IN A WEEK where FIFA has been rocked by scandal after scandal, this claim from a German newspaper somehow trumps them all.

Die Zeit claim that the German government sent a shipment of arms, including rocket-propelled grenades to Saudi Arabia in order to swing their vote to host the 2006 World Cup.

The paper say that the government, led by Chancellor Gerhard Schroder sent the shipment of weapons to the Saudis a week before the vote, which Germany won to host the tournament.

They beat South Africa 12-11 after the New Zealand member of FIFA’s Executive Committee abstained from voting, after it had been expected he would back the South African bid.

And with just one vote in the difference, Die Zeit say the RPGs swung the decisive vote in favour of the Germans.

They also claim that many other German businesses promised investment in countries to secure their votes in the ballot.

Car manufacturer Volkswagon and pharmaceutical company Bayer reportedly promised extra investment in Thailand and South Korea, while Daimler invested €100m in Korean car brand Hyundai, who have been an official partner of FIFA since the 2002 World Cup.

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