Bookies see major European indexes down 1.3-1.9 pct

LONDON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - European shares are set to open sharply lower on Friday, financial bookmakers said, after a U.S. $700 billion bailout package stalled and U.S. authorities closed Washington Mutual in the country's biggest ever bank failure.

Financial bookmakers expected Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE to open down 69 to 71 points, or as much as 1.4 percent, Germany's DAX .GDAXI to open 72 to 80 points lower, or as much as 1.3 percent, and France's CAC-40 .FCHI to be down 76 to 81 points in the open, or as much as 1.9 percent.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index closed up 2.1 percent on Thursday. (Reporting by Dominic Lau; Editing by Louise Heavens)