When Germany last hosted the World Cup in 1974, times were very different. I was a lawyer in Munich and not yet in the diplomatic service. Germany then was not united, of course. We had an East Germany and a West Germany and, you may remember, there was a game between these two countries which was very tough and the West lost to the East.
Today, Germany is united. At the opening ceremony in Munich tomorrow evening there will be a German chancellor who is not only a woman but is also from the east. This is something that in 1974 would have been unthinkable. Nobody could have foreseen reunification. Even after reunification, nobody could foresee an East German woman becoming chancellor. We are in a totally different situation today.
Economically, Germany still has some problems, but we are still paying the price of reunification. For us, however, reunification is worth any sacrifice and any endeavour and our situation is truly prouder now than it was in 1974.
Tomorrow evening I will watch the opening game of the World Cup tournament at an event organised by the German Chamber of Commerce. I will give a short speech at the event saying what it means for Germany to be the host and then we will watch the game against Costa Rica. I believe Germany will win the game, but I wouldn't like to say how many goals it will score. As you know, a lot of luck is involved in football so you can never say with confidence what the outcome will be.
I am a modest football fan. On an average weekend, when the Bundesliga (German national league) is on television I don't know if I would be enthusiastic enough to switch on and watch unless my home-town team from Munich was playing.
We are lucky in Munich because we have the best team in Germany. Munich also has the latest stadium, which you will see on television tomorrow night. It is like a tyre - the outer walls are made of plastic material that can be lit up in any colour and the colour can be changed according to who is playing.Playing football is one thing, but everything that goes with it also is very important. The German government has put a lot of effort and investment into this event. The publicity and economic windfalls will be important for Germany.