Germans angered by Uefa

The president of the German football federation snubbed an official dinner at Uefa's meeting in Geneva yesterday in protest at the failure of the European game's governing body to give its backing to a single bid from the continent to host the 2006 World Cup finals.

Egidius Braun said he had backed England's campaign for the 1996 European championships, in return for a "gentlemen's agreement" with England to give their support to Germany for the World Cup 10 years after. "I am more than disappointed in the English," he said.

The Football Association claims to have no knowledge of such an agreement, news of which apparently was not passed on to them by their former president, Sir Bert Millichip.

Franz Beckenbauer, the former captain and later coach of Germany, who was in Geneva as a special ambassador backing the German bid, was also angry at Uefa's stance, saying that if he met with the president of either Uefa or Fifa, the world game's governing body, "there would have been a decision."

Europe's eight votes within Fifa, which has 24 members, could be split between England and Germany, weakening the Europeans' chances of beating Brazil or South Africa.