He has not been known for his interest in the game. But today the German pope, Benedict XVI, will bestow his blessing on the 2006 FIFA World Cup tournament, which Germany is hosting next summer.
The Pope has invited Franz Beckenbauer, head of the 2006 Fifa World Cup organizing committee, to visit him in the Vatican. Benedict XVI -- whose predecessor played in goal before joining the priesthood -- will meet Beckenbauer as well as other leading German football officials.
The audience follows a string of embarrassing performances by Germany, including a 2-1 defeat by Turkey this month, and a mediocre 1-0 win over China.
PHOTO: EPA
On Monday World Cup officials were reluctant to discuss whether the visit would give the squad a boost.
"The Pope is a Bavarian. Franz Beckenbauer is a Bavarian. They know each other," a spokesman for the organizing committee said.
Asked whether the blessing might give the German team an unfair advantage, the spokesman replied: "The audience is only likely to last five or 10 minutes. It's not a blessing as such but a general papal audience. The Pope will simply say hello."
Beckenbauer said: "We were relatively late in asking the Vatican for a meeting with the Holy Father, so we are extremely grateful and delighted that it has been made possible."
The visit to Rome is part of a "welcome tour" by Beckenbauer to the 31 nations, including England, that have already qualified for the tournament.
The draw for the opening rounds of the World Cup will take place on Dec. 9 in Leipzig.
League Cup heats up
Newcastle United will run the gauntlet at fourth-division giant-killers Grimsby Town while Manchester United take on Barnet at Old Trafford in the third round of the League Cup this week.
Holders Chelsea have a London derby with Charlton Athletic in one of five all-Premier League ties which include a trip for Arsenal to Sunderland's Stadium of Light.
Hopes of an upset will be high at Selhurst Park where second-division Crystal Palace host strug-gling European champions Liverpool yesterday.
Second-division Norwich City also have nothing to lose today against a Birmingham City side in the Premier League relegation zone.
With the notable exception of Chelsea, the League Cup is used by most top clubs as a chance to blood the first-team fringe and promising reserve players.
Sandwiched between weekend duties and Champions League commitments, its appeal lies instead with those clubs who covet the competition's UEFA Cup place.
Grimsby will not expect to be in Europe next season but the promotion-chasers' 1-0 home win over a strong Tottenham Hotspur side was the upset of the second round.
The Mariners' reward is a tie with Newcastle at Blundell Park today although optimism has been tempered by a back injury to their matchwinner against Spurs, Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Manchester United's policy of fielding a second-string team nearly backfired in last season's FA Cup when they were held to an embarrassing 0-0 draw at Old Trafford by minor league Exeter City.
Playing Barnet, back in the Football League after a four-season absence, today will be a chance for Alex Ferguson's hopefuls to show they have learned their lesson.
Chelsea's tie at Stamford Bridge today pitches the runaway league leaders against London rivals who are second in the table.
Such is the champions' strength in depth that Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho does not have an inexperienced and vulnerable team to put out, even if he wanted to.
Sunderland, beaten by Newcastle 3-2 in Sunday's northeast derby, know they will face a second-string Arsenal side.
However, survival is coach Mick McCarthy's main aim this season and preparations for Saturday's game against fellow strugglers Portsmouth is likely to take precedence over Cup concerns.
Palace are hoping for promotion at the end of the season and their game against Liverpool, the team they beat 1-0 at Selhurst Park in the Premier League six months ago, will be a useful test.
The Cup final will be played in Cardiff on Feb. 26, the last major English final scheduled for the Millennium Stadium before the new Wembley is completed.
Brazilians top Euro player list
Players from Brazil and Italian champions Juventus top the list of 50 players in the race for the 2005 European footballer of the year award.
Ten Brazilian players make the list, while Juventus has nine players named, two ahead of Chelsea, while Real Madrid has six.
The Brazilians include Adriano (Inter Milan), Cris (Lyon), Dida (AC Milan), Emerson (Juventus), Juninho (Lyon), Kaka (AC Milan), Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid), Robinho (Real Madrid), Ronaldinho (Barcelona) and Ronaldo (Real Madrid).
The award for European footballer of the year -- won last year by AC Milan's Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko who's again nominated this year -- will be made on Friday.
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