Did German fans need extra encouragement to back their team?

His exhortation to the home crowd: "Ladies and gentlemen, our team needs our support" was contrary to Fifa neutrality rules for announcers.

A spokesman for the organising committee said: "He will no longer have the microphone at the stadium.

"He's been announcer at the stadium for years, but he was very excited because it was a special match."

Fifa spokesman Markus Siegler confirmed that rules dictated that stadium announcers must not show any bias towards teams.

Siegler said: "We have said he must stop this. This is part and parcel of the principle of fairness and this cannot be accepted.