BERLIN, June 2 (Xinhua) -- German World Cup organizers had asked the army whether soldiers could be used to fill empty seats at football World Cup stadiums, but dropped the idea later, local media reported Friday.

    The Organizing Committee made the request in April when it was clear that tens of thousands of VIP tickets remained unsold, rousing fear of yawning gaps of seats at matches, German news magazine Der Spiegel said.

    The army was also asked if it could delegate soldiers in civilian clothes to fill in places near the pitch so they could help with security when necessary.

    Der Spiegel said that the army said it would only authorize troops to perform stadium duty if they were allowed to wear uniforms, but this is something that the FIFA rejected.

    The magazine said that the organizers dropped the idea of using soldiers to empty seats this week, saying the seats close to the pitch would be reserved for "persons of trust" such as aides and functionaries. Enditem