Der Kaiser: Not a Fan of SA2010

I think it's fair to mark down Franz Beckenbauer as "not a fan" of how South Africa 2010 is shaping up.

Der Kaiser ("the king"), as he is known in Germany, apparently was asked why Germans have purchased fewer than 7,000 of the 21,000 tickets to SA2010 set aside for them.

And the former German captain and national team coach went off.

To wit:

He believes getting to South Africa and finding lodging there is too difficult and too expensive (can't argue that), that ticket prices are too high (hmm; has he priced a Super Bowl lately?) and that security concerns are legitimate.

Here is Der Kaiser, via AFP and the Johannesburg Times: "Not only are there doubts by those thinking of travelling there, because of security, but the tickets are too expensive. What normal person can afford 5,000 to 6,000 euros for one week?"

And after noting that no organizing committee can ensure safety for fans, he added, "People need to be watching out everywhere they go. It's best to be over-cautious, stay in groups whenever possible."

Yes, this is just one guy sounding off ... but it's one guy who happens to be the most important figure in German soccer (he also is a member of Fifa's executive committee).

Be interesting to see if SA2010 organizing committee boss Danny Jordaan feels obligated to respond to this batch of criticism. Read more!