Alcoholic Beer to Flow in World Cup Stadiums
May 10, 2006Whether they choose American Budweiser or German Bitburger, soccer fans will no longer have to suffer through drinking alcohol-free beer during the World Cup, the organizing committee (OK) announced Tuesday.
"There will be alcoholic beer at every game," the committee said. A limit of one liter (33.8 ounces) per person per order was also set.
The tournament's organizers also said it would keep open the option of re-examining a possible alcohol ban in the Cup's knock-out stages depending on experience gained during the group matches.
"Only the police can decide whether to ban the sale of alcohol for any particular game," Jens Grittner, a spokesman for the World Cup Organizing Committee, told AFP, adding that the responsible authorities in the stadiums will be in the position to react quickly to any problems.
The alcohol ban was initially a response to fans tanking up on liquid courage before running on to the field and disrupting play during last June's Confederations Cup.