Berlin in grip of World Cup fever as countdown begins

By Clive Freeman Jun 3, 2006, 18:12 GMT

Allan Cairncross, a grass specialist, poses with grass shears on the pitch of the Olympic stadium of Berlin, Germany, Friday, 26 May 2006. Therewith the venue hosting the FIFA World Cup 2006 final is ready for the tournament. EPA/STEFFEN KUGLER

Berlin - A bright red poster extolling the World Cup drapes the facade of the College of Art in downtown Berlin as football fever mounts in the German capital.

'1954 Berne, 1974 Munich, 1990 Rome,' it says in reference to the three occasions in the past 50 years when Germany has won the coveted trophy.

The posters message continues: '2006 here! It's Your Heimspiel (Home Game). Make it Real!'

German flags decorate house balconies, walls, public buildings, trains and buses. Dozens of city museums, theatres, and galleries are staging exhibitions dealing with the public's fascination for the world's most popular sport.

Excitement and expectancy can be felt throughout Berlin. On Thursday evening crowds thronged the citys prestigious Pariser Platz when the World Cup Globe returned to its site near the landmark Brandenburg Gate, after a three-year stay in the 11 other cities where World Cup matches are being played.

Soccer icon Franz Beckenbauer, head of the World Cup Organizing Committee, said at celebrations marking its return, Without the globe the Pariser Platz had seemed practically naked!'

From now until July 9 when the final is played in the capital's Olympic Stadium, visitors will be able to enter the interior of the globe via an escalator.

The globe houses a collection of World Cup memorabilia, including the original 1954 ball used in the final in Switzerland, when Germany unexpectedly defeated Hungary in a memorable match long hailed by its fans as The Miracle of Berne.'

More than 600,000 visitors visited the globe at the cities where FIFA-selected stadiums are located.

In a carefully staged scenario, ambassadors representing the 32 participating countries in the competition, were escorted to the globe from a nearby bank by young (female) World Cup attendants attired in white, past crowds of inquisitive onlookers.

The globes return to the city occurs at a moment when an extensive range of World Cup art and culture projects pioneered by the German government, FIFA and the German Football Federation Association (DFB) are up and running.

In a magazine titled Anstoss (Kick-Off), published in connection with the cultural programme, multimedia organizer Andre Heller showed little trace of bitterness over the cancellation of a gala he was organizing at the Olympic Stadium two days before the opening World Cup match in Munich.

Planning had reached an advanced stage, observed Heller, when pointing out that the circumstances surrounding the gala's cancellation remained curious.

Football officials said they feared too many guests might have damaged the pitch.

Recent opinion polls have shown a majority of Germans optimistic about the month-long tournament despite fears that hooligans or right-wing extremists might try to cause trouble.

'Now it really is a time to make friends,' Heller said, referring to the slogan of the World Cup.