Schmidt was involved in Germany's hosting of the 2006 World Cup

Fifa has appointed German Horst Schmidt as a consultant to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa amid growing concerns about the state of preparations.

The 65-year-old, who was the senior vice-president of the German organizing committee for the 2006 World Cup, will work as the coordinator for the 2010 tournament.

Schmidt will spend seven days per month overseeing the day-to-day management of preparations for the event.

"The recruitment of Schmidt as a consultant will have many benefits for us," said Fifa general secretary Urs Linsi.

"There can be very few people around the world with such vast experience in terms of event organisation, security matters and ticketing."

After gaining his first taste of organising a World Cup in 1974 in his homeland, Schmidt spent many years as a Fifa expert in the areas of security and ticketing before playing a major role in his country's recent hosting of the event.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter recently voiced concern over the delays in preparations for the 2010 tournament and said he intended to visit South Africa shortly to urge lawmakers to speed up building work.

Blatter said he wanted to meet South African President Thabo Mbeki and make an appeal to the country's parliament: "to explain the value of the World Cup and to fire up the organizing committee, because it's the last moment to start building five stadiums."

Blatter added: "For the moment they have plans, money, and decisions, but I have yet to see the pickaxes and spades needed to start the work."