Uzbek-born Russian oligarch Usmanov had led the FIE from 2008 until March last year, when he stepped down after being sanctioned by the European Union following Vladmir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Greek official Emmanuel Katsiadakis continues to serve as Interim President of the FIE, which lifted a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes in March prior to an easing of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendations in a move which has sparked criticism in the sport and led to several events in Europe being cancelled.

German tabloid newspaper Blid reported that investigators from the Federal Criminal Police Office, in collaboration with the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office, searched Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena stadium and Säbener Straße headquarters seeking evidence as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering by Usmanov between 2017 and 2022.

Football giants Bayern Munich, whose men's team are 32-time national and six-time European champions, are not under investigation.

According to Blid, Usmanov had ties with Bayern Munich Honorary President and 1974 FIFA World Cup winner with West Germany Uli Hoeneß, with both reportedly visiting the resort town of Tegernsee until the start of the war in Ukraine.

Homes linked to Usmanov and four other suspects including in Tegernsee were raided by German police last year as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion and breaches of sanctions, and a yacht was seized.

Usmanov robustly denied any wrongdoing, and his press service said the accusations were "baseless and defamatory".

His press service has claimed that the Bayern Munich raids represent political persecution.

"The political instrumentalisation of Germany’s investigative bodies conflicts with the self-perception of this country as a constitutional state," a statement read, as reported by Russia's official state news agency TASS.

"Usmanov has never violated the laws of Germany, the origin of his funds is absolutely transparent, and his persecution in Germany is overtly political.

"What really connects Alisher Usmanov with a football club Bayern is his love for football and respect for this great club, which the English club Arsenal met at the Allianz Arena more than once, of which Usmanov was a shareholder for many years.

"It would not hurt to remember also that the businessman visited [Bayern] as an invited guest, as the head of a large international sports organisation.

"He will gladly visit this stadium again as a fan when the unfair restrictions against him are lifted."

Usmanov was a shareholder of English football club Arsenal from 2007 until 2018.

He had strong commercial ties with another English club in Everton, taken over by long-time business associate Farhad Moshiri in 2016, until the start of the war in Ukraine, although was never a shareholder.

Usmanov has also had ties with the Olympic Movement through fencing, a sport in which IOC President Thomas Bach won an Olympic gold medal with West Germany as an athlete.