German Football Fans Downgrade Ticket Request For England Friendly To Sub-1,000

German football fans have "turned their backs on Tuesday night’s glamorous Wembley friendly against England with so little interest" that the German football federation (DFB) has downgraded its ticket request to "less than 1,000," according to Sam Wallace of the London INDEPENDENT. The interest in the game "is in stark contrast to the estimated 18,000-20,000 Polish fans who attended the World Cup qualifier against Poland last month." While it is "unclear why the Germans have decided not to attend the game, which the FA still expects to sell out," the DFB believe it is because the "mid-week scheduling makes it more difficult for travel." Germany plays Italy in Milan on Friday night and it is expected that their supporters "will attend that game in far greater numbers." There have been "concerns about elements of England’s support seeking trouble with German supporters visiting Wembley" and the FA believes that "fewer away fans will mean that the threat of clashes is vastly reduced" (INDEPENDENT, 11/14).