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No surprises as FIFA name top World Cup seeds
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-07 09:16

FIFA is also covering accommodation costs for players and team officials at the tournament to the tune of 400 Swiss Francs ($306) a day for 45 people.

Dutch the team to avoid in World Cup draw-Beckenbauer

BERLIN, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Franz Beckenbauer, the head of the 2006 World Cup organising committee, believes the Netherlands will be the side the seeded teams will want to avoid in Friday's World Cup draw while tipping Brazil for the title."It's something we don't want but if we're drawn against them, then we'll have to play the Dutch," Beckenbauer, a World Cup winner as a player and then a coach for West Germany, said at the sidelines of a tourism conference in Berlin.

Germany, as hosts, and champions Brazil were named on Tuesday as the eight seeded teams for the draw along with England, Spain, Mexico, France, Argentina and Italy.

There is no place at the top table for the Netherlands, who are third in the FIFA world rankings and who beat the second-placed Czech Republic home and away in qualifying.

Beckenbauer said Brazil were clearly the team to beat at the World Cup, which runs from June 9 to July 9.

"At the moment I'd say Brazil are playing the best football. They showed that at the Confederations Cup. Or perhaps you could say whoever beats Brazil has the best chance to be world champions," he told Reuters.

Home advantage, Beckenbauer added, should boost the chances of Germany.

England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson welcomed his team's seeding, telling the FA website: "We are one of the teams that have the potential to do very well in Germany and we have some of the best players in the world.

"Finishing top of our qualification group with the second best record in the whole of Europe was a big achievement and I'm sure that has played a part in this decision."

RECOGNISED AGAIN

Italy coach Marcello Lippi told RAI TV: "It seems that Italy's prestige and history have been recognised once again.

"However, I don't consider this selection of seeds to be too important. If we hadn't been seeded it would have only been a psychological problem."
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