ECB chief Jean-Claude Trichet blew the eurozone's horn and forecast "marvelous play" in the 2010 football World Cup's final two matches in South Africa.

"In the best four you have three European teams, from the euro area by the way," Mr Trichet quipped at the end of a regular monthly press conference in Frankfurt.

Reporters scented bias when the European Central Bank president estimated that a semi-final match in which Spain defeated Germany yesterday was "very beautiful, I have to say."

Trichet sprang out of the trap, however, adding quickly: "I don't have any judgement on the result of the match, I said it was a beautiful match."

The central banker - known more for writing poetry in his spare time than for attending sports events - acknowledged "I'm not a soccer enthusiast myself" and could thus have been "very impressed" by passing others might deem less deft.

But he used the World Cup results as a metaphor for tough decisions being made by governments to control excessive deficits and debt.

"I have said from time to time that one should not underestimate Europe," Mr Trichet noted.

As for Sunday's final in Johannesburg between the Netherlands and Spain, the ECB president was perfectly neutral, saying simply in his native French: "Que le meilleur gagne" - may the best one win.