World Cup is heaven-sent for the whole of Germany

By John Bagratuni May 16, 2006, 12:38 GMT

Hamburg - The World Cup appears heaven-sent for Germany in areas reaching far beyond the football tournament itself.

Germany will be the centre of the world during the world's biggest single sports event June 9-July 9, with millions of visitors descending on the country and billions more watching on TV.

'A time to make friends' is the motto of the tournament in which Germany wants to present itself in the best possible way to the world.

'The World Cup is a unique opportunity for Germany to present itself to the world as a hospitable, cheerful and modern land of ideas. I am convinced that the spark of enthusiasm and understanding among nations at the World Cup will spring from Germany to the entire world,' says chancellor Angela Merkel.

Vice-chancellor Franz Muentefering said he hopes for 'good football, enthusiastic fans, Germany as great hosts,' naming all important aspects of the event.

Germany first hosted the World Cup in 1974 under very different circumstances - then divided into West Germany and the communist East (which famously won the only ever match between the two sides 1-0 at that tournament).

Now the nation is reunified for 16 years and the inclusion of the eastern German city of Leipzig to the 12 venues - and as host of the group draw last December - was made to underline the change.

'Leipzig and its people symbolise the peaceful reunification of Germany and that the World Cup is an all-German event. We want to show the world that the 2006 World Cup is taking place in a different country than the 1974 World Cup,' said chief organiser Franz Beckenbauer.

Germany hopes to overcome its image of being mainly efficient, although that has at least helped to build stadiums on time and to deal well with other organising matters.

Security will be tight like at every major sports event these days, but Germans are making efforts not to turn into a police state for the 31 days - with the main fears centring on hooligans and possible anti-foreigner incidents.

'We will do all that is humanly possible. We want safe football matches, but we don't want a demonstration in safety techniques,' said interior minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.

The German government and the local industry launched a joint image campaign named 'Germany - Land of Ideas' which is to strengthen the label 'Made in Germany.'

The World Cup will generate some 60,000 jobs and the overall growth impulse has been estimated at up to 10 billion euros.

Even though the World Cup is expected to add no more than 0.3 per cent to Germany's economic growth in 2006 it has been named 'a turbo motor' by the tourist board and a key event by economists.

'The World Cup can be part of a booster if it takes place without incidents and with a courageous showing of the German team,' said Volker Treier from the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

National euphoria obviously depends on the results of the national team. The debate became absurd in March when some MPs even toyed with the idea of summoning coach Juergen Klinsmann before a parliamentary commission to explain a 4-1 defeat.

Klinsmann started his job in 2004 with the aim of winning the title and then also radically changed the structures withing and outside the team.

Politicians like to present the now United States-based coach as a reformer to the public - which they want to behave in a similar way in times of economic and social changes.

'You and your team have introduced new methods and done away with outdated custom and practice .... In my own experience, if you believe your strategy is right you must stick with it.

'Inconsistency does not inspire confidence. And changing your mind every day does not lead to success,' Merkel told Klinsmann at a meeting in March.