England will not win the World Cup, says Platt

The former England midfielder David Platt believes Sven Goran Eriksson's side are capable of reaching the last eight of the World Cup. That is the good news; the bad news is that he thinks other countries are better equipped to win it.

Platt, speaking at the launch of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's initiatives to help to improve fan safety, cited Italy and Brazil as his favourites to lift the trophy on 9 July.

The FCO launched its "Avoiding Penalties" campaign, aimed at making life stress free for the expected 100,000 travelling fans, at White Hart Lane. Platt, along with the Foreign Office Minister Lord David Triesman, unveiled a raft of measures designed to support England fans, including mobile consular offices.

Famed for his quarter-final goal in Italia '90, Platt believes the fans can make the difference once England get to the last eight in the finals in Germany.

"We are a quarter-final team," he said. "But I must couch that by saying that we are one of the top eight countries in this World Cup.

"But I just think that once we get into that top eight, with the way the draw has gone, the likelihood is we will come up against a country that I believe would be a better bet and better equipped to win the World Cup. But the support of the fans at the quarter-final stage can prove beneficial. It is a fine line between success and failure at that stage of the competition. Italy and Brazil would be my two favourites."

On another topic, Platt believes the England players reported to be heavily involved in gambling should not be condemned before the full facts are known. However, he warned that they were far more likely to accrue massive debts if they enjoyed the benefit of a private betting account.

"We have a betting culture in this country," Platt said. "You only have to turn on the TV and you see odds being quoted everywhere. The players have been driven underground almost in terms of the gambling.

"But accounts are a nightmare because you are not parting with the cash out of your wallet and therefore you don't miss it immediately. The amounts being talked about are hellish ones but then players earn a hellish amount of money. But before we all start to condemn the players, we must also take account of the time frame involved as well," Platt added.

For Germany, the Foreign Office will be issuing an "info-card" with key advice for fans, including maps and emergency contact numbers. The office is urging fans to do their own homework before travelling to the finals but have launched a downloadable desktop news service and World Cup website to help them.

The main support provided is an emergency 24-hour hotline for those fans who get themselves into trouble.

Lord Triesman said: "This year's World Cup looks set to be an exciting one and its proximity to the UK means England fans could be the biggest single group of visitors.

"But while we all look forward to high drama on the pitch, it's vital that the Foreign Office does all it can to minimise drama off it. The aim of our 'Avoiding Penalties' campaign is to ensure that every fan is given all the advice and support they need to have an enjoyable, trouble-free tournament."