GERMANY: GERMAN COACH RUDI VOELLER TALKS ABOUT HIS TEAM SELECTION FOR FORTHCOMING ENGLAND- GERMANY WORLD CUP SOCCER QUALIFYING MATCH

Record ID: 394715

  • Title: GERMANY: GERMAN COACH RUDI VOELLER TALKS ABOUT HIS TEAM SELECTION FOR FORTHCOMING ENGLAND- GERMANY WORLD CUP SOCCER QUALIFYING MATCH
  • Date: 28th August 2001
  • Summary: MUENSING, GERMANY (AUGUST 28, 2001) (REUTERS) CAR ARRIVING GERMANY COACH RUDI VOELLER ARRIVING VOELLER WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE CUTAWAYS OF CAMERAMEN SOUNDBITE (German) RUDI VOELLER SAYING: "David Beckham is the chief advertisement for the English team, not just because of his world-class style of football, but also because of his personality. It would be a tough blow for England if he dropped out. "But we are in the same position with Mehmet Scholl, an excellent and creative player whom we unfortunately have to replace." PHOTOGRAPH OF GERMANY FANS SOUNDBITE (German) RUDI VOELLER SAYING: "The (England) team mostly consists of Manchester United and Liverpool (players). Those are all players who have a big influence in their own teams. It's not like in some German teams where the foreigners are the top players. In those (English) teams, the English players are the top stars and this has an influence on the national team. (Sven-Goran) Eriksson has managed to form a team out of these top stars which believes in its own strength. He showed that during the last few days such as the one against Holland." WIDE OF VOELLER SPEAKING Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 12th September 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MUENSING, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA80ABXUA2NDDMW7ZRPOGVN6VBQ
  • Story Text: Losing captain David Beckham to injury would be a major blow for England, Germany coach Rudi Voeller said on Tuesday (August 28).
    But he said he was more worried about his own list of absentees ahead of the two countries' crunch World Cup soccer qualifier in Munich on Saturday (September 1).
    "David Beckham is the chief advertisement for the English team, not just because of his world-class style of football, but also because of his personality. It would be a tough blow for England if he dropped out," Voeller said.
    Midfielder Mehmet Scholl of Bayern Munich -- probably the closest player Germany has to Beckham in terms of style, ingenuity and ability -- will miss the match.
    "We have to replace an excellent creative midfielder ourselves in Mehmet Scholl. We're also without very important players in Carsten Ramelow, Jens Jeremies, Marco Bode and Joerg Heinrich," Voeller said.
    Voeller was speaking as his 20-man squad gathered near Lake Starnberg south of Munich to start their preparations for the potentially decisive European group nine match.
    England are in second place six points behind leaders Germany with a game in hand. They must win to have any chance of finishing top of the group and securing automatic qualification for next year's finals in Japan and South Korea.
    Beckham limped off during a premier league match at the weekend but the English Football Association said his groin injury was not as bad as first feared.
    Despite England's recent 2-0 defeat against Holland in a friendly match, Voeller has been impressed by the progress coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has made with the team using a nucleus of players from Manchester United and Liverpool.
    "The (England) team mostly consists of Manchester United and Liverpool (players)," said Voeller. "Those are all players who have a big influence in their own teams.
    "It's not like in some German teams where the foreigners are the top players. In those (English) teams, the English players are the top stars and this has an influence on the national team.
    "(Sven-Goran) Eriksson has managed to form a team out of these top stars which believes in its own strength. He showed that during the last few days such as the one against Holland."
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