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German football had barely absorbed the shock of Paraguay’s 2026 World Cup exit in the round of 32 before it was dealt a further blow after police raided the German Football Association’s headquarters amid suspicions of corruption and bribery over the hosting of Euro 2024.
And I mentioned “Welt” newspaperThe German newspaper said more than 150 investigators from North Rhine-Westphalia’s criminal police carried out a massive raid on Wednesday morning that included the headquarters of the German Football Association in Frankfurt, as well as a number of town halls and local administrations in the cities that hosted the European Championship games.
According to the newspaper, these steps are being taken as part of an investigation into the involvement of a 66-year-old German and a 46-year-old Frenchman in the granting of organized privileges, facts that could amount to suspicion of bribery.
The case concerns the distribution of thousands of tickets for Euro 2024 matches, as well as invitations to stay in hotels, which are believed to have been illegally given to guests and officials before the start of the tournament.
The report added that the investigation could also extend to local government officials in several German cities amid suspicions that they received benefits related to the tournament.
The roots of the case go back to Euro 2024 GmbH, a joint venture between the German Football Association and UEFA created specifically to organize the tournament.
A French official in charge of relations with the host cities is alleged to have sent invitations to officials from the tournament’s organizing offices to attend high-profile matches, while the investigation shows that the German accused received a financial benefit of around 2,400 euros, which included a ticket to attend the semi-final between Spain and France in Munich and travel expenses.
The crisis comes just hours after Germany crashed out of the 2026 World Cup after losing to Paraguay in a new blow to German football, which is going through one of its most difficult periods at technical and administrative levels.
