No ticket? No worries.

With thousands of german and international football fans missing out on tickets for their desired matches, Berlin has been quick to provide the public with a variety of other viewing options. Most unique amongst the viewing areas is the area in front of the German parliament building (Reichstag) where each game is televised on big screens inside a scale-model of Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

The 40,000 square metre area allows over 10,000 supporters to view the game at any one time and, as befitting a real football stadium complex, the surrounding area also includes football pitches and football skills training sessions, allowing fans to get active themselves. Ironically, prior to the football world cup, it had always been forbidden for the public to play football in this area in front of the parliament.

This author gave the faux-stadium a test-run today in person for the Australia vs Japan match, televised from Kaiserslautern. The Australian side was victorious 3-1, their first victory ever in a football world cup. al

World Cup starts, Berliners disinterested

A report from the University of Hohenheim (nr Stuttgart) released today, showed Berlin to be Germany's most unenthusiastic World Cup host-city. Nationwide interest levels remain high however, with 82% of German citizens in favour of the competition, which starts today in Munich.

Of those Berliners asked, only 70% said they were in favour of the World Cup in Berlin, many citizens citing hooliganism and the expected high costs for the city as their major complaints.
Berliners also expressed disinterest in the festival and concert programme during the games.

Despite this mood from the locals, 250,000 football fans took part in the official opening of the much anticipated Fanmile on 'Straße des 17. Juni' in central Berlin on Wednesday. The long boulevarde linking the Brandenburg Gate with the Siegessäule (in the former West Berlin) will be shut for the duration of the competition. Five large screens have been installed - including one covering the Brandenburg gate (pictured below). Each game of the 33 day competition will be televised there, for those fans who missed out on a ticket. al