Ismail Bhamjee, a Fifa executive committee member from Botswana, has been asked to leave the tournament after admitting selling England World Cup tickets at three times their face value. Fifa president Sepp Blatter chaired an emergency committee meeting that concluded Bhamjee should be relieved of his World Cup duties and the official was asked to ‘leave Germany at the earliest possible moment’. Blatter confirmed: ‘In such a situation, Fifa acts immediately and firmly.’ Bhamjee admitted to his indiscretion in a statement released last night: ‘I hereby confirm the fact that I have sold on 12 CAT 1 tickets of the 2006 Fifa World Cup match England versus Trinidad & Tobago (played on June 15 in Nuremberg) for €300 each, i.e. €200 above face value (€100) for each ticket. I deeply regret this incorrect act’
He can’t be serious
Tennis player Andrew Murray plans to emulate Brazilian star Ronaldinho and smile more when under pressure. Murray, 19, has become renowned for his bad temper and said he needed to find a way to cope with the pressure of important matches. ‘Ronaldinho is my favourite footballer. He just smiles regardless of what the score is or if he makes a bad pass. That’s something I have to try and get into my game a bit more,’ he said
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Kaiser sees red
Franz Beckenbauer, head of Germany 2006, has accused World Cup referees of handing out too many yellow cards and claims bookings for time-wasting are ‘stupid’. Somebody might like to inform Herr Beckenbauer that the officials are simply acting under the orders of Fifa. World football’s governing body has told referees to clamp down on time-wasting by booking offenders immediately
Bulgarians in a stitch-up
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Two Bulgarian prisoners have sewn up their mouths and are refusing to eat until they are allowed to watch the World Cup. The two lifers had demanded a television in their cells in the Pazardzhik jail. The pair, who left a small part of their mouths unstitched so they can smoke, have warned another 15 prisoners will follow suit if their demands are not met
Things you wish you hadn’t said
Jason Culina has taunted Brazil ahead of their clash with Australia by insisting: ‘We are not scared of you.’ The PSV Eindhoven player is expected to be in the Socceroos midfield in Munich today and doesn’t feel there is any reason for them to feel scared about facing Ronaldinho, Kaka and Ronaldo. ‘There is no aura about Brazil,’ he said
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Some Dutch fans really are pants
Hundreds of Dutch supporters watched their team’s 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast on Friday in their underwear. They turned up at the match in Stuttgart in bright orange lederhosen displaying the name of Dutch brewery Bavaria. Stewards told them they had to remove the offending outfits or they wouldn’t be allowed in — so they did. The reason for the strip order? Budweiser is the tournament’s official beer and Fifa always takes care of its sponsors