The German Football Association (DFB) will soon be 31 million euros richer.
Following the acquittal of former treasurer Stephan Osnabrügge on charges of tax evasion at the beginning of February, General Secretary Holger Blask expects the rapid repayment of the back taxes that the association had to make as a result of the withdrawal of its non-profit status for the years 2014 and 2015.
“That’s why we assume that a corresponding decision will hopefully be made very quickly and that the funds from 2014 and 2015 will be available again,” said Blask in kicker with a view to the administrative procedure at the tax authorities. Osnabrügge was completely acquitted of charges of tax evasion amounting to 3.5 million euros in the trial surrounding the so-called “gang advertising affair”.
The situation is different with the “Summer Fairy Tale Scandal” and the 22 million euros that the DFB had to pay back due to the withdrawal of its non-profit status for 2006. The association was sentenced to a fine of 130,000 euros last summer at the end of the trial surrounding the dubious money flows surrounding the 2006 World Cup. In order to preserve its hope of a repayment of the 22 million, the DFB subsequently filed an appeal with the Federal Court of Justice (BGH).
“The DFB recently justified the appeal in detail and is now waiting for the decision,” said Blask: “Only afterwards will the financial court in Kassel deal with the question of whether the association needs to be granted non-profit status again for 2006.”
