German Roundup

Dirty tricks charges over 2006 World Cup rejected

BERLIN (Reuters) -- A top executive on Germany's World Cup organizing committee has denied that the country used any dirty tricks to secure votes to host the 2006 finals and rejected suggestions of corruption linked to the winning bid.

Wolfgang Niersbach, vice president of the 2006 organizing committee, said on Wednesday it had been a big advantage for Germany that Franz Beckenbauer, a Bayern Munich executive and head of the bid, could arrange friendlies to help the cause.

But Niersbach denied that votes in key countries were swayed by unfair means and rejected allegations that a firm linked to media mogul Leo Kirch gave financial kick-backs to four national federations to influence voting for the 2006 World Cup venue.

"I was involved in the entire bidding process every step of the way and I can guarantee that we did nothing dishonest," Niersbach said.

"Three years ago everyone cheered our win, from the chancellor down to the youngest football fan. Now some in the media are suggesting we won with dirty methods."

He said it was "good fortune" that Beckenbauer, as Bayern president at the time, could spontaneously arrange friendlies with the world-famous club and foreign teams.

"We should thank Franz and Bayern Munich instead of slinging mud at them and accusing them of machinations," he said.

Bayern friendlies

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported last week that Bayern had agreed to play friendlies in four countries, with a firm linked to Kirch paying for TV rights in exchange for their support in the FIFA vote.

The Munich newspaper said Malta, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tunisia had each got between $250,000 and $300,000 from TV rights for friendlies that Bayern agreed to play.

The four-times European champions played against Thailand in June 2000, Malta in January 2001 and Tunis club Esperance in the same month. They did not play Trinidad.

The newspaper said the deals were struck shortly before Germany unexpectedly beat South Africa 12-11 in a 2001 vote to decide who would host the 2006 World Cup finals.

Niersbach said competition to stage the World Cup was intense and countries were eager to convince voters of their merits.

"During any bidding there are efforts by everyone to win over votes," he added. To that end, Niersbach said: "The German football association took part in the Confederations Cup, which was a disaster from a sporting and financial standpoint."

He said England had, for example, sent coach Peter Withe to Thailand and paid his salary. That payment was part of a scheme run by the English FA to help developing nations.

False accusation

"If we had not done anything we would have been criticised," Niersbach said. "Now we're being criticised because we did something. Let me again state clearly -- there is no Germany Inc that agreed financial deals through the World Cup bid in order to acquire votes. This false accusation makes us all very sad."

He said the German team had worked for seven years "in a professional way with any taxpayer money" to win the bid.

Niersbach also said attacks against Beckenbauer were absurd.

"I have known Franz for decades, first as a journalist and then as spokesman for the German football association. I have never seen him work harder than for the World Cup bid. That's why all the accusations against him are so deeply unjust."

Beckenbauer has already denied any wrongdoing.

"Whoever says you can get a World Cup with friendlies has no idea what he's talking about," Beckenbauer, the president of the 2006 World Cup organizing committee, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday.

Beckenbauer said he had managed to persuade FIFA members to vote for Germany "by not getting on their nerves" and instead talking with them in "a relaxed atmosphere while playing golf."

A FIFA spokesman told Reuters that world soccer's governing body was satisfied with the way the vote was conducted and they had done "everything to make the vote watertight from a legal and procedural point of view in every aspect."

Amoroso to stay at Dortmund despite time on bench

BERLIN (Reuters) -- Borussia Dortmund's Brazilian striker Marcio Amoroso will see out his contract at the Bundesliga champions despite a disappointing season in which he has spent a lot of time on the bench.

"As far as I'm concerned I'm definitely staying at Borussia. Regardless of what happens. At this club I've won the championship and have played in the Champions League, neither of which I did in Italy," Amoroso told Sport Bild.

Borussia Dortmund were knocked out of the Champions League and are currently 12 points behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga table on 51 points and embroiled in a battle for second place with VfB Stuttgart, who have 52 points.

The 28-year-old Amoroso became Dortmund's -- and the Bundesliga's -- most expensive signing when he joined for a reported 25 million euros ($27.38 million) from Parma at the end of the 2000/2001 season. His contract runs until 2005.

He is one of three Brazilians, alongside Ewerthon and Dede, who has earned the side from the Ruhr city the name "Samba Borussia," adding a dash of Latin American style to the traditional Dortmund mix of solid defending and powerful attack.

However, his contribution has lacked consistency and Dortmund coach Matthias Sammer has tended to bring him on from the bench.

Amoroso came on as a substitute in Saturday's 1-0 win over arch-rivals Bayern Munich, scoring from the penalty spot. Until that game, Bayern had not lost to Dortmund in German action since a 3-1 defeat in 1995.

Amoroso made no secret of his unhappiness at spending so much time on the bench and was reportedly keen to leave the 1997 European champions late last year.

However, now he and Sammer had settled their differences.

"We cleared the air. Now I accept every decision and I even understand his footballing philosophy better," Amoroso said.

Amoroso was also convinced that Dortmund would win automatic qualification for the Champions League by finishing second.

"I'd bet anything we come second. We are stronger than Stuttgart," he said.

Amoroso was top scorer in Serie A in 1999 scoring 21 league goals for Udinese before making a $33.1 million move to Parma but injury problems in his first season at Parma meant he was unable to repeat the prolific form.

Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira named Amoroso in his squad to face Mexico on April 30 in a friendly international.

Hanover 96 hopes to hang on to striker Bobic

BERLIN (Reuters) -- German Bundesliga side Hanover 96 hope they can hang on to striker, German international Fredi Bobic, when they start contract talks with him next week.

The 31-year-old Bobic, whose contract expires at the end of the season, was written off after moving from Borussia Dortmund to Bolton Wanderers on loan last season.

However, he has scored 14 times this season, earning the reported interest of Bayer Leverkusen and TSV 1860 Munich.

Hanover president Martin Kind said Bobic was the difference between Hanover's 10th place in the Bundesliga and a position in the relegation zone.

"Without Fredi we'd have gone down by now," said Kind.

"We haven't got a date for the talks but we will have them after the coming weekend. I think we've got a good chance of hanging on to Fredi," he said.

Bobic said he would make his decision in his own time.

"I want to be left in peace to decide," he said. "At the moment I'm concentrating on making sure Hanover stay up.

"I don't want to play poker, Hanover is my first port of call for talks but there will probably be talks with other clubs."

Leverkusen decide not to call in Lattek

BERLIN (Reuters) -- Bayer Leverkusen have decided against bringing in experienced coach Udo Lattek to help the struggling side in their battle against relegation, the club's commercial manager Reiner Calmund said on Wednesday.

"All of those responsible agreed not to hire Lattek before the Schalke game last Sunday," Calmund said. "We have a trainer in Thomas Hoerster and a director of sport in Juergen Kohler."

Last season's Bundesliga runners-up and Champions League finalists rejected Hoerster's offer to stand down last week.

Calmund said there was never any question of hiring the 68-year-old Lattek as coach and that any talks had centred around an advisory role.

Hoerster, who replaced the sacked Klaus Toppmoeller in February, had said he was ready to leave if Leverkusen could find a replacement but Calmund said he would remain in charge at least until the end of the season.

Since Hoerster took over, Leverkusen have picked up 10 points from seven league games but their form has slumped again in recently.

Speculation that he might leave was fuelled by an awful performance in a 3-0 defeat to VfB Stuttgart -- rated by Calmund as "of regional league level" -- which was followed by Sunday's 3-1 home defeat by Schalke 04.

Leverkusen, who narrowly missed out on three titles last season -- they also lost the German Cup final -- are perilously close to being relegated.

They are in the third relegation place on 30 points, ahead of second-bottom Nuremberg on goal difference and a point behind VfL Bochum.

Bayern to receive trophy early

MUNICH, Germany (AP) -- Bayern Munich, which has a massive lead in the Bundesliga and is all but sure to win the championship, will receive the trophy before the final round if it indeed captures the title early.

In that case, the trophy, a large golden bowl, will be presented to Bayern after its final home game May 17 against Stuttgart, the German soccer league (DFL) said Wednesday.

Normally, the trophy is presented after the final round. But Bayern is traveling to Schalke for the last match on May 24.

The league agreed to let Bayern receive the trophy early so that the team can celebrate with its fans in downtown Munich. The Olympic stadium's 66,000 seats have been sold out for the Stuttgart match.

Bayern has an 11-point lead over its nearest rival Stuttgart, with five matches remaining.

The Bavarians can clinch their 18th title if they win at Wolfsburg on Saturday, Stuttgart fails to beat Hansa Rostock and Dortmund doesn't win against 1860 Munich.

Bayern Munich may cancel trip to China

MUNICH, Germany (AP) -- Bayern Munich may cancel its planned tour of China this summer because of the SARS virus, spokesman Markus Hoerwick said.

Bayern, expected to be crowned new German champion in the next few weeks, is slated to travel to China July 12-18 for games in Beijing and Shanghai.

Hoerwick said the trip will depend on the spread of SARS.

 

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Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.