Or so thinks Franz Beckenbauer, the FIFA World Cup™ Organising Committee President. He thinks that Germany is one of the favourites to win the World Cup because of the faithful homecrowd.

Beckenbauer, who in recent months had appeared pessimistic about Germany’s chances, wrote in a column for Bild newspaper that Jurgen Klinsmann’s side are, in fact, among the teams to beat after they crushed Luxembourg 7-0 before a vociferous crowd in Freiburg on Saturday.

“We’re not the favourite based on what we’ve got but clearly a co-favourite because we’ll be playing at home,” wrote Beckenbauer, who coached the 1990 FIFA World Cup-winning team and was captain of the 1974 side that beat the Netherlands in the final.

“The football enthusiasm was not bad beforehand, but now you can really feel the way everything is starting to vibrate and everyone can’t wait for the tournament.”

Germany play Costa Rica in the tournament’s curtain-raiser in Munich on 9 June. Poland and Ecuador are also in their group. The tournament concludes on 9 July in Berlin.

Spurce: WCoffsite