Back in New York, Beckenbauer predicts trouble-free World Cup
Back in the city where he helped sell soccer to America with the Cosmos more than a quarter-century ago, Franz Beckenbauer predicted a World Cup free of fan trouble.
"I don't see any problems," he said Thursday night. "Our security people in Germany, they have a very, very good relationship to the English, to the Polish, to the Dutch, so I trust them. They are telling us, `Don't worry. We have everything under control.'"
Beckenbauer, president of the German organizing committee for this year's tournament, was making the final stop on an 11-day, eight-nation trip. As he tours the 32 countries in the tournament, he has just two remaining: Serbia-Montenegro (March 9) and Australia (March 27).
He was not aware that a Dutch firm is selling replica Nazi helmets bearing pro-Dutch slogans ahead of the World Cup. Germany and the Netherlands are soccer rivals, and the orange plastic helmets, which sell for $6, have small Dutch flags printed on the side and bear slogans such as "Attack!" and "Go, Netherlands Go" in Dutch.
"You know the Dutch, they're always a little bit funny _ some of them," Beckenbauer said.
He made light of the German consumer group Stiftung Warentes, which released a study last month saying four of the World Cup stadiums lacked adequate fire safety measures and escape routes.
"We have a funny consumer group _ normally they are testing face creams," he said. "They are the most secure stadiums in the world.
"But you know the Germans," he added. "If they don't have anything, they like to criticize themselves."
He also said that when he took over as Germany's coach in 1984, fans were disenchanted.
"The fans at the stadium, they disliked the behavior of the team," he said. "They didn't like the team because they were a little bit too arrogant."
Before speaking with reporters, he told jokes before a crowd filled with soccer officials and former players, and he commented on the tournament, which runs from June 9 to July 9. He said that American Kasey Keller, who plays in Germany for Borussia Moenchengladbach, is "one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga," but said German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn is "maybe one of the best."
He commented on a controversial call in Germany's 1-0 win over the United States in the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals. Gregg Berhalter's shot bounced off a diving Kahn and went partially over the goal line, where it hit the left arm of defender Torsten Frings. The ball bounced back to Kahn, who smothered it, and Scottish referee Hugh Dallas declined to call a penalty.
"Now it's too late, but it was a hand ball," Beckenbauer said. "Thanks God for the Germans the referee didn't see."
Now 60, Beckenbauer was captain of the German team that won the 1974 World Cup, then coached his nation to the title in 1990. He may run next year for president of the Union of European Football Associations, the second-most powerful job in the sport behind FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
But in the United States, he is best remembered for his time with the Cosmos. After leading Bayern Munich to consecutive European Champions Cup titles from 1974-76, he came to New York, signing with the Cosmos after Clive Toye took him on a helicopter ride above Manhattan.
"It was the best time of my life," he said.
He played alongside Pele in 1977, helping the Cosmos with the North American Soccer League title, and was part of Cosmos championship teams in 1978 and 1980 before returning home to play for Hamburg SV.
He said that while in New York, he got a chance to see Werner Roth, Shep Messing and Giorgio Chinaglia, and video was played of Beckenbauer in his Cosmos' days.
"We had a lot of good memories," he said.
Soccer officials in Germany and the United States have developed a close relationship since Beckenbauer's playing days. Germany's current coach, Juergen Klinsmann, commutes to his job from the Los Angeles area, where he lives.
"It's a little bit strange, but it works," Beckenbauer said, adding that Klinsmann had introduced American training methods and coaches to the German team. "He will bring the team to a very, very good performance."
He said that preparations in Germany for the tournament were at or even ahead of schedule.
"The World Cup can start tomorrow. We're ready," he said. "We are not looking to have the most successful World Cup or a perfect World Cup _ nobody's perfect. But we try to be a good host, in a friendly and in an optimistic way. That's our target."
"I don't see any problems," he said Thursday night. "Our security people in Germany, they have a very, very good relationship to the English, to the Polish, to the Dutch, so I trust them. They are telling us, `Don't worry. We have everything under control.'"
Beckenbauer, president of the German organizing committee for this year's tournament, was making the final stop on an 11-day, eight-nation trip. As he tours the 32 countries in the tournament, he has just two remaining: Serbia-Montenegro (March 9) and Australia (March 27).
He was not aware that a Dutch firm is selling replica Nazi helmets bearing pro-Dutch slogans ahead of the World Cup. Germany and the Netherlands are soccer rivals, and the orange plastic helmets, which sell for $6, have small Dutch flags printed on the side and bear slogans such as "Attack!" and "Go, Netherlands Go" in Dutch.
"You know the Dutch, they're always a little bit funny _ some of them," Beckenbauer said.
He made light of the German consumer group Stiftung Warentes, which released a study last month saying four of the World Cup stadiums lacked adequate fire safety measures and escape routes.
"We have a funny consumer group _ normally they are testing face creams," he said. "They are the most secure stadiums in the world.
"But you know the Germans," he added. "If they don't have anything, they like to criticize themselves."
He also said that when he took over as Germany's coach in 1984, fans were disenchanted.
"The fans at the stadium, they disliked the behavior of the team," he said. "They didn't like the team because they were a little bit too arrogant."
Before speaking with reporters, he told jokes before a crowd filled with soccer officials and former players, and he commented on the tournament, which runs from June 9 to July 9. He said that American Kasey Keller, who plays in Germany for Borussia Moenchengladbach, is "one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga," but said German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn is "maybe one of the best."
He commented on a controversial call in Germany's 1-0 win over the United States in the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals. Gregg Berhalter's shot bounced off a diving Kahn and went partially over the goal line, where it hit the left arm of defender Torsten Frings. The ball bounced back to Kahn, who smothered it, and Scottish referee Hugh Dallas declined to call a penalty.
"Now it's too late, but it was a hand ball," Beckenbauer said. "Thanks God for the Germans the referee didn't see."
Now 60, Beckenbauer was captain of the German team that won the 1974 World Cup, then coached his nation to the title in 1990. He may run next year for president of the Union of European Football Associations, the second-most powerful job in the sport behind FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
But in the United States, he is best remembered for his time with the Cosmos. After leading Bayern Munich to consecutive European Champions Cup titles from 1974-76, he came to New York, signing with the Cosmos after Clive Toye took him on a helicopter ride above Manhattan.
"It was the best time of my life," he said.
He played alongside Pele in 1977, helping the Cosmos with the North American Soccer League title, and was part of Cosmos championship teams in 1978 and 1980 before returning home to play for Hamburg SV.
He said that while in New York, he got a chance to see Werner Roth, Shep Messing and Giorgio Chinaglia, and video was played of Beckenbauer in his Cosmos' days.
"We had a lot of good memories," he said.
Soccer officials in Germany and the United States have developed a close relationship since Beckenbauer's playing days. Germany's current coach, Juergen Klinsmann, commutes to his job from the Los Angeles area, where he lives.
"It's a little bit strange, but it works," Beckenbauer said, adding that Klinsmann had introduced American training methods and coaches to the German team. "He will bring the team to a very, very good performance."
He said that preparations in Germany for the tournament were at or even ahead of schedule.
"The World Cup can start tomorrow. We're ready," he said. "We are not looking to have the most successful World Cup or a perfect World Cup _ nobody's perfect. But we try to be a good host, in a friendly and in an optimistic way. That's our target."
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