FIFA unhappy about shadows being cast on World Cup

BERLIN, June 11 (Reuters) Despite soaring temperatures across Germany, the roofs of some World Cup stadiums may be closed to help eradicate distracting shadows being cast on the pitch, FIFA said today.

Markus Siegler, FIFA's Director of Communications, said television images were being spoilt by the distinctive shadows caused by stadium design, roof girders or other structures.

''Our priority of course is the players' health and their well-being in this heat,'' he told reporters at a daily news briefing.

''At the same time we have a responsibility to the billions of fans around the world watching on television and they are not seeing good pictures with the shadow markings on the pitch.

''Two of the 12 stadiums have roofs - Frankfurt and Gelsenkirchen -- and those roofs might be closed to improve the TV pictures.'' Distinctive shadows on the pitch during England's match against Paraguay in Frankfurt last afternoon were particularly noticeable and were caused by the steel rods holding a huge four-sided electronic TV cube in place high above the pitch.

The rods cast shadows of diagonal lines all over the pitch and the cube itself made a huge square shadow by the halfway line.

A high clearance from England goalkeeper Paul Robinson struck the cube during the match forcing the referee to re-start the match with a dropped ball.

The next afternoon match in Frankfurt is on Tuesday when South Korea play Togo.

The bright sunshine and stadium design in Dortmund and girders in the roof construction in Gelsenkirchen are also playing havoc with TV images.

FIFA however is also aware that closing the roofs would dramatically increase the temperature and humidity inside the stadiums.

During the World Cup in the United States in 1994 the Silverdome in Detroit became the first World Cup venue to stage matches indoors.

Siegler remarked: ''The temperature in that stadium reached around 50c (122 Fahrenheit) at times and we would not want a repeat of that situation.'' REUTERS PDS KP1813