NEWS
OTHER SPORTS
DIARY
PEOPLE
MATCH REPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

Matthaeus likely to lead Germany again

Lothar Matthaeus is once again to become German national team captain - at the upcoming Confederations Cup - and is also out for the coaching job once Erich Ribbeck retires.

''I am interested in this job. If Erich Ribbeck steps down in four to six years time I could imagine taking the job,'' the 38-year-old Matthaeus told Kicker sports magazine.

Matthaeus has a powerful lobby on this issue in both Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer and German Football Body (DFB) boss Egidius Braun.

Ribbeck, who was hired last September and has a contract until the 2000 European Championships, told the Tagesspiegel daily he would ''most likely'' make Matthaeus captain of the Confederation Cup team in the injury-related absence of regular skipper Oliver Bierhoff.

''He has a very social attitude and looks after the young players,'' said Ribbeck in praise of Matthaeus, who captained Germany to the 1990 World Cup title before being stripped of the prestigious armband in 1994 by then coach Berti Vogts.

Matthaeus, capped 136 times, a German record, is also one of the few players who support the July 24-August 4 tournament in Mexico shortly before the August 14 Bundesliga kick-off. Germany are participating as stand-in for World Cup winners France because they hope to enhance their chances of getting the 2006 World Cup.

''I am looking forward to the tourney because we all want the 2006 World Cup in Germany. For that reason we should take a more positive approach. With that we will also have positive results,'' said Matthaeus.

Matthaeus also said he would definitely leave Munich in December and play the 2000 season in the United States at the New York/New Jersey Metro Stars.

Ribbeck said the transfer to the United States would not endanger Matthaeus's participation at next year's European Championships, saying he welcomed the fact that the veteran would be playing fewer matches at major league soccer.

UNI