Beckenbauer to meet Chancellor over World Cup issues

BERLIN, Mar 13 (Reuters) Franz Beckenbauer will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday with the World Cup on the agenda.

The meeting in Berlin is to discuss several issues regarding the organisation of the tournament in Germany starting on June 9, a spokesman for Germany's World Cup organising committee said today.

''This was planned a long time ago and has nothing to do with the current sporting situation,'' he said.

Organising committee president Beckenbauer would be accompanied by vice-presidents Horst R Schmidt and Wolfgang Niersbach, he added.

The spokesman said he could not confirm media reports that Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann and German Football Association (DFB) president Theo Zwanziger would also attend the meeting.

Mr Klinsmann, under scrutiny since a 4-1 friendly defeat by Italy on March 1, has also faced criticism for his decision to remain based in the US instead of moving back to Germany.

REUTERS PG PM2319