Hanover, January 21, 2003. Continental AG today set the seal on its participation as an official partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup TM. The agreement was signed by Joseph S. Blatter, President of FIFA, and Manfred Wennemer, Chairman of the Executive Board of Continental AG in the presence of Franz Beckenbauer, the President of the Organizing Committee of the 2006 FIFA World Cup TM and other guests from sports, business and politics at the Technology Center in Hanover-Stöcken.

Here you can download the press release as a rtf-file (105KB).

Wennemer emphasized that this agreement documented Continental's ongoing involvement in a sport that links and thrills millions of people. Football is the game that attracts more attention than any other sport in Europe and at the latest since last year's world championship in Japan and South Korea also worldwide. He was sure that the world championship in 2006 would be the outstanding sporting event of this decade in Germany. Its commitment as an official partner of FIFA would provide Continental with an unparalleled marketing platform in all international markets.

Wennemer also referred to the Company's other promotional activities in professional football. By sponsoring the Champions League in Europe from 1995 to 1999, Continental had gained positive experience in this field and had been able to considerably increase the awareness of the Continental tire brand, especially in such strategically important markets as France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Continental also sponsors the French football champion Olympique Lyon. The current involvement as a sponsor of Hannover 96, a club in the first division of the German football league, goes to demonstrate the strong affinity with the provincial capital where the Company has been headquartered since 1871.