Franz Beckenbauer is the subject of a German Football Association lawsuit ©Getty Images

Franz Beckenbauer is at the centre of a lawsuit launched by the German Football Association (DSB) regarding alleged corruption in the country’s successful bid for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

The German Bid Committee was accused by magazine Der Spiegel  last October of having used a €6.7 million (£5 million/$7.6 million) slush fund to buy votes.

Beckenbauer and then DSB President Wolfgang Niersbach reportedly knew about the fund, although both men have denied the claims.

Niersbach, though, resigned from his post in November, while his predecessor Theo Zwanziger and the association's former general secretary Horst R. Schmidt were also allegedly implicated.

The DFB have now opted to begin a case against Beckenbauer, FIFA and its two former Presidents.

"The DFB has taken the measure to avoid a statute of limitations," the Federation told the German news agency SID.

Should enough time pass for a statute of limitations to occur, it would prevent the DFB from making a compensation claim in the future from those allegedly involved in the case, should they wish to do so.

It has been claimed that the fund had been a loan made by former Adidas chief executive Robert Louis-Dreyfus to the Bid Committee, which did not appear on accounts.

Wolfgang Niersbach, who resigned as DSB President in November, is also included in the lawsuit
Wolfgang Niersbach, who resigned as DSB President in November, is also included in the lawsuit ©Getty Images

It was suggested the cash was used to bribe four Asian members of FIFA's Executive Committee, while it was alleged that FIFA had been involved in covering up the illegal payment when Louis-Dreyfus, who died of leukemia in 2009, demanded it be repaid.

The German bid, which was led by former World Cup winning captain and manager Beckenbauer, ultimately defeated South Africa to win the right to stage the tournament.

Their bid prevailed by a narrow margin of 12 votes to 11, with New Zealand's Charlie Dempsey abstaining from the second round of voting after stating there had been "intolerable pressure" prior to the ballot.

Should Dempsey have voted for South Africa, the 24-member Executive Committee’s vote would have been tied, allowing then FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who reportedly favoured the South African bid, to cast the deciding vote.

Law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer are currently investigating what happened on behalf of the DFB, and will publish its findings in March.