Upset Paraguay players ban Swedish reporters

OBERHACHING, Germany, June 12 (Reuters) - Swedish reporters were barred from attending Paraguay's World Cup training session today at the request of the players.

The session was described as open to the media and Paraguay players had agreed to speak to reporters afterwards.

But they requested that Swedish reporters should be kept out, the Paraguayan delegation's vice-president Juan Angel Napout.

He told Reuters: ''There was a story written in one Swedish newspaper which has upset the players.

''It was a kind of fabrication written about things they said happened when we played in Denmark - and they are upset about it.

''They said that the players were chasing some girls and they did some interviews, but the lads say it is not true.

''So they said they don't want any Swedish reporters here for the training.'' Paraguay drew 1-1 with Denmark in Aarhus last month.

Paraguay's head of media relations Guillermo Battilana said: ''It was all a fantasy written by the Swedes.'' There were no Swedes present when the session began. They were stopped at the security cordons surrounding the training field at the Paraguay squad's retreat at the Oberhaching Sports Complex in southern Germany.

Paraguay play Sweden in their second group B fixture in Berlin on Thursday.

They lost their opening encounter against England 1-0 in Frankfurt last Saturday.

REUTERS AD VC0034