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Schroeder honoured for helping Germany’s World Cup bid

LEIPZIG, Germany, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who spent years blasting penalties past unsuspecting goalkeepers at photo-ops, was named an honorary member of the German FA on Friday.

An accomplished striker in his youth, Schroeder was honoured for sticking his neck out to help Germany win the bidding war to stage the 2006 World Cup and for his government’s massive support to upgrade stadiums and the country’s transport infrastructure.

“Naturally soccer brings people together but there was always something special about the game for me personally,” said Schroeder, 61, in a moving speech at a Deutsche Fussballbund (DFB) congress on Friday several hours ahead of the draw for the next summer’s finals.

“As someone who wasn’t exactly born with a golden spoon in his mouth, soccer for me was a chance for gain recognition and a chance for advancement,” he said, referring to his dirt-poor childhood with his war widow mother in post-war West Germany.

“I learned that the challenges in the sport always had something to do with how strong your will is, how hard you are willing to work,” said Schroeder, who lost September’s general election and left office last month after seven years in power.

“What soccer always gave me was the knowledge that it doesn’t matter where you come from in a society but what matters is how much effort and ability along with fairness towards others that you are ready to bring to be successful.”

DFB co-president Theo Zwangziger said Schroeder defied the advice of political aides in 2000 to stand alongside Franz Beckenbauer and support Germany’s bid presentation, warning it could damage him politically if the bid failed.

“He nevertheless took the risk,” said Zwangziger.

Even Chancellor Angela Merkel, who defeated Schroeder in September, joined in to toast her erstwhile political rival. But she added there was one area she would not try to beat him.

“We’ve been competitors in other fields but I promise that I won’t try to match you in taking penalty kicks,” Merkel said.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=URI:urn:newsml:reuters.com:20051209:MTFH51396_2005-12-09_12-44-40_L09600525:1

Add comment December 9th, 2005

Guus thinking big

Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink believes his team is poised to make a splash at next year’s World Cup.

His team has already being written off by many pundits as fodder at the tournament but Hiddink is confident Australia will be competitive.

“We are not just here to complete the program. This team has shown it can be competitive,” Hiddink told AAP from Germany where the draw for the World Cup will be made on Saturday (AEDT).

“(Qualification) is something to be proud of, but the next step is coming.

“The players will commit themselves and show the world they are not just there by accident.

Hiddink says the team has an ideal opportunity to impress on the world stage in Germany.

“The teams proved in the previous months to be very competitive, and that is what I demand from them - be competitive and you never know what you will achieve.

“The world will look at them as a good team, an experienced team.

“We are not a leading country, but step by step we have improved, and this is the ideal stage to take the next step.”

Football Federation Australia chief executive John O’Neill is also in Germany, and is hopeful the Socceroos can progress to the knokcout stage of the tournament.

“If we made it into the second round, I’d be thrilled,” O’Neill said.

“From a profile point of view, we know back in Australia football will be on everyone’s mind for all of the first half of next year.

“It’s the biggest sporting event by a country mile and we’re in it.

“We’re still pinching ourselves that we’re here.”

http://www.sportal.com.au/soccer.asp?i=news&id=75100

Add comment December 9th, 2005