Franz Beckenbauer has been banned from football by Fifa for 90 days while the organisation's ethics commission investigate a breach of its code.
World football's governing body claims Beckenbauer declined to cooperate with Michael Garcia, the investigator examining allegations against Qatar 2022 and the World Cup bidding process.
A Fifa statement read: "The apparent breach relates to Mr Beckenbauer's failure to co-operate with an ethics committee investigation despite repeated requests for his assistance, including requests that he provide information during an in-person interview or in response to written questions provided in both English and German.
Beckenbauer won the World Cup as captain and coach of West Germany
"The case is now the subject of formal investigation proceedings being conducted by investigatory chamber member Vanessa Allard as chief of the investigation.
"The deputy chairman of the world governing body's ethnics committee's adjudicatory chamber, Alan Sullivan, issued the ban at the request of the chairman of the investigatory chamber, Michael J Garcia. The ban is effective immediately.
"The decision was taken pursuant to the FIFA Code of Ethics article 83 paragraph one, on the grounds that a breach of the Code of Ethics appears to have been committed and a decision on the main issue may not be taken early enough."
Britain's Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce said the action should be welcomed, adding: "This, very much so, it shows once again how the FIFA reform process is working. As I said previously, the independent ethics committee are doing a good job and should have the full support of everybody."