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World Cup 2006 News

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World Cup 2010 News

World Cup Milestones

July 10

There were more red cards - 28 - and yellow cards - 305 - than in any previous World Cup. 16 penalties were awarded. Germany's Klose won the Golden Boot with 5 goals. Altogether there were 147 goals in 64 matches (average 2.30 per match) compared with 161 (average 2.52 per match) in 2002. The fastest goal was Carlos Gamarra's own goal after 4 minutes in the England v Paraguay match. Germany had the best attack, scoring 10 goals while Switzerland did not concede a goal, though they became the first team to miss all three of their penalties in the shootout with Ukraine. Oh...and Italy beat France in the final and Germany secured third-place....see you in 2010.

World Cup Milestones

June 28

Brazilian striker Ronaldo became the leading scorer in World Cup history with his goal in Brazil's 3-0 win over Ghana yesterday. Ronaldo's tally stands at 15 from 18 matches, one more than German marksman Gerd Muller with 14.

Korea Blues

June 27

Fifa, world football's governing organization, was forced to block emails to its web site coming from Korea after over 4 million angry Koreans bombarded the site complaining over the refereeing decisions in their team's game with Switzerland. A South Korean fan organization organized a petition suggesting Fifa would have to replay the match if it received 5 million complaints.

World Cup Milestones

June 26

Sunday's Portugal v The Netherlands round of 16 match equalled the World Cup record for bookings in a single match at 16, and broke the record for red cards with 4. Portugal's Deco and Costinha were sent off for Portugal and Khalid Boulahrouz and Gio van Bronkhorst got their marching orders for The Netherlands from Russian referee Valentin Ivanov.

Beckenbauer Hat-Trick

June 25

World Cup organizer and German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer married for the third time on Friday. His new bride is Heidi Burmesteron, his long-term partner, with whom he has a 5-year-old son.

English Hooligans Cause Trouble in Stuttgart

Over 100 English hooligans were arrested for public order offences in Stuttgart in the early hours of Saturday night after trouble flared as the English troublemakers sang racist and provocative songs and hurled glasses and bottles at opposing supporters.

World Cup Milestones

June 23

Marcus Allback's goal for Sweden against England was the 2000th goal scored at the World Cup since 1930. Lucien Laurent of France scored the first goal against Mexico in Uruguay in 1930.

England's Graham Poll became the first World Cup referee to show a player THREE! yellow cards before finally dismissing him. Josip Simunic received his second yellow card after ninety minutes and should have seen a red card at this stage but was finally sent off after the final whistle for his third yellow for dissent.

Ticket Scandal, Part II

June 17

Botswana's Ismail Bhamjee, a member of FIFA's Executive Committee, has been selling match tickets at three times their face value, according to news sources. Bhamjee, who has admitted his role in the incident, is now being forced to leave Germany and will resign from all his FIFA World Cup duties.

In a signed a statement, he admitted selling 12 tickets for England's match against Trinidad & Tobago for 300 euros each.

"I am disappointed about the conduct of a member of the executive committee," stated Fifa president Sepp Blatter. "In such a situation, FIFA acts immediately and firmly."

Bhamjee, in a formal statement, apologized and expressed his regrets.

RoboCup

June 16

RoboCup 2006 has kicked off in Bremen. Over 400 teams from 36 countries are competing in the tournament competing in 11 robot leagues, including categories for humanoid and four-legged robots. This is the 10th time the annual tournament has been held which runs through June 18. Germany are the current world champions in the quadruped category and Japan are heavily fancied in the humanoid division. The stated aim of the organizers is to produce a robotic team capable of beating the human World Cup champions in 2050. Click here for images of RoboCup 2005 held in Osaka.

World Cup Viruses

Internet security firm McAfee has published a urvey showing many World Cup soccer-related websites harbor dangerous viruses and spyware. 24% of websites hosting screensavers for Angola were found to be infected, followed by Brazil with 17.2%, then Portugal 16.2%, Argentina 13.6% and the USA 13%.

Pfister U-turn

June 13

Otto Pfister is back. The 68-year-old coach will sit on the bench as Togo take on South Korea under a closed roof at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt. Intervention by the players and the Togolese Football Association persuaded the German to return, but the pay dispute involving his squad remains to be settled.

World Cup Stadia Roofs To Close?

June 12

Complaints from broadcasting companies may lead to the closing of stadia roofs at Frankfurt and Gelsenkirchen due to the 'unslightly' reflections cast by the roof supports. However this move seems unlikely as temperatures continue to rise across Germany. The first World Cup game played in a covered stadium at the Silverdome in Detroit in 1994 saw pitch side temperatures rise to uncomfortable levels for both spectactors and players. None of Germany's covered stadiums enjoy the air conditioning of Sapporo's high-tech stadium in Japan where England defeated Argentina in 2002.

Togo Coach Quits

June 10

Togo's coach Otto Pfister has walked out on the national team after a dispute over pay between his squad and the Togolese Football Association. Former assistant Kodjovi Mawuena will now be in charge of the side for their first match with South Korea. Pfister, who took on the job in March after Stephen Keshi was sacked after a poor African Cup of Nations blamed the Togolese FA for the off-field problems. The Togolese Prime Minister Edem Kodjo has offered to travel to Germany to help solve the problems of players' World Cup bonuses.

Ticket Scam in Japan & China

7 June 2006

In shades of a ticketing scandal that left many Japanese fans outside of French stadiums begging for tickets in 1998, now we read that some 600 fans in Japan that purchased ticket plans will receive neither the tickets and travel vouchers they paid for nor a refund. According to the Asahi Shinbun newspaper, 608 customers who bought tickets from a Japanese travel agent, Max Air Service, will not be going to Germany. After Max announced it could not obtain a refund from its Chinese contractor, it has been front page news in Japan. The Chinese contractor failed to get the tickets, and has refunded 41.2 million yen of the payments but has yet to account for the remaining 30.8 million--and says it cannot. For its part, Max has said that it is unable to refund its customers.

France Tickets "Missing"

Over 900 tickets (552 group tickets and 355 conditional second round tickets) for France's games in Group G have gone AWOL in Strasbourg after arriving at the courier company DHL's offices from Paris. The electronic chips in the tickets have been deactivated by the German Organizing Committee following the discovery of the loss and will now be unusable.

The King of Beers Has German Fans Furious

6 June 2006

In a country with more than 1,200 breweries, Budweiser has been named the official beer for the Germany World Cup. The maker of the American lager has secured an almost complete monopoly on beer sales at the stadiums hosting matches. It is not just the taste (or lack thereof) that has Germans seeing red; Budweiser does not meet Germany's rigid purity laws, which state that beer can only be brewed from malt, hops, and water. The King of Beers uses rice. Regional beers, moreover, are a source of great pride for Germans.

Ticket Scam in Paraguay

4 June 2006

Officials in Paraguay are suspected of selling nearly half of their country's allotment of tickets for the England match to scalpers, who are then charging fans up to £645 ($1,213) a seat. Some 1,500 of the South American nation's allocation of 3,300 tickets for the first match have gone "missing."Four travel companies in Asuncion selected to sell these tickets have made allegations that they were essentially robbed. However, in spite of the shortage in Paraguay, tickets are easy to find in Europe - for a price. One tout was selling tickets and a night in a hotel for as much as €940 ($1,768).
The Paraguayan FA has not responded to the allegations.

New Berlin Station Opens

28 May 2006

Europe's largest railway station opened today in Berlin. The new station, located not far from the Reichstag and the Chancellery, was eight years in construction and completed at a cost 700m euros. The station links lines in the north and south of Berlin with those in the east and west of the capital. Up to 300,000 people and 1,100 trains a day are expected to use the new five-storey, 46m steel and glass structure, which stands close to where a part of the Berlin Wall used to be.

Terrorist & Neo-Nazi Threat

23 May 2006

A German police report by the German Federal Criminal Agency (BKA) leaked to Stern warns that "the biggest danger for the World Cup 2006 is in the threat of Islamic terrorism". The report mentioned 21 "high-risk" games which "from the perspective of the perpetrator, would be particularly rewarding". Matches involving the United States, England, Spain, Poland, Australia and Italy were included in the high-risk category due to those countries' involvement in the conflict in Iraq as well as the symbolic opening game in Munich and the final in Berlin. Security fears also concern the 300 big-screen viewing areas situated around Germany - which can hold up to 50,000 people as at the site in Hamburg. In Frankfurt giant screens will be floated on the River Main while fans watch from the riverbanks. There will be no bag searches and experts warn these public-viewing areas are at the greatest risk from potential attack. Football hooligans and Neo-Nazis also pose a threat, with extreme rightists planning a march in support of Iran's President Ahmadinejad, who has indicated he may attend the Iran v Mexico game in Nuremberg. Ahmadinejad has made statements denying the Holocaust.

Spain TV Coverage

Around 40% of Spaniards risk missing out on free-to-air TV coverage of the World Cup. A new channel LaSexta was awarded the rights by FIFA but due to a shortage of expensive set-top boxes - which can cost up to US$640 - many rural areas may not be able to receive coverage.

Goleo Maker Files for Bankruptcy

18 May 2006

The maker of the mascot for this year's World Cup has declared itself bankrupt after the toy flopped on the market.
The German firm Nici paid $36m for exclusive rights to "Goleo," a lion wearing a soccer jersey.
The Bavarian toy maker has applied to German courts for protection, but added nothing more, according to recent reports.
The company had high hopes for the stuffed toy mascot, the creation of the same firm that did the Muppets. Unlike Kermit the frog et al, Goleo was never a hit. Moreover, the doll is a lion--the mascot of arch-rival England--and a symbol that has nothing to do with host Germany whose national symbol is the eagle. Another source of consternation was its attire: no shorts.
And thus, with just weeks to go before the gold mine that is the World Cup, Goleo and Nici are out of the competition.

Italian Ref Has Accreditation Withdrawn

14 May 2006

Italian referee Massimo De Santi had his World Cup accreditation withdrawn by the Italian soccer federation (FIGC) after he was accused of taking part in match-fixing in Serie A matches. The Italian federation sent letters to FIFA to cancel his accreditation papers, and also those for linesmen Alessandro Griselli and Marco Ivaldi, and officials Paolo Bergamo and Pierluigi Pairetto. De Santi, Griselli, and Ivaldi had been chosen to officiate in the World Cup in June. Italian prosecutors are currently investigating into illegal betting. FIGC will not be nominating a replacement team.
De Santis and four other match officials have been named in a possible match-fixing scandal involving Juventus sporting director Luciano Moggi. De Santis has denied any wrong-doing.

Scalping and Reselling in Japan

9 May 2006

The Japanese media is beginning to report on scalpers in Japan who are reselling tickets to Japan's first round matches. Demand is huge, and in spite of official attempts to stamp it out, it is common and rampant. Web sites advertising match tickets are doing a brisk business, according to the daily newspaper Yomiuri.
FIFA prohibited the selling of tickets through agents in 2002, when Japan co-hosted the World Cup. The official tickets in Germany will have the buyer's name on it, which makes reselling a bit more tricky. However, the logistics of checking 60,000 fans entering a stadium proved too much in 2002. Match tickets also have IC chips implanted in them, which contain the buyer's personal information. However, as in Japan, the matter of stopping to confirm this will be problematic.
Online sites are also having auctions for match tickets. Hotels, however, are experiencing no such trouble.

Cologne Brothel Takes Down Saudi and Iranian Flags

25 April 2006

After receiving threats of violence from angry muslims, a brothel in Cologne has to remove the flags of Saudi Arabia and Iran from a huge World Cup advertising banner.The banner, which measured 24-meters-high by 8-meters-wide (78 by 26 ft), was hanging on the side of a building. The massive banner included a nearly nude woman and the following slogan: "The world as a guest of female friends. The world as a guest of friends." In addition, the flags of the 32 nations in the World Cup were shown below. Following the threats, the brothel blacked out the flags of Saudi Arabia and Iran.
According to an employee of the brothel: "Some people turned up and demanded that we remove the flags. First they were sensible but then they became threatening. The management here decided to do it so that we didn't get any more trouble."
The flags were removed; however, a local policeman said the owner was not required to do so as no crime had been committed.

World At Your Feet

21 April 2006

"World At Your Feet" England's official World Cup song, can be heard today for the first time on Radio 1 and on The Sun web site, complete with an interview with Danny McNamara the lead singer of Embrace and the lyrics!

Refs Get A Pay Rise

Fifa announced that referees' salaries for the 2006 World Cup will rise to US$40,000, double their salary for World Cup 2002 in Korea and Japan.
France's Nelly Viennot may become the first woman to officiate at a World Cup finals as she was chosen in the preliminary group of 82 assistant referees who began their testing program near Frankfurt this week. Viennot has refereed both French first division and Champions League matches.

"Golden Ball" for Final

19 April 2006

The Teamgeist Berlin (team spirit), or Adidas-made Golden Ball, will be used on July 9th at the Final of the World Cup. A giant model of the ball was displayed in Berlin by Franz Beckenbauer, former German great and current president of the German Organizing Committee.
For the other 63 games, the ball will be a simple black and white, which are the colors of the German national team. The ball for the final is called Teamgeist Berlin and features gold.

World Cup Games on TV in North America

14 April 2006

USA: SUM (Soccer United Marketing) hold the rights. The games will be shown on: ABC - 12 games ESPN- 21 games ESPN2 - 31 games, Univision - 56 games, Telefutura - 8 games, KBS World - 64 games. Also online at ESPN360. http://www.worldcup2006ontv.com/games?tzd=-7
Canada: Sportsnet, TSN, CTV and RDS
http://www.wcup06.ca/schedule_results/

New Legislation vs Ebay

11 April 2006

New UK legislation which came into effect yesterday bans the unlicensed sale of any tickets to this summer's World Cup in Germany. It was already an offence to sell tickets to England's group games. Fifa and the British government are upping pressure on the UK auction site Ebay.co.uk to remove ticket listings for World Cup tickets. UK law does not cover overseas web sites such as eBay.com.

DFB Opens Nazi Era Archives

The German soccer federation (DFB) has opened its archives from the 1930s, following the publication of a book commissioned by the DFB, Fussball unterm Hakenkreuz (Football Under The Swastika), that reveals the extent of the federation's collaboration with the Nazi regime in the 1930s. Jewish players, club officials and members of the press were all "deemed unacceptable" following the Nazi rise to power. FV Kahlsruhe and former international Julius Hirsch, a Jew, was later murdered in Auschwitz. The best English language retelling of this period is Ulrich Hesse-Lichtenburger's book Tor! The Story Of German Football.

World Cup Security Threats

4 April 2006

In addition to concern over the threat of English thugs, German officials are also casting a wary eye to the east. Fans in Poland, Croatia, and the Ukraine are problematic because the Germans don't know which ones are hooligans. This stands in contrast to England and Holland, where police have extensive records on troublemakers--and have passed those files on to the German hosts.
According to German Interior Ministry spokesman Christian Sachs, ''The fear there is the unknown."
Another concern are jumbo screen venues, which will be in city centers and made available for fans without tickets. The Ministry wants each locale to set up video surveillance, check backpacks, and even fence off the areas like a sports arena.
Germany also plans on reinstating pre-European Union border controls for the World Cup.
The memory of the 1972 Olympics hangs over all security measures and preparations.

World Cup Referees

31 March 2006

Fifa has named 23 referees for the 2006 World Cup with 7 back-up officials. In all 36 referees were on duty in 2002 in Korea/Japan. Graham Poll (England) and Markus Merk (Germany) appear again on the list this time around along with Peter Prendergast (Jamaica), Coffi Codjia (Benin), Lubos Michel (Slovakia), Kyros Vassaras (Greece), Jorge Larrionda (Uruguay), Carlos Batres (Guatemala) and Mark Shield (Australia).

First Name | Surname | Country | Date of Birth

Essam Abd El Fatah, Egypt 30/12/1965
Carlos Amarilla, Paraguay 26/10/1970
Benito Archundia, Mexico 21/03/1966
Carlos Batres, Guatemala 02/04/1968
Massimo Busacca, Switzerland 06/02/1969
Coffi Codjia, Benin 09/12/1967
Frank De Bleekere, Belgium 01/07/1966
Massimo De Santis, Italy 08/04/1962
Horacio Elizondo, Argentina 04/11/1963
Valentin Ivanov, Russia 04/07/1961
Toru Kamikawa, Japan 08/06/1963
Jorge Larrionda, Uruguay 09/03/1968
Shamsul Maidin, Singapore 16/04/1966
Manuel Mejuto, Gonzalez Spain 16/04/1965
Markus Merk, Germany 15/03/1962
Lubos Michel, Slovakia 16/05/1968
Graham Poll, England 29/07/1963
Eric Poulat, France 08/12/1963
Peter Prendergast, Jamaica 23/09/1963
Oscar Ruiz, Colombia 01/11/1969
Mark Shield, Australia 02/09/1973
Carlos Simon, Brazil 03/09/1965
Kyros Vassaras, Greece 01/02/1966

Note: Referees Batres and De Bleeckere are subject to fitness tests.

Seven referees, together with their assistants, have been nominated as back up officials in case of injury to any of the main group of 23 referees.

Khalil Al Ghamdi, Saudi Arabia 02/09/1970
Carlos Chandia, Chile 14/11/1964
Jerome Damon, South Africa 04/04/1972
Mohamed Guezzaz, Morocco 01/10/1962
Luis Medina Cantalejo, Spain 01/03/1964
Marco Rodriguez, Mexico 10/11/1973
Roberto Rosetti, Italy 18/09/1967

Source: FIFA

Teams' Hotels

22 March 2006

Angola - Ringhotel Celler Tor, Celle; Argentina - Hotel Herzogs Park, Herzogenaurach; Australia - Wald Schlosshotel Friedrichsruhe, Zweiflingen; Brazil - Kempinski Hotel Falkenstein, Konigstein im Taunus (Group stage); Brazil - Schlosshotel Lerbach, Bergisch Gladbach (Knockout stage); Costa Rica - Holiday Inn Walldorf, Heidelberg; Croatia - Dorint Resort & Spa, Bad Brückenau; Czech Republic - Lindner Hotel & Sporting Club Wiesensee, Westerburg; England - Hotel Buhler Hohle, Baden Baden; Ecuador - Bristol Hotel, Bad Kissingen; France - Schlosshotel Munchhausen, Aerzen; Germany - Schlosshotel im Grunewald, Berlin; Ghana - Maritim Hotel, Wurzburg; Iran - Ringhotel Krone Schnetzenhausen, Friedrichshafen; Italy - Landhaus Milser, Duisburg; Ivory Coast - Robinson Club Fleesensee, Fleesensee; Japan - Hilton Bonn, Bonn; Mexico - Hotel Freizeit In, Göttingen; Netherlands - Parkhotel Adler, Freiburg; Paraguay - Sport Academy Oberhaching, Baden Baden; Poland - Sport Academy Barsinghausen, Hannover; Portugal - Sport Academy Klosterpforte - Marienfeld; Serbia Montenegro Hotel Weissenburg, Billerbeck; Saudi Arabia - Hotel Dolce, Bad Nauheim; South Korea - Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg, Cologne; Spain - Sport Academy Keiserau, Kamen; Sweden - Park Hotel, Bremen; Switzerland - Kurhotel Furstenhof, Bad Betrich; Togo - Hotel Waltersbuhl, Wangen; Trinidad & Tobago - Hotel Landhaus Wachtelhof, Rotenburg; Tunisia - Mercure Hotel, Schweinfurt; Ukraine - Seminaris SeeHotel, Potsdam; USA - Park Hyatt Hamburg, Hamburg;
Referees - Kempinski Hotel Gravenbruch, Frankfurt.

Book these hotels at hotel.de

Ticket Humor

21 March 2006

Germans are reacting with something akin to gallows humor as the World Cup approaches. The German national team appear hopeless under the hapless Klinsmann and the difficulty in sourcing tickets is also getting genuine fans down. A reader in Germany sent in this image of a poster. The caption of the poster (right) reads in rough translation: "These tickets are too rare to be used. Lucky ticket holders prefer to display them."

Lost In Translation

19 March 2006

Japan's national coach, Zico, has criticized FIFA's decision to allow only one person into the technical area at this summer's World Cup. The Brazilian coach, like his predecessor, Frenchman Philippe Troussier, imparts instructions to his players via an interpreter. South Korea's coach Dick Advocaat, who also does not speak the language of the team he coaches, may also suffer under the new ruling. England's polyglot, Swedish coach Sven Goran Eriksson, prefers to transmit his pitch-side exhortations via his assistant, Middlesbrough coach, Steve McClaren.

Media Day at the Schlosshotel

17 March 2006

Wednesday was a media day at England’s base in Germany for this summer’s World Cup – the luxury Schlosshotel Buhlerhohe near Baden-Baden. England manager Sven Goran Eriksson and sports’ writers from the British press spent a night in the grand, baroque Schlosshotel Buhlerhohe, running a critical eye over everything from the size of the beds, the wine list and the temperature of the jacuzzi. The hotel, which has 90 rooms and 16 suites, will host the 50 strong party from the English FA plus members of the media from BBC and ITV. England’s training pitch at Buhlertal is a 20-minute drive from the isolated hotel. The England team will be given permission to visit the nearby spa-town of Baden-Baden, where the team’s wives and partners will be based, but its famous casino remains off-limits.

World Cup Condoms

14 March 2006

Local health authorities in Bavaria have launched a poster campaign in brothels in the southern German state to remind visitors of the local law: men must wear condoms when they visit prostitutes. Prostitution in Germany is legal, but religious and women's groups have voiced fears of an increase in forced prostitution and trafficking during the World Cup, involving in particular, women from Eastern Europe.

Brit Tabloids & Dutch Helmets

12 March 2006

The British tabloid newspaper "The Sun" kept up its tradition of bad taste and xenophobia regarding England - Germany footballing relations with a recent piece criticizing England's 1996 World Cup hero Geoff Hurst's decision to appear in an "advertising blitz" for the German national tourist board. "What if all our current England team decided to follow in Sir Geoff's goose-steps? Paul Rommelson, Shaun Reich Phillips, Waybe Bridge Too Far, Sven Goering Eriksson, Steve McMesserschmitt, Tord Gripenfuhrer - it's the stuff nightmares are made of," opined the sad rag.

Over in the Netherlands, they can't forget reminding the Germans of World War II either. Orange Nazi-style helmets have been flying off the shelves as a fashion item ahead of this summer's World Cup. Emblazoned with the legend "Hup Holland Hup", over 7,000 helmets a week have been sold since the Dutch FA banned them inside stadiums. Buy the England version here

Nazi Saluters to Be Prosecuted and Banned

11 March 2006

Home Secretary Charles Clarke announced that England supporters who give Nazi salutes at the World Cup in Germany will be prosecuted and banned from both domestic and international football matches.

In an effort at reducing the threat from English hooligans, Clarke said that behavior that inflames host Germany--giving a Nazi salute, denying the Holocaust, wearing Nazi symbols, etc.--is illegal in Germany, and Britain will support local authorities in prosecuting offenders.

"The era was one of total horror and destruction. It is not a joke or a thing to be made fun of and anyone who thinks it is is wrong. It is deeply insulting and wrong," he said.

Already more than 3,000 known thugs have been banned from going to Germany. To prevent breaches, German police officers will be working at British ports.

Guidebook to Germany for England Fans

4 March 2006

Among other items the England fan will want to pack on his sojourn to Germany this summer is the all-important German guidebook. Not just any guidebook. A standard list of hotels and sites, a few odd phrases--"Two lagers, please" and "How much, fraulein" and "Where is the loo?"--type guide just won't cut it during the World Cup. For the true fan, something more focused is required.
And just in time, the Free Lions England Fans' Guide to Germany 2006 has been published. In this guide, which includes information on Nazi monuments, there is also a select list of phrases ideal for match time.
Shiri, wir wissen wo dein Auto steht (Ref, we know where your car is).
Der Linienrichter braucht'ne Brille (The Linesman needs glasses).
Cooler heads are calling for a bit of restraint from the many England fans who will be traveling to Germany this summer. England Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson: "I'd particularly like to call on fans to avoid any anti-German singing and chanting during the World Cup. The song we really don't want to hear is the one about 'ten German bombers.'" This fan favorite celebrates the success of the Royal Air Force in shooting down Luftwaffe planes during the War.

100 Days to Go

1 March 2006

The countdown starts today. There are now officially 100 days to go until the first match kicks off the tournament on June 9th in Munich.

Another countdown also now starts: what problems remain, and which will actually be fixed?

All twelve venues appear to be ready, with each of them hosting matches prior to June following renovations. However, following reports about safety off the stadia, the official Organizing Committee has been on the defensive. Those fears appear to have been allayed.

Now though there have been reports that the opening gala set for June 7 has been cancelled. Instead, each host city will have its own opening party. Tickets are selling well to these events.

Dutch Turf Readied for Germany

17 February 2006

At a remote farm near the German border, a Dutch farmer is growing the grass that will cover seven out 12 of the World Cup grounds. Even the location within the farm of exactly which grass will be harvested and used in Germany is a tightly held secret.

According to farmer John Hendriks, "I've been sworn to secrecy by FIFA," he said. "We are worried that Dutch fans might trample on it because it's going to Germany."

The grass itself is a the result of cross-breeding two types--poa pratensis and lolium perenne--that should favor swift attacking play.

The grass was planted last April and will be harvested in May.

Inflatable Penises Enliven Bundesliga Draw

8 February 2006

Hundreds of Borussia Dortmund supporters brandished massive inflatable penises, taunting rival Schalke fans at a match on Saturday. The pink willies fronted a giant banner emblazoned in Dortmund's yellow and black that implied that Schalke fan's should auto-fornicate. The Schalke stadium in Gelsenkirchen will play host to four group matches and a quarterfinal at this summer's World Cup in Germany.

Du Bist Deutschland

31 January 2006

Jean-Remy von Matt, in charge of the "Du bist Deutschland" (You are Germany) advertising campaign to cheer up Germany ahead of this summer's World Cup, has been forced into an embarrassing apology following his comments in a leaked email that weblogs were "the toilet walls of the internet". The US$35.5m campaign has featured ads by prominent figures such as Franz Beckenbauer and Michael Schumacher urging Germans to have a positive attitude to their country. However, the campaign has drawn criticism in the media and in cyberspace when it turned out the slogan dates from the Nazi past.

AWACS To Scramble Over World Cup Venues

German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung announced that NATO will have AWACS surveillance planes patrolling the skies over Germany during the World Cup. "Such a major event has a potential for danger," he said, "We have to take precautions to anticipate developments as quickly as possible."
AWACS planes were also in action during the 2004 European Championships in Portugal.

British Football Association To Get More World Cup Tickets

28 January 2006

Some 2,000 extra World Cup tickets appear headed for the British FA, according to news reports. The tickets will be spread among England's three first round matches in the June World Cup. Most however will be allotted for the opener against Paraguay. The total received then looks to be about 11,000, or roughly 1,500 more than originally promised by the German organizing committee. About 125,000 English fans are expected to travel to Germany for the tournament. The FA automatically received 3,000 seats for each of the games: Sweden in Cologne, Paraguay in Frankfurt and Trinidad & Tobago in Nuremberg. With the increase in ticket availability there is the fear of hooligans entering Germany and causing trouble at matches. The FA security chief, Ray Whitworth, will inspect all three venues to attempt to ensure that the matches are as trouble-free as possible.

German Cops to Work with British Bobbies in both UK and Germany

25 January 2006

Prior to the start of the World Cup, German police officers will be in England to help get a feel for possible hooligans. The British Home Office also noted that the the German police will be in full uniform--but will not have "powers of arrest." Similarly, British police will be working in Germany during the June World Cup, but the issue of whether they will be able to make arrests in Germany has yet to be decided." The Government, police and supporters groups are working hard with the German authorities to make the World Cup a trouble-free tournament," said Home Office Minister Paul Goggins.There will also be banning orders as part of a plan to reduce the risk of trouble during the tournament."Football banning orders are one of the key tools we are using in the ongoing fight to keep Germany free from any travelling troublemakers," elaborated Goggins. Thirty-two teams from around the world will play in the tournament. Drawn in Group B, England plays its first match against Paraguay on June 10 in Frankfurt.

German Hotels Raise Prices

22 January 2006

Some German hotels are seeking a profit bonanza by raising their prices for this summer's World Cup finals. The 5-star Hotel Adlon in Berlin in Berlin has reportedly increased room rates from 385 to 750 Euros a night. Some hotels in Frankfurt have quadrupled prices by exploiting a loophole in German law which allows them to charge trade-fair rates. Fans are advised to find accommodation in surrounding towns to the World Cup venues and travel in for the games.
World Cup hotel and hostel accommodation

Socceroos to Base in Ohringen

21 January 2006

The Australian national team will be based in southern Germany in the town of Ohringen, the Football Federation of Australia (FFA) has announced. The Socceroos' hotel - the luxury 45-room Wald and Schloss Hotel, complete with golf course - is located about 75 kilometres from Stuttgart. The team will be able to drive to their Group F matches, where they face Japan in Kaiserslautern, Brazil in Munich and Croatia in Stuttgart. The team will train at the nearby Otto-Meister Stadium.

Railway Workers Threaten Strikes During Cup

20 January 2006

German media reported that railway workers may go on strike in June during the World Cup if the government attempts to split up Deutsche Bahn, the state-owned rail operator.

"We don't want to but if necessary we will strike during the World Cup," said union leader Klaus-Dieter Hommel in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. Germany's transport head was quoted as saying this week that the government would decide later in the year what perparatory steps it would take to list Deutsche Bahn on the stock market.

One option, according to the minister, would be to split the rail giant into two firms, one in charge of tracks and the other operating trains. During the World Cup, Deutsche Bahn is planning to run extra trains during the World Cup, and is offering special 'Weltmeister' (world champion) prices. The special ticket prices--set at 54, 74 and 90 euros--are based on the years Germany won the World Cup.

Brazil To Base in Switzerland

17 January 2006

Brazil will begin their World Cup preparations in Weggis, Switzerland, after the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) was offered a staggering US$2 m to base in the central Swiss town on the shores of Lake Lucerne. The team will then move to the Kempinski Falkenstein Hotel in Koenigstein outside Frankfurt and later to the luxury Lerbach Castle near Cologne.

German Cops Told to Smarten Up

17 January 2006

German notoriously scruffy Federal Police forces have been ordered to remove stubbly beards, ponytails and ear-rings ahead of this summer's World Cup. Female officers are allowed discreet ear-rings and "socially adequate" make-up in new regulations which come into force on February 1.

3rd Public Ticket Ballot Closes

17 January 2006

The latest application phase for World Cup tickets closed at midnight on Sunday 15th January. 677,990 applications were received for a total of around 6 million tickets. Only 250,000 were available. 89% of the applications were received from Europe; 52% from Germany alone. Many matches are now sold out but tickets remain for the following games: Tunisia v Saudi Arabia, Munich, June 14; Saudi Arabia v Ukraine, Hamburg, June 19; Paraguay v Trinidad & Tobago, Kaiserslautern, June 20 and Iran v angola, Leipzig, June 21. Details of a final public ticket application will be announced in February or March.

Opening Gala Canned

14 January 2006

The opening gala for the 2006 World Cup finals has been cancelled by FIFA, due to rising costs and slow ticket sales. The performance, which was due to be staged June 7, two days before the first match, and to replace the traditional opening ceremony exceeded its budget of US$ 30.2 m. Aging musicians Brian Eno and Peter Gabriel, both popular in Germany, were due to appear on the show. FIFA will try to resurrect the project for 2010.

German Stadia "Death Traps"?

12 January 2006

An unholy row has broken out between Franz Beckenbauer, head of the World Cup Organizing Committee and the German consumer magazine Stiftung Warentest. According to the German watchdog magazine three of this summer's World Cup stadiums have "considerable deficiencies" which could cause them to be considered "potential death traps" in the event of a stampede during World Cup matches.

Big Screens

11 January 2006

Large video screens will be set up in the central squares of many German cities to allow ticket less fans to follow the action as it unfolds during this summer's World Cup.

Germany is keen to welcome tourists to savor the atmosphere of the World Cup even if they do not hold tickets to all the matches they wish to attend. Watch this space for further details on World Cup 2006 special events.

Baden Baden Berlin Cologne Dortmund Dusseldorf Frankfurt Freiburg Garmisch-Partenkirchen Gelsenkirchen Hamburg Hanover Heidelberg Kaiserslautern Leipzig Munich Nuremburg Regensburg Stuttgart Trier Tubingen

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