Customs 'destroy rare World Cup shirt'

A collector has accused customs officials of destroying a jersey worn by France striker David Trezeguet during his country's World Cup Final victory in 1998.

Olivier Demolis had bought the number 20 shirt for €3,350 (£2,840) in cash plus shirts belonging to Nicolas Anelka and and Stéphane Grichting, The Guardian reports.

However, the Trezeguet jersey - worn by the unused substitute during the 3-0 victory over Brazil - was reportedly destroyed by customs officials who believed it to be fake.

Demolis told Le Dauphine Libere: "I saw it on eBay and paid €7,300 to buy it off a collector in Brazil. That was €3,350 cash plus two jerseys from my own collection, an Anelka France one and one of Grichting from Auxerre.

"I was prepared to pay so much because those French jerseys from '98 are very hard to come across. There are only six in circulation: a Zidane, a Trezeguet, a Desailly, a Boghossian and two Guivarc'hs."

He added: "On 16 November last I got a call telling me that the package had arrived and was being held at customs so I told them I'd swing by in the afternoon to pick it up.

"When I got there they told me that customs officials had destroyed the jersey for being a counterfeit. I was furious!"

Demolis has reportedly written to Trezeguet, the French Football Federation and French president Nicolas Sarkozy in a bid to remedy the situation.