GERMANY: SOCCER - Leipzig press conference by football legend Pele tells journalists that the Brazilian team was his favourite to win the 2006 World Cup

Record ID: 221304

  • Title: GERMANY: SOCCER - Leipzig press conference by football legend Pele tells journalists that the Brazilian team was his favourite to win the 2006 World Cup
  • Date: 9th December 2005
  • Summary: LEIPZIG, GERMANY (DECEMBER 8, 2005) (REUTERS) PELE ARRIVES FOR NEWS CONFERENCE PELE WALKS ONTO STAGE JOURNALISTS WIDE OF STAGE SOUNDBITE (English) PELE SAYING: "I think Brazil has a good team today. Normally I don't like to be the favourite because always when the team is favoured to win for everyone they have a problem. I think if the World Cup were today Brazil would hav
  • Embargoed: 24th December 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVABA9ZLSZD9CVZ9V89XIMKKW7R9
  • Story Text: One day before the 2006 World Cup draw, soccer legend Pele told journalists in Leipzig on Thursday (December 8) that the Brazilian team was his favourite to win the cup. However, he added that every time he saw his country's team as the favourite in the past they did not win.
    Pele prefers the role of a player on the pitch rather than a fan watching the match. "You suffer much more outside the field than when you stay on the field. Of course I wish to be there because there you shout, you relax, you fight with the players, you run with your teammates. Outside it is terrible, to see the game it is terrible," he said.
    Pele will be one of eight former soccer stars conducting the final draw of the 2006 World Cup on Friday. 32 teams are qualified for the tournament scheduled to take place from June 9 - July 9, 2006. Teams will be drawn for 8 groups for the first round. So far, eight teams have been seeded. Current world champion Brazil is seeded in group F.
    The former soccer legend hopes he will have a lucky hand for his team during the draw. "For the draw tomorrow I wish that I have the same luck I had when I did the draw in Korea because I set up a good group for Brazil when Brazil started. I wish to have the luck here to get a good group for Brazil to prepare for for the first half (of the tournament)," Pele said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register