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Organisers urge fans to use internet for tickets
(AFP )
Updated: 2006-06-02 14:03
The World Cup organisers said on Thursday that fans trying to buy tickets at the stadiums before the tournament kicks off on June 9 were wasting their time.

Fans have been trying unsuccessfully to buy tickets at the 12 stadiums in Germany, but have been told they can only reserve tickets through the Internet.

Only once the tournament begins will any remaining tickets be sold directly to the public.

Jens Grittner, a spokesman for the organising committee, said: "It is a big misunderstanding. The ticket offices are only open so that pre-ordered tickets that, for reasons of time, have not been sent out can be collected.

"The ticket offices can only sell tickets in exceptional cases."

Tickets representing eight percent of the stadium capacity for the 64 matches are still on sale, mainly after being returned from the allocations of national football federations.