Belgium

The only England football fan to be jailed for rioting during the Euro 2000 championships has lost his appeal against his conviction, according to a report in The Independent newspaper.

The European Commission (EC) and soccer's governing bodies said on Tuesday they were optimistic they could soon reach a deal to bring player transfer rules more in line with European Union law.

Clubs who form a breakaway northern European League will not be able to take part in the lucrative Champions League, according to European soccer's ruling body UEFA.

FIFA said it is close to agreement with the European Commission on revamping disputed soccer transfer rules.

World and European soccer officials have gathered in Zurich to hammer out proposals aimed at avoiding the destruction of the game's transfer system.

FIFA will not change the result of the vote that gave the 2006 World Cup finals to Germany despite an appeal being mounted by narrow losers South Africa, a FIFA official said on Thursday.

Facts about the FIFA vote to decide who stages the 2006 World Cup finals, which will take place on Thursday in Zurich.

NBA fans in more than 750 million households around the world will be able to tune into the NBA Finals 2000 featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and the Indiana Pacers.

The European Parliament has voted down a resolution from British opposition Conservatives calling for the England-Germany Euro 2000 match to be moved from Charleroi's controversial stadium.

Belgian authorities acted out their Euro 2000 "disaster plan" earlier this week at Brussels' King Baudouin Stadium, the ground rebuilt and renamed after the 1985 Heysel tragedy.

A simulated riot and fire drill intended as a test of security procedures for next year's European soccer championship had to be cut short at the weekend after a group of real hooligans turned up. The police, ambulance and fire services had invited about 800 volunteers to simulate a mass exit from a pretend fire in Rotterdam's De Kuip stadium and disturbances outside the ground.

UEFA, battling to avert the creation of a breakaway Super League, it may merge two of Europe's three major competitions.

A joint four nation Nordic bid to host the European Championship finals of 2008 is to be considered, a spokesman for the Danish soccer federation has said.

Organisers of next year's Euro 2000 soccer tournament say they have received applications for more than one million tickets after the initial batch of 400,000 went on sale to the public.

The Greek FA (EPO) has called on the Greek government to throw their backing behind a joint bid with Turkey to stage the European soccer championship in 2008.

Austrian and Swiss soccer officials will meet in Bern on March 9 to discuss a possible joint bid to host the 2008 European Championships, officials said on Tuesday.