World Cup News

Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann welcomed an offer from the editor-in-chief of Bild am Sonntag newspaper to forecast and write the tabloid's headline for its July 9, 2006 edition - the day of the World Cup final.

"Jungs, ihr packt das!" (Lads, you can do it!)," Klinsmann said in an interview yesterday.

And when asked to write a headline for the day after on July 10, he said: "Ihr habt's gepackt!" (You did it!)."

Klinsmann, who has been the target of dozens of critical headlines by the newspaper, said he especially disliked the way tabloid headline writers have shortened his name to "Klinsi".

"I wish this nickname didn't exist," he said. "I don't like it at all. But fortunately my wife says 'Juergen' to me."

Heinze says he is fit to start

Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze says he has won his battle to be fit for the World Cup.

He is a virtual certainty in central defence in Argentina's opening Group C game against Ivory Coast in Hamburg on Saturday.

Heinze cut it very fine, though, with only one competitive outing since September when he damaged ligaments in his left knee in a Champions league match playing for Manchester United.

"I'm smiling, I know how hard I worked and I never lost sight of my objective which was to play again so I could be at the World Cup," Heinze said.

"I'm simply going to show my team-mates and the medical staff and the coach who believed in me."

The battling defender said he had no fear of a tough group which also includes Serbia & Montenegro and the Netherlands.

"I like playing against the best and that's what you get in a World Cup, which is the best (stage)."

US captain Reyna to face Czechs

US captain Claudio Reyna will be fit to face the Czech Republic in the World Cup today week, coach Bruce Arena said.

Arena told reporters at the US team hotel that midfielder Reyna "fully participated" in training, as did midfielder John O'Brien who is working to gain match fitness after playing only sporadically since the 2002 finals.

"I think he's really going to be ready on June 12," said Arena of the opening fixture of the US World Cup campaign when they meet the Czech Republic in Gelsenkirchen.

"Claudio's like a fine wine," Arena said. "He gets better with age. He'll be more prepared for this World Cup than the last one and he knows that this is one of his last great opportunities as a player."

Manchester City's Reyna injured a hamstring on May 23 in a friendly against Morocco. He has not played since. This is the fourth finals for Reyna, 32, who has won 109 caps and scored eight goals.

Germans to rebuke Ahmadinejad

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can count on a tongue-lashing from the head of the German football association (DFB) and other leaders if he comes to Germany to support Iran in the World Cup.

DFB co-president Theo Zwanziger said yesterday he was against banning Ahmadinejad from the tournament starting on Friday over his controversial remarks questioning whether the Holocaust happened, because that would only "make him a martyr".

The Iranian President has left open whether he will go. Iran play Mexico in their first match on Sunday in Nuremberg.

"My decision depends on a lot of different things," Ahmadinejad told a German magazine last week. "Whether I have time, whether I want to and some other things."