World Cup sales risk: Beckenbauer

FRANZ BECKENBAUER, head of the 2006 World Cup organising committee, claims the sale of match tickets for the football showpiece in Germany is a mammoth task with black market internet providers keen to swell their coffers.

The tickets go on sale to the public on February 1, 2005, via FIFA’s official World Cup site www.FIFAworldcup.com and Beckenbauer acknowledges the enormity of distributing the 3.2 million tickets available.

“This is perhaps the most difficult task we will face,” said Beckenbauer on Monday.

“I only have to think how often I have been asked about tickets to recognise that demand will outstrip supply.”

The ticket prices will range from €35 for first round matches to €600 for the final in Berlin on July 9, 2006. All match tickets will have a chip inserted to prevent people entering the stadium with an invalid pass but Horst R Schmidt, vice-president of the organising committee, fears fans will still use unofficial outlets.

“We want to stop fans being duped by fake offers. We can only warn supporters not to use unofficial internet providers,” said Schmidt. The World Cup begins on June 9 with Germany playing the first match in Munich.