FIFA to probe allegations Germany secured 2006 World Cup with bribes

FIFA says allegations that Germany used bribes to secure the 2006 World Cup are "serious" and will be reviewed as part of its ongoing investigation into corruption in soccer.

The German football federation is denying allegations it used bribes to secure the 2006 World Cup.

The DFB says news magazine Der Spiegel's report Friday that a slush fund of 10.3 million Swiss francs (about $6 million at that time) was used to secure four votes from FIFA's 24-member executive committee is "completely baseless."

The federation says it "refutes the authors' conclusions, made without any facts, that votes were bought in this context for the awarding of the World Cup" and "that neither the DFB president nor the other members of the organizing committee were involved or could have known about such operations."

The DFB said it "reserves the right" to take legal action against Der Spiegel.

Platini payment on 'gentleman's agreement'

Sepp Blatter says the payment to Michel Platini that led to them being suspended by FIFA was based on a "gentleman's agreement."

Blatter was speaking for the first time about the nature of the transaction since being suspended from his job as FIFA president for 90 days pending the outcome of the full investigation.

Blatter said in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RROTV that there was no written contract for the payment to Platini of 2 million Swiss francs (about $2 million) he authorized in 2011.

Blatter says it "was a contract I had with Platini, a gentleman's agreement and that went through."

Platini has said the money was unpaid additional salary from his job as Blatter's adviser between 1998 and 2002 which FIFA could not afford to pay at the time.