Italy

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder thinks money has become too big in modern soccer.

Soccer side Sampdoria face expulsion from the Italian Cup after their second round match against Bologna this week was abandoned following crowd trouble.

NBA and Los Angeles Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant has acquired a 50% equity interest in the Italian professional basketball team Olimpia Milano, the Italian Professional Basketball League (IPBL) franchise.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has entered into a marketing partnership with Subaru of America, Inc, whereby Subaru vehicles will be provided for use by LPGA staff and extend to programmes with designated LPGA Tour events and selected LPGA Tour players.

International athletics chief Primo Nebiolo has said he no longer fears the stadium for next year's world championships will not be ready on time.

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

AC Milan, the soccer club controlled by Italian media magnate Silvio Berlusconi, should be listed on the bourse by the end of 2000, the club's vice president Adriano Galliani said on Tuesday.

The head of the Italian Olympic Committee's anti-doping panel has resigned and the organisation's former president Mario Pescante has been placed under investigation as Italy's soccer-doping scandal widened.

Brazilian striker Ronaldo has launched a Swiss-made chronograph watch and promised part of the revenue would go to keep poor children off Rio's streets.

The English Rugby Football Union (RFU) have played down speculation that England could be expelled from the Five Nations championship in a row over television revenue.

Massimo Moratti, the multi-millionaire owner of Inter Milan whose father scaled the heights with the Italian club in the 1960s, has resigned as president.

Italy's Antitrust competition regulator has told Telepiu it must stick to a law which limits any one pay-TV operator to a 60 percent slice of rights to broadcast Italian first division soccer matches.

Joan Gaspart, president of Spanish soccer side Barcelona, has today vetoed efforts by the G-14 group of top European soccer clubs to expand the group?s club representation.

Inter Milan's Uruguayan striker Alvaro Recoba has branded as unfair the upholding of a one-year ban for his part in a false passport scandal.

A survey of soccer players earnings by France Football, the weekly magazine, has found that Juventus player Zinedine Zidane is the highest paid player with an annual income of $11.6 million.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter called on Friday for worldwide bans against players who are found guilty of using false passports.