Franz Beckenbauer has cancelled plans to fly to Brazil to attend the World Cup semi-final and final matches after world governing body FIFA banned the German icon from all football activity for 90 days over his refusal to cooperate with an investigation. "Franz Beckenbauer cannot participate in any football-related activity, which includes, amongst other things, being invited to attend or attending on a private basis any football match in any capacity," Alan Sullivan, the deputy chairman of the FIFA ethics committee's adjudicatory chamber, wrote in a statement, according to dpa. The ban came after Beckenbauer declined to respond to inquiries by the chairman of the investigatory chamber, Michael J. Garcia, who is looking into corruption allegations surrounding the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar. "The World Cup has been cancelled for me," Beckenbauer told Germany's Bild newspaper. "I assume that I am no more welcome by FIFA." Delia Fischer, FIFA's head of media, noted in Rio de Janeiro that Beckenbauer remained free to commentate on World Cup matches from afar if he wished to do so. "If he is doing something in Munich, in a studio, that would not be affected," Fischer told reporters. Beckenbauer is working for the Sky TV network, and had been planning to travel to Brazil for the World Cup semi-finals and the final. -- SPA 20:21 LOCAL TIME 17:21 GMT تغريد
