Beckenbauer: Condition massively deteriorated?

Due to his allegedly very poor state of health, Franz Beckenbauer apparently escapes prosecution in the proceedings for the 2006 World Cup.

As the Spiegel reports, the lawyers of the 73-year-old have submitted certificates from Beckenbauer’s doctors to the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office, according to which any excitement could be life-threatening for him.

According to the doctors, Beckenbauer’s state of health has deteriorated massively since April. His judgement and memory had become very clouded, and an improvement was not to be expected. The doctors use the diagnosis to justify Beckenbauer’s inability to question the Swiss investigators.

According to Spiegel, the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office (BA) was on the verge of pressing charges against Beckenbauer, allegedly demanding further medical evidence. In addition, however, it has already confirmed its intention to sever Beckenbauer’s proceedings in order to make faster progress against other defendants in the case of the allegedly purchased 2006 World Cup.

At SID’s request, Beckenbauer’s management initially did not want to comment on the procedure or its state of health on Friday. Last week the Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported for the first time that the former president of the World Cup Organising Committee could be spared an indictment because of his problems and the statute of limitations of the accusations.