Football World Cup: Matthaeus tips Spain

vIndianz.com (15 Jan, 2010) — Kolkata: Legendary German football great Lothar Matthaeus has picked Spain to win the FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa from June 11 to July 11.
“Spain have excellent players in their ranks. They have everything in them and players who can make a difference,” Matthaeus said after unveiling the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour in Kolkata on Friday.
India veteran footballers, Pradip Kumar Banerjee, Subrata Bhattacharjee, Prasun Banerjee, Santi Mallik, Atul Singh, president and CEO, Coca-Cola India attended the ceremony.
Embarking on its worldwide journey, Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup trophy 2010 brought to Kolkata will be showcased at Salt Lake stadium on Saturday and Sunday. The trophy made of solid 18-carat gold with a height of 36.8 cm and weight 6,175 grams and will tour to 83 countries to enthrall the soccer fans.
Matthaeus picked Spain ahead of much-fancied Brazil and Argentina.
The former West Germany captain, who led the side to beat Diego Maradona’s Argentina and win the 1990 World Cup, described the Argentine great as the best footballer ever.
however, Matthaeus, who was the first to receive the FIFA Player of the Year in 1991, picked Argentine talisman striker Lionel Messi as the best footballer from the present lot. “He is the best at the moment. But FIFA will decide who is the best player.”

About their 1990 World Cup triumph, Matthaeus described as his best moment in his career, he said, “To hold the World Cup as a captain, it was a feeling which cannot be expressed in words.”
Matthaeus is also Germany’s most capped player with 150 appearances but said he regretted losing to the UEFA Champions League final to Manchester United in 1999. Matthaeus was playing for German club FC Bayern München
Man United scored two goals in the stoppage time to win the match 2-1.

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