Washington's Voz - Around the world in 50 days for the Kaiser's charm offensive

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Around the world in 50 days
for the Kaiser's charm offensive

AFP
07/22/2005

The President of the 2006 World Cup Committee, Franz Beckenbauer announced on Wednesday his intention to visit all 31 of the nations which will have qualified for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

The tour is to promote Germany and football's showpiece event which will take place from June 9 till July 9 next year. "I have noticed that people are very enthusiastic that they will get the chance to meet someone from the organization," Beckenbauer announced at a press conference in Munich.

Some German newspapers have already baptized his visits as the "Kaiser's World Tour" in reference to his nickname. The Tour is expected to start in Iran on October 2. "Kaiser's World Tour" will see Beckenbauer - who won the World Cup both as a player and a coach in 1974 and 1990 respectively with the then West Germany - visit Saudi Arabia , South Korea and Japan as the nations which have already qualified.

He will then return to Europe between October 24-31 to promote the finals for those nations which have qualified from the Europe Zone before traveling across the Atlantic to the Americas where he will complete his journey of a 120 000 kilometers, which is the equivalent of three world tours in 50 days.