by Our Sports Desk

German World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer and Fifa vice-president Angel Maria Villar Llona were both subject to investigations by the organisation’s ethics committee yesterday.

Beckenbauer was a Fifa voter when Russia and Qatar were chosen to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively, while Villar Llona has sat as vice-president on Fifa’s executive committee since 1998.

The investigations into both men have been completed and are now awaiting verdict.

A Fifa statement read: “Proceedings relating to the two officials Angel Maria Villar Llona and Franz Beckenbauer have already been passed on to the adjudicatory chamber.”

Beckenbauer and Villar Llona are two of 11 names confirmed to be under investigation by Fifa which include president Sepp Blatter, secretary-general Jerome Valcke and Uefa president Michel Platini. All three were handed provisional 90-day suspensions two weeks ago.

Beckenbauer and Villar Llona had not been publicly named before as under investigation but a change in the ruling on Tuesday means Fifa’s ethics committee can now reveal details of cases that are ongoing.

Beckenbauer headed the organising committee for the 2006 World Cup and was forced to reject allegations on Sunday that a slush fund was set up to buy Germany votes to host the tournament.

He was also suspended last year for initially refusing to assist the investigation led by Fifa prosecutor Michael Garcia into the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

Villar Llona is president of the Spanish football federation and acting head of Uefa in the absence of Platini.

Fifa’s statement did not include details of the charges Beckenbauer and Villar Llona face.

The pair’s involvement, however, piles more pressure on Fifa, which had to confirm on Tuesday its presidential election will go ahead on February 26, despite provisional bans handed to Blatter and Platini.