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Bierhoff causes concern

March 26, 2013

German football fans are confident their team can win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Ironically, it is Team Manager Oliver Bierhoff who has expressed doubt. Now, just before Germany play Kazakhstan, excitement is high.

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"What Oliver wanted to expresses is the fact that a European team has never won [the World Cup] on the continent of South America. That is fact," said German Football Association (DFB) President Wolfgang Niersbach in a statement Monday. "But the nice thing about football is that things that seem impossible can become possible."

On Sunday Bierhoff had said that for a European team to win a World Cup title in Brazil was "a thing of impossibility." Bierhoff defended his statement Monday evening.

"We are all highly motivated, but I am also a realist," he said. "The [World Cup] will be a tough one, and it was important to me to show and point out that the [World Cup] won't be automatic."

Germany play Kazakhstan at 19:45 UTC Tuesday evening in Nuremberg. It is the team's final World Cup qualifier until September. Follow us on Twitter @dw_sports for live commentary of the match.

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