BERLIN — In a high-profile development that has sent ripples through European soccer, German law enforcement carried out a series of coordinated raids across the country on Wednesday, launching an official investigation into alleged corrupt practices tied to the upcoming 2024 European Championship.
Multiple premises connected to the tournament were targeted during the operation, including the central headquarters of the German Football Association (DFB), Germany’s top governing body for the sport, according to initial reporting from German tabloid Bild. The inquiry specifically centers on Euro 2024 GmbH, the event’s official organizing body, which operates as a joint venture between the DFB and European soccer’s governing body UEFA.
In a formal joint statement released Wednesday, the Bochum Public Prosecutor’s Office and the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA NRW) outlined the core of the allegations. Investigations focus on claims of unapproved improper benefits received by a former employee of one of Euro 2024’s host cities. These benefits reportedly include, among other perks, complimentary access to a professional soccer match, provided by senior officials from the tournament’s organizing committee.
Prosecutors further detailed that organizing officials are accused of granting host cities unprecedented exclusive first-refusal rights to high-demand match tickets. Multiple host cities took advantage of these allocations, and the tickets were distributed for a range of unapproved uses, authorities say.
Bild, which first broke details of the scale of the raid operation, confirmed that Wednesday’s early-morning action deployed more than 150 law enforcement officers across multiple search sites. The investigation itself targets two suspects: a 66-year-old German citizen and a 46-year-old French national, who are both suspected of involvement in bribery schemes. The reporting adds that the probe has uncovered evidence suggesting thousands of Euro 2024 tickets may have been improperly diverted and allocated internally to hand-picked guests rather than sold to the general public as intended.
Alongside the DFB headquarters, search warrants were also executed at city hall buildings and municipal government offices across multiple host cities for the tournament, according to Bild’s reporting.
Prosecutors emphasized that as of Wednesday, the two named suspects have not yet been able to respond publicly to the allegations brought against them. Consistent with German legal procedure, the principle of presumption of innocence remains in effect for all parties involved in the ongoing investigation.
This developing story is part of Associated Press coverage of international soccer, with full updates available on the AP News soccer hub.