World Cup stars prepare in Austria
Austrian soccer fans are getting a real taste of world class football as 10 of the 32 teams qualified for the upcoming Football World Cup chose Austria to prepare for the biggest sports event of the year.All eyes will be on the England squad when they test against Japan on Sunday. Coach Fabio Capello is expected to give some second-choice players their chance in Graz after last Mondays comfortable 3-1 win over Mexico in London.Match organiser Martin Walazadeh said: “Twenty-two camera teams will report from the match no comparable event has ever happened at the UPC Arena ever before.”England are currently preparing in Aigen at Styrias Enns Valley, while Euro2008 champions Spain are expected in the province of Vorarlberg tomorrow (Sat).Hotel Löwen Schruns boss Irmi-Marie Sachs revealed: “We prepared bathrobes and slippers which have the players names embroidered.”Spain will play against South Korea in Innsbruck on 3 June.The national team of the Netherlands is currently residing in Seefeld, Tyrol. Coach Bert van Marwijk raised eyebrows by letting the players wives and girlfriends stay with the team for a few days to keep spirits up.The Serbian team featuring Manchester United star Nemanja Vidić and Ajax striker Marko Pantelić arrived in Leogang, Salzburg, three days ago. The side managed by Radomir Antić stay at the same hotel as the Russian team before they reached the final four of the European Championship co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland two years ago.Serbia will play against New Zealand staying in St. Lambrecht, Styria in Klagenfurt tomorrow.Cameroon and Slovakia two more teams also preparing in Austria will play against each other in Klagenfurt tomorrow as well.Honduras chose Bad Bleiberg in Carinthia as their pre-World Cup resort, while South Korea prepare in Neustift in Tyrols Stubai Valley.The chances to get an autograph or a picture with football superstars is likely for fans as officials at most teams said they will allow spectators into some of their training sessions.