Vogts expects windfall from Germany tie

Azerbaijan coach Berti Vogts is looking forward to a windfall after his team were drawn against his native Germany in the qualifying tournament for the 2012 European championship.

Vogts, who won the 1996 European championship during an eight-year reign as Germany coach, will face another German coach after Bernd Storck's Kazakhstan were also drawn in Group A along with Austria, Turkey and Belgium.

"We're very happy with the outcome," former Scotland and Nigeria coach Vogts told reporters.

"We will receive lots of money thanks to the game against Germany, and that means we can build more stadiums and invest in youth development.

"We're happy to be playing against Germany, from whom we can learn a lot and who will let us play. We know we must improve although we're on the right path."

Storck, who earlier this year complained bitterly about the standard of player fitness in the former Soviet republic, was also delighted with the outcome.

"For us and especially for me, (it is) a real highlight to play against Germany with Kazakhstan," he said. "It's equally good to play against Azerbaijan and to meet former Germany coach Berti Vogts in the duel of the outsiders."

Germany coach Joachim Loew, who may not be in charge for the competition after negotiations over the extension of his contract stalled last week, was wary of facing teams coached by his compatriots.

"Logically, it's not completely simple against Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan," he said. "It's a German-speaking group with a lot of German coaches. Naturally, Germany and Turkey are the favourites."

Loew's contract runs until the end of the World Cup in July and the German FA said negotiations would resume only after the finals in South Africa.

PORTUGAL REMATCH

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz, whose team faced Denmark in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, said he was eager for a rematch after the two sides were drawn together in Group H along with Norway, Cyprus and Iceland.

"If we repeat the quality we showed in the two games against Denmark in World Cup qualifying, then we will be on the right track to guarantee qualification for the Euro," Queiroz told reporters.

"We are satisfied that we are in a group of five teams. We will have less worries about complicated trips."

Three of the nine groups for the qualifiers contain five teams, while the other six have six teams.

"We're also satisfied with the opponents we will meet," added Queiroz. "They represent different styles but which we have information on."

Portugal struggled to qualify for South Africa, beating Bosnia in a playoff after finishing behind Denmark in their group. They lost 3-2 at home to the Danes and drew 1-1 away.

French Football Federation technical director Gerard Houllier was confident his team would progress from Group D against Romania, Bosnia, Belarus, Albania and Luxemburg.

"This is do-able," he said. "Romania are a tough side. As for Bosnia, it's going to be weird to meet again with (Bosnia coach) Safet Susic, whom I coached when I was with Paris St Germain", Houllier told Eurosport.