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Wednesday, 10 February 2010

World News Footballer Murder Haunts Draw

THE MURDER of a former professional footballer near Durban cast a shadow over the 2010 World Cup qualifying draw in South Africa.

Pieter Burgstaller, who used to play in goal for Salzburg, was an acquaintance of Franz Beckenbauer and German team manager Oliver Bierhoff. He was shot in the chest on Friday and robbed on a golf course 40 miles from Durban, scene of today's draw.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter condemned the murder but said the incident had no implications for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Burgstaller was not directly connected to the draw but ran an events management company, and had met Bierhoff on the flight out.

Bierhoff, who also had his briefcase stolen in Durban, admitted the incidents had highlighted security concerns.

"We won't be able to move so freely as we are used to at World Cup finals," he said, adding that he was "perturbed and shocked" by the death of Burgstaller.

South Africa's high-crime rate has been raised as a concern for organisers ever since the country was awarded the tournament.

Blatter insisted the murder could have happened in any country.

He said: "I just want to say how much we deplore that a tourist from Austria was shot dead yesterday on a golf course. We deplore that as we would deplore all death or casualties in any country.

"This tourist was not a member of the delegation coming for the draw and to make a parallel between FIFA's presence here and this death is not right.

"In a city of 3.5million some crimes will happen as they would in many other countries.

"On Friday evening in a tram station in Zurich a young girl of 16 years old was shot. Crime is everywhere and Zurich is 10 times smaller than Durban."

Copyright (c) 2009 Press Association

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