GERMANY: German family hopes to host foreign football fans during 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Record ID: 872667

  • Title: GERMANY: German family hopes to host foreign football fans during 2006 FIFA World Cup.
  • Date: 27th April 2006
  • Summary: (S4) BERLIN, GERMANY (APRIL 19, 2006) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF "WWW.HOST-A-FAN.DE" WEBSITE ON COMPUTER
  • Embargoed: 12th May 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • City:
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Sports,Travel / Tourism
  • Reuters ID: LVA9QOY36RMC9CKE3RJPXYCOM7H
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: With less than 50 days left until the start of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, more and more Germans hope to host football fans from another country for the duration of the tournament -- many of them for close to nothing.
    The Leichsenring family from Norderstedt outside the northern port city of Hamburg is so excited about the mere thought of having other football fans stay with them that son Stefan has already made the bed -- in the colours of his favourite club, the Hamburger Sportverein (HSV).
    "We have prepared a bed here," Stefan Leichsenring said, adding "two people are most welcome to stay here."
    His father Uwe Leichsenring, like Stefan an avid supporter of HSV, said the sport offered "one of the best ways for international understanding: Iranians are playing, Bosnians, Croats and Germans -- all nationalities who get along and I think it's an ideal situation."
    His offer on "www.host-a-fan.de" reads: "Big house, children moved out apart from one latecomer, family of avid football supporters (HSV), satellite television in every room, large bathroom with whirlpool."
    The Leichsenrings charge 25 euros ($31.06) per person per night, breakfast included.
    In Berlin, the licensee of the Internet site, Nikola Guenther, said there are currently some 800 offers on the website, ranging from an inflatable mattress to a luxury loft.
    "We have an allotment among the offers, including barbecue meat and beer to make sure the guests have everything they need. The offers really are amazing: people offer to be part of their families."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register