Saturday, 1 July 2006, 12:28 GMT 13:28 UK
Berlin stadium announcer sacked
Berlin's Olympic Stadium announcer has been replaced after encouraging Germany in their quarter-final with Argentina.
His exhortation to the home crowd: "Ladies and gentlemen, our team needs our support" was contrary to Fifa neutrality rules for announcers.
A spokesman for the organising committee said: "He will no longer have the microphone at the stadium.
"He's been announcer at the stadium for years, but he was very excited because it was a special match."
Fifa spokesman Markus Siegler confirmed that rules dictated that stadium announcers must not show any bias towards teams.
Siegler said: "We have said he must stop this. This is part and parcel of the principle of fairness and this cannot be accepted.
"The local organising committee has replaced him with immediate effect."
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