FIFA has provisionally banned legendary footballer Franz Beckenbauer from all footballing activities for failing to co-operate with the football governing body's inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process.
FIFA had asked Beckenbauer, who is a World Cup winning German legend, to help them with an ethics investigation led by lawyer Michael Garcia.
According to the BBC, Beckenbauer, who was a part of the FIFA committee that voted to give the hosting rights for the 2018 World Cup to Russia and 2022 World Cup to Qatar, has been banned for 90 days.
FIFA said that Beckenbauer had ignored repeated requests to assist them with an independent investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
No details have reportedly been provided on what Garcia wanted to talk to Beckenbauer about.
Meanwhile, the former West Germany skipper Beckenbauer, who charged his national team to victory as hosts at the 1974 World Cup, said that he politely requested a meeting in which they could talk about the matter in German and that was apparently not desired.
Beckenbauer, who coached West Germany when they lifted the World Cup in Italy in 1990, said that he would not be able to contribute anything to clear up the matter.