Ahmadinejad ready to visit Germany for second round

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany, June 5 (Reuters) Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will come to Germany if the team reach the World Cup second round, coach Branko Ivankovic said today.

''If we go to the second stage for sure he will come to see the team,'' Ivankovic told Reuters before the side's friendly against a Lake Constance regional squad.

''That will show to my players and to the world that football is very important in Iran. Football is important everywhere in the world.'' European leaders have stopped short of banning Ahmadinejad from visiting the World Cup but have signalled he would face a frosty welcome amid a diplomatic standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions and after controversial comments he has made.

Ahmadinejad has left open his decision on whether to come to the World Cup, which kicks off on Friday.

He has questioned whether the holocaust, during which the Nazis and their allies killed some six million Jews, actually happened and has made inflammatory remarks about Israel.

Washington accuses Tehran of seeking to develop atomic weapons under cover of a civilian nuclear power programme, a charge Tehran denies.

Ivankovic said talk of such spats was not an issue for the team and the focus was only on reaching the knockout stage.

''Nobody thinks about it in sports. My team are all sportsmen and sportsmen always think about sports,'' he said.

''Everything is possible in football and we can beat everyone.'' Iran begin their World Cup campaign against Mexico in Nuremberg on Sunday. Their other Group D opponents are Angola and Portugal.

REUTERS AY PM2123