Tournament News
SWC in SA 'big mistake'
2010-01-27 12:56
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Munich - World football supremo Joseph Blatter made a big mistake when South Africa was elected host of the 2010 World Cup, Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
Hoeness told the local Muenchner Merkur daily that he will not travel to the June 11 to July 11 tournament which faces new security concerns and low ticket sales.
"I was never a friend of a World Cup in South Africa and Africa as long is the security issue is not 100 percent solved," Hoeness said.
"Mr Blatter had to have his way, I always considered it wrong. Now you have to make the best out of it (but) I am convinced that deep down Mr Blatter has realised that giving the World Cup to South Africa was one of the biggest wrong decisions he ever made."
Security has always been a key issue around the World Cup, but it was raised again after three men died earlier this month when gunmen attacked the Togo team at the African Cup of Nations in Angola.
However, South African officials insisted that everyone will be safe at the World Cup.
Poor ticket sales for the World Cup have also been reported, with a news conference on the issue scheduled for later on Wednesday in Johannesburg.