Sydney: Australia has chosen to base their squad for football's 2006 World Cup in a former princely palace in the southern German town of Oehringen, the team announced on Friday.
The 23-member team plus coaching and support staff will stay at the Wald and Schlosshotel Friedrichsruhe during the first round of the tournament, which opens on June 9, the Football Federation of Australia (FFA) said.
Training sessions will be conducted at the Otto-Meister Stadium in the town about 75 kilometers from Stuttgart, it said.
"The hotel and area was selected because it provides the team with the best possible location and facilities to prepare for the World Cup matches," FFA chief executive John O'Neill said.
"The location allows the team to conveniently travel to all of our first round match venues by coach, meaning the team will not be inconvenienced by flights during the first round of the competition," he said.
The Australian side, ranked 48th in the world, will play defending champions Brazil, as well as Croatia and Japan in their first round matches, all of which are in southern Germany and within a three-hour bus ride of Oehringen.
The 45-room Wald and Schlosshotel was once the summer residence and hunting lodge of the princely Hohenlohe family.
It is set on seven acres of wooded park and features a "wellness center" and golf course.
Hotel manager Heinz Schiebenes said in a statement that being selected to host one of the 32 World Cup teams was "a great honor".
Comments
0 comment