FIFA scandal threatens crown of Germany's 'Kaiser'

Having turned 70 last month, Beckenbauer still enjoys legendary status in his homeland, but the latest FIFA investigation threatens to tarnish his reputation.

In his playing days, Beckenbauer was a commanding figure on the pitch, whether playing for Bayern Munich or West Germany.

He captained West Germany to the 1974 World Cup title on home soil when they beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the Munich final, then managed the team which beat Argentina 1-0 in Rome to lift the trophy at Italia 1990.

Beckenbauer was named European footballer of the year in both 1972 and 1976.

He made 424 appearances in the Bundesliga, scoring 44 goals, including a 13-year spell for Bayern, before joining Hamburg and New York Cosmos, where he finished his career in 1983.

Off the field, Beckenbauer led Germany's successful bid to host the 2006 World Cup.

He later became head of the organising committee and the successful tournament is still nostalgically referred to in Germany as the 'die Sommermaerchen' -- 'The summer fairytale'.

The story turned sour last weekend when Der Spiegel broke the cash-for-votes scandal story.

The magazine alleged the German Football Association (DFB) had bought the votes of four Asian members of FIFA's 24-strong executive committee to secure the 2006 World Cup.

Germany beat South Africa with 12 votes to 11 after New Zealand's Charles Dempsey abstained in the final ballot.

"I have not sent anyone money to acquire votes for the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany," said Beckenbauer, while the DFB also strenuously denied the claims.

"And I'm sure that no other member of the bidding committee did either."

This is the second time in 18 months Beckenbauer has fallen offside with FIFA.

In June 2014, he was banned by world football's governing body for 90 days from any football-related activity.

He allegedly refused to cooperate with an inquiry into corruption relating to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.

Beckenbauer protested, as he had requested the questions that were put to him be in German and in writing, and the ban was lifted after he agreed to participate in FIFA's inquiry