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Germany, England hope no repeat of costly battle for 2002
SINGAPORE (AP) -- England and Germany said today they hope to avoid a repeat of the costly, bitter battle that Japan and South Korea waged to become hosts for the 2002 World Cup.The only two announced candidates for the 2006 soccer competition fear a head-to-head battle will be expensive and could lead to a split among European voters when FIFA makes a decision in June 2000.
That could leave the door open for another possible bidder -- perhaps a South American country like Brazil or Argentina, or South Africa, Egypt or Morocco -- to take soccer's biggest event.
But while neither Germany's Franz Beckenbauer nor England's Bobby Charlton would rule out co-hosting, as Japan and South Korea are doing, they said they are assembling their solo bids with one goal: to win.
Keith Cooper, FIFA's chief spokesman, reiterated the position of soccer's governing body that the Japan-South Korea situation was unique and would stay that way.
"There is every intention of . . . going back to one single country, and we are not contemplating in any way the co-hosting option," he said.
Beckenbauer created a stir at Football Expo 98, soccer's first global trade fair, when he was quoted Tuesday as telling reporters that Germany would be amenable to sharing the 2006 tournament.
Charlton, the spiritual leader of England's bid, said today that was news to him.
Beckenbauer, questioned today for clarification after the German federation said co-hosting was out of the question, said he worries that competing European bids could leave the continent empty-handed -- and Germany and England with empty pockets.
"It's nonsense to have two candidates because it costs a lot of time, it costs a lot of money. For what?" he said.
He said that with neither country willing to back down, he hopes FIFA will sit down with both and tell one to drop out.
FIFA decided in May 1996 to award the 2002 finals to Japan and Korea after a fierce, divisive campaign between the two.
South Korea has refused to say how much it spent for its bid; Japan says it spent nearly $67 million. Both committed billions of dollars to build new stadiums.
NEXT ROUNDS: Round of 16 || Quarter-finals || Semi-finals
GROUP A: Brazil, Morocco, Norway, Scotland
GROUP B: Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Italy
GROUP C: Denmark, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
GROUP D: Bulgaria, Nigeria, Paraguay, Spain
GROUP E: Belgium, Holland, Mexico, South Korea
GROUP F: Germany, Iran, United States, Yugoslavia
GROUP G: Colombia, England, Romania, Tunisia
GROUP H: Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica, Japan
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