EU finance chiefs bet Germany-Brazil soccer final
BRUSSELS, May 3 (Reuters) - While Europe's leaders haggled
over the European Central Bank at a summit on Saturday, their
finance chiefs circulated a sweepstake on the soccer World Cup
which gave Germany and Brazil the best chances of making it to
the final.
French Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn said 11
ministers had given Germany a place in the final in July, with
eight including Brazil in their bet. Italy snuck into third
place in the sweepstake with seven mentions.
Dutchman Gerrit Zalm, whose country was at loggerheads with
World Cup host France over the ECB presidency, bet that France
and the Netherlands would face each other in the match.
France and Germany, whose traditional alliance in Europe was
strained by the ECB row, shared a common vision on the World
Cup. Strauss-Kahn and Germany's Theo Waigel went for a
France-Germany final, an opinion shared by Luxembourg's
Jean-Claude Juncker.
Britain's Gordon Brown, Greek's Yianoss Papantoniou,
Sweden's Erik Asbrink, Portugal's Antonio de Sousa Franco and
European Commissioner Yves Thibault de Silguy all went for
Brazil versus Germany.
Italy's Carlo Azeglio Ciampi backed his own team, plumping
for a match between Germany and Italy, while Belgium's Philippe
Maystadt, Spain's Rodrigo de Rato and Austria's Rudolf Edlinger
all betted on Brazil and Italy.
Finland's Sauli Niinisto and Denmark's Marianne Jelved bet
on an Italy versus Germany final while Ireland's Charlie
McCreevy went for England against Italy.
Only one of the ministers was prepared to go out in a limb
-- Luxembourg Economy Minister Robert Goebbels, who bet on a
final between Scotland and Cameroon.
REUTERS
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