TOKYO, June 5: The governor of Saitama prefecture, which includes the site of Japan’s opening World Cup match against Belgium, blasted FIFA Wednesday, saying football’s world governing body was “rotten.”

“I was told tickets for the match were sold out, but I cannot confirm it. FIFA is totally rotten,” governor Yoshihiko Tsuchiya told a news conference.

On Tuesday, almost 56,000 spectators including Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako, cheered on the co-hosts as Japan picked up its first-ever World Cup point at the Saitama Stadium 2002, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) northwest of Tokyo.

But some 700 seats were left empty at the stadium even after allowing for the roughly 7,000 places the Japanese World Cup organizing committee (JAWOC) said were long reserved for photographers as well as for security reasons.

“Before the match, I told them I would like to bring some 10 guests, but they told me I could not do it,” Tsuchiya said.

“I told them, ‘don’t kid yourself, I live here.’ Who do they think they are?” the govenor said.

On Tuesday, Tsuchiya visited JAWOC office in Tokyo and demanded it set up ticket sales phone lines. JAWOC insisted it could not do so in time for the game.—AFP