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German Chancellor backs Klinsmann
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed under fire Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann on Wednesday, saying that he should not be distracted by criticizm. "I'm convinced that Juergen Klinsmann and his team are on the right track," she said before a meeting in Berlin with Klinsmann and Franz Beckenbauer, the president of Germany's World Cup organizing committee. Klinsmann has been attacked in the press and criticized by some politicians after Germany suffered a 4-1 drubbing by Italy at the start of the month. Beckenbauer then himself rounded on Klinsmann, facing criticizm for his decision to keep living in the United States, when he failed to attend a World Cup workshop in Duesseldorf. Merkel praised Klinsmann for blooding young players in the national side and said he should not worry about criticizm. "You can't allow yourself to be distracted when you're convinced of a way forward -- I'm speaking from experience here," she said. "Irresolution does not inspire confidence and changing your mind about things every day is not the way to success." Merkel added she was sure that the tournament, which will be staged in Germany between June 9 and July 9, would be a political, cultural and economic success for the country. Sporting success"And I'm just as sure it'll be a sporting success," she said. "We were world champions in 1974, we were world champions again 16 years later in 1990, and now the World Cup is taking place in Germany in 2006, again 16 years later." Klinsmann thanked Merkel for her words of encouragement and said he was in no mood to be cowed by critics. "We're not going to let ourselves be unsettled," he said. "We will do our thing -- no matter where home is." He struck a conciliatory tone towards Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup both as captain and coach. "He was a great example to me," he said. "He was world champion as a player, world champion as a coach, maybe he'll be world champion as the head organiser too," Klinsmann said. Beckenbauer told Merkel the team would not let Germany down at the World Cup, but could not resist a dig at Klinsmann. "I'm really happy that Juergen has given up his residence in California, and is now moving completely to Germany...I'm just joking of course," he said. 
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