Chronology following allegations made by Der Spiegel news magazine that the German bid committee for the 2006 World Cup had a slush fund which was used to secure the votes of FIFA executives in 2000, dpa reported. October 16: The German football federation DFB says it is investigating a payment "to FIFA in April 2005 by the organizational committee of the 2006 World Cup (which) may not have been used for its intended purpose (the FIFA culture program)." October 16: Der Spiegel reports that the bid committee had a slush fund which was used to secure four crucial votes from Asian FIFA executives at the host nation election in 2000. The money came from private funds of former Adidas chief Robert Louis-Dreyfus. October 17: DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach "absolutely and categorically rule(s) out" the existence of a slush fund and that there was "definitely not" any kind of vote buying. Former organizing committee vice-president Fedor Radman also dismisses vote buying allegations. October 18: Bid and organizing committee (OC) chief Franz Beckenbauer says in a short statement issued by his management that "I have never sent money to anyone in order to acquire votes for the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany. And I am convinced that no other member of the bid committee did this either." October 19: Frankfurt prosecutors say they have started an "observation process," with fraud, embezzlement and corruption as possible charges. October 19: Niersbach dismisses the allegations again but admits that questions have to be asked about the payment of 6.7 million euros (7.6 million dollars) to FIFA. October 19: Former DFB boss and OC vice-president Theo Zwanziger expresses doubts about the internal investigation by the DFB, while Germany coach Joachim Loew backs Niersbach the next day. October 22: Niersbach tells a news conference the OC paid the money to FIFA in 2002 to secure financial support of 170 million euros for the World Cup, arranged in a private meeting between Beckenbauer and FIFA boss Joseph Blatter. He says the money was provided by Louis-Dreyfus and sent back to FIFA, to be passed on to Louis-Dreyfus, in 2005. But many open questions remain. October 23: The DFB board gives Niersbach a vote of confidence although Niersbach only informed it a week earlier of the internal probe he started in summer. October 23: Zwanziger, in another Spiegel report, accuses Niersbach of lying, says "it is evident that there was a slush fund within the German World Cup bid" and that Niersbach knew of it at least since 2005. He said the money from Louis-Dreyfus went to then FIFA executive and now banned Mohamed Bin Hammam. October 26: Beckenbauer admits to a "mistake" in the bidding for the 2006 World Cup, saying the organizing committee should not have entertained a recommendation from the FIFA finance commission to obtain a grant from the world football governing body. October 27: External Lawyers from multinational law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer move into the DFB offices to investigate the 6.7 million euros payment to FIFA. November 3: German authorities search the DFB headquarters and the homes of Niersbach, Zwantiger and former DFB general secretary Horst R Schmidt as they launch investigations against the three on suspicion of tax evasion in connection with the payment to FIFA. November 9: Niersbach accepts "politically responsbility" for the payment to FIFA and resigns as DFB president. -- SPA 19:39 LOCAL TIME 16:39 GMT تغريد
