The elected president of the German Football Association’s Ethics Committee, Bernd Knoblusch. Photo: Sebastian Julno/dpa (Photo: dpa)
(Photo: Sebastian Julino / dpa)
BERLIN – The crisis in the German Football Association (DFB) caused by the resignations of the Ethics Committee continues. Now the world’s largest sports federation and the three resigning commissioners are accusing each other of spreading lies.
The dispute may also be brought up at the meeting of heads of state and regional associations next Wednesday. The German Football Association announced these days “on schedule” upon request.
In a joint statement, Bernd Knobloch, Nicholas Schneider and Birgit Galle wrote “correcting incorrect representation” by the German Football Association. Among other things, they dismissed allegations that proceedings against Knobloch were pending before the DFB Sports Court. This is “unfounded and aimed only at creating a negative impression on Mr. Knobloch and influencing the electoral process”.
The German federation contradicted this in a statement made by Hans E. Lorenz, President of the Sports Court of the German Football Association: “At the moment, there are still pending proceedings against Mr. Knobloch before the Court for Sports. A decision has not yet been made. It will be issued in the next few weeks. After the final exam.
The election of personnel advisor Irina Kommert as chair of the Ethics Committee by the Football Association’s Executive Committee caused upheaval last week. All other committee members resigned and rendered the commission unable to function.
According to a letter from the former members on Tuesday, the German Confederation had to expect the resignations after Kommert’s election. “According to the declaration,” she says, “there was exactly one constellation that would lead to the legal inability of the Commission: the election of Mrs. Commert. The Presidency does not want the work of the Ethics Committee to continue.” The German Football Association has denied this.
The Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that the German Football Association “apparently intentionally” caused the scandal and the de facto dissolution of the committee. The background to this is that ethicists are currently investigating interim president Rainer Koch regarding the “football can do more” initiative by several women from German football. Like the German Football Association, Koch has always rejected such allegations.
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