March 30th 1998: FIFA and their World Cup referees forecast there would be no flood of red cards over the tackle from behind. They told reporters they were happy with the definition of the tackle from behind that comes into effect in the finals starting in France on June 10. "I really don’t think referees are going to go crazy and use a lot of red cards", David Will president of the world body’s referees committee said.

March 31st 1998: UEFA President Lenhart Johanson labelled FIFA Secretary General Sepp Blatter the puppet of his boss Joao Havelange as the two prepare for a vicious duel to get world soccer’s top job.