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Schroeder honoured for helping Germany’s World Cup bid

December 9th, 2005

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

Entry Filed under: Germany