Vogts eyes Germany windfall
Reuters - Sunday 07 February 2010, 15:33
WARSAW - Azerbaijan coach Berti Vogts is
looking forward to a windfall after his team were drawn against
his native Germany in the qualifying tournament for the 2012
European championship.
Vogts, who won the 1996 European championship during an
eight-year reign as Germany coach, will face another German
coach after Bernd Storck's Kazakhstan were also drawn in Group A
along with Austria, Turkey and Belgium.
"We're very happy with the outcome," former Scotland and
Nigeria coach Vogts told reporters.
"We will receive lots of money thanks to the game against
Germany, and that means we can build more stadiums and invest in
youth development.
"We're happy to be playing against Germany, from whom we can
learn a lot and who will let us play. We know we must improve
although we're on the right path."
Storck, who earlier this year complained bitterly about the
standard of player fitness in the former Soviet republic, was
also delighted with the outcome.
"For us and especially for me, (it is) a real highlight to
play against Germany with Kazakhstan," he said.
"It's equally
good to play against Azerbaijan and to meet former Germany coach
Berti Vogts in the duel of the outsiders."
Germany coach Joachim Low, who may not be in charge for the
competition after negotiations over the extension of his
contract stalled last week, was wary of facing teams coached by
his compatriots.
"Logically, it's not completely simple against Kazakhstan
and Azerbaijan," he said.
"It's a German-speaking group with a
lot of German coaches. Naturally, Germany and Turkey are the
favourites."
Low's contract runs until the end of the World Cup in July
and the German FA said negotiations would resume only after the
finals in South Africa.
PORTUGAL REMATCH
Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz, whose team faced Denmark in
the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, said he was eager for a rematch
after the two sides were drawn together in Group H along with
Norway, Cyprus and Iceland.
"If we repeat the quality we showed in the two games against
Denmark in World Cup qualifying, then we will be on the right
track to guarantee qualification for the Euro," Queiroz told
reporters.
"We are satisfied that we are in a group of five teams. We
will have less worries about complicated trips."
Three of the nine groups for the qualifiers contain five
teams, while the other six have six teams.
"We're also satisfied with the opponents we will meet,"
added Queiroz.
"They represent different styles but which we
have information on."
Portugal struggled to qualify for South Africa, beating
Bosnia in a play-off after finishing behind Denmark in their
group. They lost 3-2 at home to the Danes and drew 1-1 away.
French Football Federation technical director Gerard
Houllier was confident his team would progress from Group D
against Romania, Bosnia, Belarus, Albania and Luxemburg.
"This is do-able," he said. "Romania are a tough side. As
for Bosnia, it's going to be weird to meet again with (Bosnia
coach) Safet Susic, whom I coached when I was with Paris Saint-Germain", Houllier told Eurosport.