German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer vented over Munich’s failure to win the rights to host 2018 Winter Olympics, blaming it on European countries’ “selfishness.”

Pyeongchang, an internationally unfamiliar town with population of a little higher than 40,000, won 63 votes from International Olympic Committee members at the election in Durban, South Africa, last week.

Munich managed 25 votes while the French city Annecy got only seven.

The veteran sportsman said that the result was disappointing given that there were 42 European members voting.

According to him, the fact that South Korea won the majority meant that more than half of the European members voted for the non-European candidate.

Beckenbauer said that it was because of members’ selfish interests in hosting the Olympics in their own country in the future. Beckenbauer flew to South Africa before the vote to urge support for Germany’s bid.

It is a tradition, but not fixed law, that the Olympics avoid being held two consecutive times in the same continent. For example, if a game is to be held in Europe, other countries of the region should wait their turns after other areas have had their chance.

By Kang Yoon-seung
(koreacolin@gmail.com)
Intern reporter

Edited by Rob York