Gerrard misses training

BUEHLERTAL: England midfielder Steven Gerrard missed training as a precaution on Wednesday to rest a stiff back. Gerrard left Tuesday’s training early, complaining of the problem. However he is expected to be fit for England’s World Cup opener against Paraguay on Saturday. The only other absentee was striker Wayne Rooney, who had left for Manchester, England, to have a scan on his broken right foot. The result will determine if Rooney can play any part in the World Cup.

Looking to unite people

BERLIN: FIFA president Sepp Blatter and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan want the World Cup to help people around the world come together. The two men referred to soccer as “a global language,” adding that teamwork and fair play in soccer “can contribute to the well-being of whole communities and countries. It can bridge social, cultural and religious divides,” they said on Tuesday in a joint statement.

1998 victim invited

BERLIN: Daniel Nivel, the French policeman who suffered brain damage after being attacked by German hooligans at the 1998 World Cup, has been invited to attend Germany’s match against Poland on June 14. German football federation (DFB) general secretary Horst R Schmidt said the 43-year-old Nivel was expected to be accompanied to the game by his wife and two sons. Nivel spent six months in a coma after being attacked by German hooligans before the Germany vs Yugoslavia match at the 1998 World Cup in France.