World soccer's governing body FIFA restated its regulations on team shirt numbers on Thursday after a misreading of the rules saw Germany play a friendly match without any names on their backs. The German team took on Belgium in Nuremberg on Wednesday wearing numbers one to 11 after the German FA mistakenly believed FIFA had changed its rules accordingly. “FIFA would like to put right the issue of shirt numbering for World Cup qualifying matches,” the governing body said in response to several infuriated German newspaper columns. “As at the World Cup Finals, where players must wear the numbers one to 23, FIFA is also using a consecutive number system for the qualifying games with numbers (for squads) running from one to 18. “In addition, we would like to point out that starting elevens are not obliged to wear the numbers one to 11.” FIFA said using names on shirts was voluntary for qualifying matches but had to be used at World Cup finals tournaments. It added that none of the World Cup qualifying rules, introduced in July 2007 applied to friendlies - meaning Germany was free to number its shirts how it wished from 1-18. Shevchenko talks collapse Talks between Chelsea and AC Milan over Andriy Shevchenko's possible return to the San Siro have collapsed, the Italian club's chief executive said on Thursday. “Talks over Shevchenko are deadlocked at the moment,” Adriano Galliani told reporters. “Milan was interested in taking the player on loan with the right to buy but Chelsea said no because it wanted a full sale, therefore negotiations are over.” The Ukraine striker spent seven years at Milan before moving to Chelsea in 2006.
