The DFB announces complete cooperation with the investigators, to clarify the accusations. The prosecution told the DFB in the context of the raid, that the investigations are limited to the tax offence.
"The DFB itself is no defendant in this investigation."
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