A truly historic achievement

I should like to express to the National Team of Trinidad and Tobago, the Football Federation and the people of Trinidad and Tobago my warmest congratulations on the qualification for the World Cup 2006 in Germany. This is a truly historic achievement for this country and I am very happy to represent Germany in Trinidad and Tobago at this moment.

Even though the road to Germany has not only been a rough one, but also a long one, the Warriors have made it there eventually by greatly improving their game over the last months. This is why they fully merit their place among the 32 best teams worldwide, competing for the title next year in my home country.

Germany is ready to host millions of friends of football who want to experience and celebrate this extraordinary event, and we will prove that football has the ability to unite people from all over the world in their passion for this game, each country represented contributing to this phenomenon. We will certainly be honoured to host a big delegation of supporters of the Warriors from Trinidad and Tobago in our country.

I wish and hope that the football federation and the team get all the support and encouragement necessary not only to face this challenge, but also to show to the people of my country and hundreds of millions of spectators worldwide, what a small but dedicated nation can achieve.