Oliver Bierhoff has admitted Germany will find it harder to beat Argentina tomorrow than they did to overcome England.

Initial medical tests on Argentine football hero Diego Maradona, who is being treated at a private clinic for alcoholism and excessive eating, are all “favourable”, doctors said.

Diego Maradona headed a ball with fellow soccer legend Pele as his top guest, hobnobbed with movie stars and entertainers and made a splashy debut as a TV talk show host.

A World Cup referees’ chief has denied the credibility of officials had been undermined by the mistakes which led FIFA president Sepp Blatter to describe refereeing at the tournament as ‘‘inadequate’’.

The Spitting Image puppet of former Manchester United footballer Eric Cantona was today sold for £4,000 at an auction of footballing memorabilia.