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IRNA - Iran's national football team has the
potential to reach the second round of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, said
legendary German football hero and head of the Frankfurt-based World Cup
Organizing Committee, Franz Beckenbauer, on Friday.
"With a little bit of luck and a good (World Cup) group drawing in Leipzig
on December 9, Iran can successfully overcome the first group phase,"
Beckenbauer said in an exclusive interview with IRNA ahead of his official
October 2 visit to Iran where he will update Iranian football officials on
his country's World Cup preparations.
Beckenbauer singled out Iranian Bundesliga legionaries -- Ali Karimi, Vahid
Hashemian, Mehdi Mahdavikia and Ferydoon Zandi -- for their "important role"
in the national team's triumphant World Cup qualifying campaign.
"These four players will form the backbone of Iran's World Cup squad," he
added.
The former coach of the German national football squad pointed out, "Iran's
offensive and good technical football style enjoys great reputation among
German fans."
Pointing to the purpose of his upcoming Iran trip, Beckenbauer said, "I am
really keen on personally meeting our World Cup guests from Iran. I want to
congratulate Iran on its successful World Cup qualification and I want to
know the individual wishes of the Iranian football federation in order to be
able to address them."
Beckenbauer is scheduled to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr
Mottaki and other leading political, economic and cultural sports
personalities as well as sports journalists at Tehran's Azadi Hotel on
October 2.
"I anticipate good and informative talks with Iranian officials," he went on
to say.
The former Bayern Munich captain reiterated he is still "overwhelmed" by the
ecstatic Iranian football fans' welcome during last year's October 9
friendly between Germany and Iran which ended in a 2-0 victory for the
German side.
"I have never experienced such an enthusiasm. Even our young German team was
greatly impressed by the Iranians' fantastic hospitality and support which
is unrivaled as long as I can remember," said Beckenbauer, who covered the
historic match as a sports analyst for the German ZDF television network.
Proceeds of the Germany-Iran friendly match were donated to the survivors of
the devastating December 26, 2003 Bam earthquake.
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