Linesman hit: Stuttgarter Kickers German Cup second round match with Hertha Berlin was abandoned in the 86th minute last night after a linesman was hit on the head by an object thrown from the crowd. Hertha were leading 2-0 against their third division opponents when linesman Kai Voss fell to the ground. He received treatment for several minutes before being led off to the dressing room. Kickers coach Robin Dutt came out to appeal for calm but referee Michael Weiner decided to call a premature end to the match. Kickers had reached the second round thanks to a fantastic victory over Hamburg SV.
Ligue 1 refs: Nice coach Frederic Antonetti has criticised the refereeing in Ligue 1, saying his club had been penalised by match officials on several occasions. "Nice might be four points down due to refereeing mistakes," Antonetti told reporters yesterday. "There have been mistakes with consequences." Several coaches and club presidents have criticised refereeing in France over the last few weeks, notably after a string of controversial penalties. French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes issued a statement this week telling club officials to stop complaining about the referees. Nice are 17th in the 20-team league.
Ref banned: Angel Bekyarov became the fourth Bulgarian Premier League referee to be suspended this season by the country's football union (BFU). Bekyarov was taken off the referees' list for an unspecified period after committing errors during Lokomotiv Sofia's 1-1 draw with city rivals CSKA on Monday. The BFU's refereeing commission also said Bekyarov was not in appropriate physical condition. Referees Momchil Vraikov, Dimitar Dimitrov and Anton Genov have all been suspended recently after making significant mistakes in matches. Match referees earn $641.4 each, while their assistants get $449.
Beer sales: FC Copenhagen, who are sponsored by Carlsberg, have got the green light to sell Carlsberg beer at Parken Stadium at their next Champions League games. The Danish champions, who carry Carlsberg's name on their shirts, were told in a letter from UEFA yesterday they could sell light beer at their upcoming Group F matches against Manchester United and Celtic. Copenhagen were only allowed to sell non-alcoholic beer at their first Champions League match against Benfica, much to the dismay of their fans, who can buy beer at Danish League games. Liverpool, who also carry Carlsberg's name on their shirts, do not sell beer to fans during their Champions League games in Group C.
Friendly in France: Sweden will play the Ivory Coast in a friendly on November 15 in Le Mans in France. The match will be played at the Stade Omnisports and will be the first meeting between the two countries who both reached the World Cup finals in Germany earlier this year. Sweden reached the second round where they were beaten by the hosts Germany, while Ivory Coast were eliminated at the group stage.
Fred out: Lyon striker Fred will be out of action for the rest of the year after tearing a muscle in his right thigh in Sunday's 4-1 win at Marseille. Norway's John Carew and 19-year-old French forward Karim Benzema are set to deputise for the injured Brazilian.