Germany
AIGNER FEARS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FAN FATIGUE
UEFA chief executive Gerhard Aigner says that the Champions League needs to be reformed to prevent fans losing interest in the tournament, according to a report in a British newspaper.
GLOBAL SPORTNET SIGNS FIVE-YEAR TV DEAL WITH ITALIAN SOCCER GIANT
Hamburg-based sports marketing agency Global Sportnet has signed a five-year contract with Italian Serie A soccer club Juventus FC.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND SHARES PRICED AT 11 EUROS
The initial public offering of Borussia Dortmund, the first German soccer club to list its shares, was priced at 11 euros per share, said the lead manager Deutsche Bank.
OCEANIA SOCCER MEETING ENDS IN DISARRAY
The Oceania Football Confederation's extraordinary congress called to elect a new president ended in disarray on Thursday without the vote being taken.
SYDNEY CHIEFS CONFIDENT OF CANBERRA KICK-OFF
Olympic organisers were more confident on Wednesday of being able to prepare a soccer pitch playing surface at Canberra in time for next month's Games, averting the need to move matches away from the federal capital.
FIFA CONFIRM WORLD CUP ROTATION PLAN
FIFA is to implement a new rotation system in awarding the rights to host its premier property, the World Cup.
GERMAN GOVERNMENT TO FINANCE BERLIN, LEIPZIG STADIUMS
The German government has confirmed that it will offer financial support to Berlin and Leipzig for the facelifts of their soccer stadiums ahead of the 2006 World Cup finals.
REBEL EUROPEAN BASKETBALL CLUBS SET TO SPLIT
European basketball is set to be split into two opposing camps in Thessaloniki today when newcomers ULEB will challenge the sport's governing body FIBA by announcing its own rival to the recently launched Suproleague.
2006 DECISION: MOROCCO SPEAK OF `BETRAYAL?
Moroccan officials said they felt betrayed on Thursday after falling out in the first round of voting to stage the 2006 World Cup ? and then faced further humiliation when their support for South Africa failed to bring the tournament to the continent.
ENGLAND BOOSTED BY FIFA VOTER
An influential FIFA executive committee member has promised to stick by England at this week?s crucial vote ? a move which may see it avoid a humiliating first round exit.
SOUTH AFRICA EXPRESS PITY OVER ENGLAND 2006 WORLD CUP PLIGHT
South African World Cup 2006 bid officials have said it would be a pity if the chances of rivals England were scuttled by UEFA'S threat to expel the English team from the European championship finals.
ESPN ACQUIRES RIGHTS TO 50 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
ESPN International has acquired a package of more than fifty 2002 World Cup qualifying matches from the European group, including matches involving England, Italy, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Norway, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Denmark and Portugal.
BECKER SLAMS NEW MASTERS SERIES
Boris Becker has criticised the new format of men's professional tennis and said that the game is heading for a crisis.
ENGLAND?S WC BID BOOSTED BY UEFA DECISION
The eight European members of the 24-man FIFA executive committee could cast their votes for England?s World Cup 2006 bid en bloc if Germany is eliminated in the early rounds of voting.
GERMANY SPRINT TO THE FINISH IN BID RACE
Germany need to give their all in the closing stages of the race to hold the 2006 soccer World Cup finals, German bid chief Franz Beckenbauer said.
ONDIGITAL WINS MASTERS SERIES TENNIS RIGHTS
OnDigital, the UK's digital terrestrial pay-TV unit, jointly owned by Carlton and Granada, has won the exclusive live rights for The Master Series tennis, according to The Observer newspaper.
ENGLAND SET TO IMPRESS WITH BID
The Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Tony Blair and film star Hugh Grant will lead attempts to impress international soccer chiefs who will inspect England's World Cup 2006 facilities this week.
ENGLAND 2006 BID TURNS TO AFRICA FOR SUPPORT
Former World Cup hero, Sir Bobby Charlton, championing England's campaign to host the 2006 World Cup, has appealed to Africans to support England if two bids from their own continent are unsuccessful.