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GERMAN soccer referees should wear advertisements on their shirts, their spokesman argued this week

GERMAN soccer referees should wear advertisements on their shirts, their spokesman argued this week. "We don't have to transform referees into advertising boards but why not have just a little logo on the chest?" suggested Manfred Amerell, spokesman for the Bundesliga referees.

German Football Federation (DFB) spokesman Wolfgang Niersbach said such a move would be impossible at present because world governing body FIFA banned advertising on referees' shirts.

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times