Germany's DFB soccer association HQ searched in 2024 Euros ticket probe, Bild says


Soccer Football - Euro 2024 - Round of 16 - Germany v Denmark - Dortmund BVB Stadion, Dortmund, Germany - June 29, 2024 Germany fans celebrate after the match REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

BERLIN, ⁠July 1 (Reuters) - German investigators launched nationwide searches on ⁠Wednesday, including at the offices of the ‌DFB soccer association, as part of a probe into suspected ticket and hospitality violations at the 2024 European Championship, the ​Bild newspaper reported.

The raids were prompted ⁠by investigations into a ⁠German national and a French national among others, Bild ⁠said.

A ‌joint statement by prosecutors in Bochum and the North Rhine-Westphalia state criminal office ⁠said searches were being conducted in several ​locations in Germany, ‌without mentioning the DFB.

The case involves hotel ⁠invitations and ​several thousand tickets that may have been illegally allocated to preferred guests prior to the 2024 Euros, which ⁠were hosted across 10 German cities, ​Bild said.

The German national, a municipal employee from Gelsenkirchen, one of the host cities, was suspected to ⁠have received tickets, travel and hotel benefits worth €2,400 ($2,736), Bild said.

The statement also said the investigation concerned "unauthorized advantages, including a visit to an international football match".

The ​DFB was not immediately available for ⁠comment. UEFA did not immediately respond to an ​emailed request for comment.

Prosecutors in ‌Bochum declined further comment.

($1 = 0.8772 ​euros)

(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle; Writing by Matthias Williams, Editing by Linda Pasquini and Kate Mayberry)

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