Rehhagel to honour his contract with Greece

GERMAN coach Otto Rehhagel will honour his contract with European champions Greece through to the 2006 World Cup, Greek football chief Vassilis Gagatsis revealed.

"Rehhagel will stay with the Greek Football Federation (EPO) until 2006," said Gagatsis, dismissing reports that 65-year-old Rehhagel, who was hired in 2001, had agreed to prolong his contract until 2008.

"On the flight back from Portugal, I offered him to extend the contract until 2008 and he told me that he didn't want to be transported into the football ground on a wheelchair," he said.

"We honoured our contract with him and he honoured his contract with us," said Gagatsis. "Rehhagel had other offers from abroad, and very good ones, at a time when everybody in Greece asked for his head."

Ironically an overwhelming majority of Germans would accept the national soccer side being coached by a foreigner for the first time, according to a survey released. Some 64% of those surveyed by the Forsa research institute for Stern magazine would accept a foreign coach, with only 33% against.

Of those who claimed an interest in the sport, an even higher percentage of 67 favoured a foreigner taking charge.

The German Football Association is struggling to find a successor to Rudi Voeller, who resigned as national coach following Germany's exit in the group phase of Euro 2004.

Former Bayern Munich trainer Ottmar Hitzfeld, who had expressed interest in the job in recent months and was the firm favourite, turned down the offer last week, saying he was not in the right state of mind to accept.

German media have speculated that Dutchman Guus Hiddink, Denmark's current coach Morten Olsen and Arsenal's French coach Arsene Wenger are other possible candidates.

Greece have soared from 35th to an all-time high of 14th in the FIFA World Rankings after their unexpected Euro 2004 victory.

The Republic of Ireland are down two places, in equal 16th with Cameroon.

FIFA World Ranking (last month's ranking in brackets):

1 (1): Brazil 835 points

2 (2): France 813pts

3 (3): Spain 792pts

4 (11): Czech Republic 762pts

5 (5=): Holland 748pts

6 (4): Mexico 743pts

7 (9): USA 735pts

8 (13): England 733pts

9 (10): Italy 729pts

10 (5=): Turkey 723pts

Also:

12= (22): Portugal 715pts

12= (8): Germany 715pts

16= (14): Republic of Ireland 702pts

59 (55): Scotland 545pts

61 (60): Wales 541pts

112 (110): Northern Ireland 424pts.