Football: Fifa wants unsold tickets returned

SEPP BLATTER, the general secretary of the game's world governing body, Fifa, announced yesterday that he was hoping extra tickets would be available to fans from outside France for the World Cup finals.

"We have asked France for the remaining tickets that were reserved for the retail market in France to be returned to Fifa," he said. "That will allow the federations of the countries in the finals to get more tickets."

The European Union had warned the French organising committee (CFO) that it was monopolising most of the tickets, but the CFO said it was following guidelines agreed by the EU.