Berlin's police chief has banned the city's 23,000 police officers from flying the German flag during the World Cup.
"The reason for this is quite simple. They have to be visible as policemen, not German fans," a police spokesman in the German capital said. "If there are incidents with fans from any countries, the police have to be neutral."
German authorities tend to be uneasy about displays of nationalism and patriotic fervour after the country's experience under the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler.
FIFA to ask Lavolpe not to smoke
FIFA will write to Mexico's colourful coach Ricardo Lavolpe asking him to stop smoking during Mexico's World Cup matches.
Although Lavolpe is not breaking any regulations, FIFA has already asked all coaches not to smoke during games. TV pictures showed the 54-year-old Argentinian-born coach puffing away at pitchside during his team's 3-1 win over Iran on Sunday.
FIFA spokesman Markus Siegler said yesterday FIFA would look at replays of the coverage and ask him to observe the guidelines.
Many coaches have smoked in the past, most famously Cesar Luis Menotti who led Argentina to victory in the 1978 World Cup final in Buenos Aires.
Sweden deny reports of rifts
Sweden strongly denied media reports yesterday suggesting a rift within their camp ahead of their crucial Group B game against Paraguay on Thursday. Swedish media reported a bust-up between skipper Olof Mellberg and midfielder Freddie Ljungberg in the dressing room after 10-man Trinidad held them to a surprise 0-0 draw on Saturday.
It was also reported that coach Lars Lagerback and his assistant, Roland Andersson, disagreed over the timing of the substitutions during the game.
"There are no problems in our camp, none at all. It's just you guys trying to find something wrong," Lagerback told reporters.
Cafu faces prison term
The Italian prosecutor leading a court case against Brazil's World Cup captain Cafu on charges of falsely obtaining an Italian passport called yesterday for a 10-month prison sentence if he is found guilty.
The prosecutor also sought prison sentences for several other people involved in the case, including Cafu's wife, the former president of Roma Franco Sensi and another former Roma player Gustavo Bartelt.
The verdict could come as soon as today, but even if found guilty, Cafu is unlikely to face jail, as under Italian law people with no former convictions usually have prison terms of less than two years suspended.
The case dates back to 2001 when 11 players in Italy were handed bans of up to a year after they were found to have obtained Italian passports with false documentation.
Gaining dual citizenship allowed the players to avoid being counted among the restricted number of 'non-EU' players allowed at each club.
Iran's Ali Daei injured
Iran striker Ali Daei could miss his team's next Group D match against Portugal on Saturday due to a back injury.
Ali Daei briefly watched as his team-mates trained at a local pitch but did not take part. The 37-year-old captain is seen as a father figure and an inspiration for the whole team.
Ali Karimi, who has been nursing an ankle injury since March but also played against Mexico, took part only briefly in training. He ran barefoot several laps around the pitch before piling icepacks on his ankle.
Cocu praises Dutch defence
Dutch midfielder Phillip Cocu said his team showed the defensive strength needed for a successful World Cup in the 1-0 win over Serbia on Sunday. Winger Arjen Robben sealed the win with a goal after 17 minutes and received all the plaudits for a dazzling display. But Cocu said the overall performance was very satisfying.
"We played with a man in front of our defence and that gave us the advantage that when we recovered possession of the ball we always had a free man," Cocu told Reuters.
"That system means our central defenders were often in one-on-one situations but they handled them very well."
FIFA deny bribery allegations
FIFA has strongly denied allegations of bribery and corruption made in the BBC television programme Panorama on Sunday night.
In a wide-ranging investigation into world soccer's governing body, reporter Andrew Jennings said that senior FIFA officials including president Sepp Blatter had abused their positions in relation to their former, and now defunct, commercial partner ISL.
Jennings has written a book on the subject: "Foul! The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote Rigging and Ticket Scandals."