March 13 – Theo Zwanziger’s imminent departure from the high echelons of FIFA is getting messier still. The former head of German football, who is stepping down from FIFA’s executive committee in May, has been using every opportunity to denounce the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar as well as having a go at Wolfgang Niersbach, his successor at the German FA and soon at FIFA too.
But Zwanziger has suddenly found himself knocked back after Niersbach was cleared of breaking FIFA ethics rules.
In filing his complaint, Zwanziger questioned whether Niersbach’s pay and pension broke any rules in terms of a potential conflict of interest. The pair have dramatically fallen out and matters could have come to a head at the UEFA Congress later this month.
The German FA has been solidly behind Niersbach and FIFA has now confirmed that the relationship is totally above board.
FIFA’s ethics committee said in a statement on Friday that a preliminary investigation had determined “that no provisions of the FIFA code of ethics had been violated in the case in question”.
The statement said that it had examined Niersbach’s pension income and remuneration arrangements following an official request by Zwanziger.
“The investigatory chamber of the FIFA ethics committee inspected and analysed all relevant documents, interviewed those involved in the matter and carried out further enquiries with those in the latter’s circles,” the statement said.
“Based on this preliminary investigation, the investigatory chamber of the FIFA ethics committee has concluded that neither Wolfgang Niersbach nor any other person has violated the code of ethics. “The investigatory chamber has accordingly closed its file on the matter.”
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