Tales from Europe

Admit it, you've always wanted a live cup draw to go horribly wrong on television, leaving watching officials wearing that deer caught in the headlights expression on their faces. If you'd tuned in to German telly last Wednesday night you would have had your wish.

When Germany's world champion shot-putter Astrid Kumbernuss dipped into the pot to pluck out the final ball for the draw for the third round of the German cup . . . there was none. "I thought, uh huh, the gentlemen here are going have a big problem on their hands," she said of the blush-inducing moment.

It turned out that the ball for third division side Eintracht Trier had earlier split in two and Kumbernuss had put it to one side, leaving 1860 Munich with no opponents for their third round tie. "I actually found it quite amusing," said the shot-putter. "We actually didn't," muttered the bigwigs of the German football association who are now fearing legal action from whoever loses the tie between 1860 Munich and Eintracht Trier.