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Frankfurt / Main (dpa) - The German Football Association has gone through many deep crises in recent years.

The current away from the sporting paralyzes the association like hardly before in the inner circle.

The relationship of trust between DFB President Fritz Keller and General Secretary Friedrich Curtius seems to be irreparably damaged.

The presidium meeting this Friday should bring clarity.

It is still open whether or in what form the decision-making body will make a statement.

The mutual accusations are also diffuse because the DFB has not publicly declared itself.

It is clear that internals keep leaking out and a general inventory initiated by Keller is causing a stir.

There is also talk of a dispute over the direction.

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Keller knows the five representatives of the German Football League behind him in the formally 18-member presidium.

The DFL withdrew his confidence in Curtius in a letter to Keller.

Allegedly Curtius is said to have transmitted information about third parties to “media that were aimed at damaging the reputation of the DFL”, quoted “Bild” newspaper and “Süddeutsche Zeitung” from the letter.

Curtius is no longer wanted at meetings of the DFL committees.

It had already become clear in the past few weeks that the league is sticking to Keller.

The 63-year-old, who was elected to office in September 2019, was President of SC Freiburg for a long time and is accordingly well connected.

DFL boss Christian Seifert, who - officially for lack of time - had already left the smaller executive committee of the DFB in October, had spoken of a “very unworthy show of disloyalty” at the DFB last year.

In contrast to Keller, Curtius has been employed by the association for a long time.

The 45-year-old lawyer worked, among other things, as the level headed office manager of the former DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach, who had to resign in the course of the revelations about the 2006 World Cup.

In April 2016, Curtius was promoted to general secretary and, as the highest full-time employee, is responsible for the business of the head office.

According to reports, he can also count on the influential amateur representatives on the Presidium.

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He firmly rejected the DFL's allegations.

"I have no understanding of this approach and I assure you that I have not induced any service providers to pass on internal findings," said Curtius when asked by the German press agency.

"Such an assertion has no basis whatsoever and is absurd, even with regard to the service providers, none of whom is specifically named."

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210114-99-30531 / 2

German Football Association

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DFB Presidium

Report from the Süddeutsche Zeitung

Report Bild-Zeitung