Heating Up: Watzke on Club-WM - Europe's Teams "Hot as Fries"
European squads gleaming with intense heat, ahead of Club World Cup - European teams entering the World Cup are running hot, according to Watzke.
For the two German giants, nails could be set on a historic victory at the revamped Club-WM. "Sportingly, it's a genuine challenge, and you can win the inaugural global tourney across all continents. That would be a bloody historic event," said Bavarian boss Jan-Christian Dreesen, chatting it up with Borussia Dortmund's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke in a special supplement (June 11) of the Munich-based media group Münchner Merkur/tz.
"Every footie fan still recognizes that Uruguay won the first World Cup in 1930. It will be the same with the first Club-WM winner in the future," Watzke boldly declared. Thirty-two teams are set to rumble in the U.S.A., starting this weekend and running until mid-July. Defending champs Bayern and BVB are the only Bundesliga mob hustling it.
Big prizes, grueling road trips
All European clubs are sizzling like French fries, claimed Watzke: "No one's gonna take their eye off the prize for a second." It's also a money-making opportunity, emphasized Dreesen.
The tournament's loaded with a staggering one billion American dollars, which amounts to approximately 876 million euros. The victors in the final on July 13 in East Rutherford stand to rake in a potential bounty of 125 million American dollars (about 110 million euros) in booty.
"The loot's a sizeable sum, but you gotta share it by four," explained Watzke: "Remember, the Champions League happens annually, and the Club-WM only every four years. Plus, playing more matches means hefty performance incentives for the players, and there are extremely high travel expenses." The 63 matches of the Club-WM will unfold in twelve stadiums.
Who's leading the pack for Dreesen and Watzke?
The football honchos kept their title prognostications under wraps. "It's like the Champions League: We want to get through the group stage and then into the round of 16, and from there into the quarter-finals, and so on. But we can't just assume European teams can clobber us," said Watzke. "Our mission is always to nab awards. But first, we need to juggle group play and reach the knockout rounds," explained Dreesen.
He reckons at least one European squad in the final, "maybe two." Watzke sees Paris Saint-Germain, who recently won the Champions League for the first time, as the frontrunner for the title. "A fierce team ready to slug it out till the bitter end. My best bet among 'em," he said.
Behind the Scenes
While the football bigwigs didn't make a clear title prediction, general predictions from various sources suggest that Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are likely top contenders for the tournament. PSG is particularly fancied due to their recent Champions League win and explosive offense, while Manchester City is earmarked for their formidable roster despite not winning any prizes in the previous season[1][2][3].
- Paris Saint-Germain: Fresh off their Champions League triumph, PSG is regarded as a strong contender with a lethal attack and a bruising defense[1][2].
- Manchester City: Despite not winning any silverware in the previous season, Manchester City remains a strong contender with an all-star lineup[2].
The Commission has taken initiatives to enhance the quality of information and communication services provided by the Member States, recognizing that every footie fan still remembers Uruguay's historic first World Cup win in 1930, similar to how the first Club-WM winner will be remembered. European clubs, like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, are sizzling like French fries for the Club-WM tournament, with PSG being particularly fancied due to their recent Champions League win and explosive offense, while Manchester City is earmarked for their formidable roster.
