Italy
Sponsorship & Marketing

UK publishing company, The Future Network, has made a deal to acquire the official magazines of Manchester United and Chelsea from sports publishing and branding agency Zone - and has seen #55 million ($80m) added to its stock market value, according to the soccer industry newsletter, Soccer Investor.
Media

Fininvest, the holding company of Italian media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, has taken a minority shareholding in Sportal, the UK-based internet sports content company, according to a Financial Times report.

FIFA vice-president David Will, has cautioned Celtic and Rangers against setting up a proposed Atlantic League without authorisation from the world's governing body.
Business

Cameroon's soccer chief Vincent Onana is being investigated by judicial authorities over the alleged sale in Europe of World Cup tickets meant for Cameroon fans, officials said on Friday.
Business

A new European Super League moved several steps closer after announcemnts from UEFA, and top clubs Manchester United, Arsenal and Ajax Amsterdam.
Business

Italian soccer club Lazio , which floated on the Rome Bourse in May, has announced a net profit for 1997/1998 of 7.0 billion Italian lire ($4.18 million).

Business

Yugoslav soccer club must play European games at neutral venues because of the political situation in the country, European soccer's governing body UEFA has said.

Italy's Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema met Fiat honorary chairman Giovanni Agnelli and other members of a Turin-based group on Monday to discuss the city's bid to host the 2006 winter Olympic Games.

With the deadline for cancelling the season just three days away, NBA commissioner David Stern and Players Association chief Billy Hunter got together Monday to discuss a proposal from the players.

Business

Italian commercial broadcaster Mediaset has been awarded the rights to broadcast the Champions? League soccer matches in Italy for the next four seasons.

Business

The IOC says it has no plans to move its headquarters - despite angry reactions from locals after it snubbed Switzerland's bid to host the 2006 Winter Olympics.

The IOC?s executive board will meet next month to receive reports on the progress of the 2002 and 2006 Winter Games.
Business

MP Web, the new media division of Media Partners, has signed an exclusive deal with Tele+ for the acquisition of internet rights for 18 Italian Serie A and Serie B soccer clubs.
Business

Italian Serie A soccer club Juventus has signed a new shirt sponsorship deal with the country?s broadband ISP FastNet for next season, replacing broadcaster Telepiu, whose deal was worth #5.5m ($7.79m) a year.
Events

ABC and ESPN have bought the exclusive broadcasting rights in the US market for premier IAAF events in a three- year agreement with the IAAF and ISL Worldwide.
Events

Martina Hingis and Mary Pierce did not exactly blaze a trail for feminism when they played in the first women's tennis tournament in the Gulf region this week. But they were part of a quiet revolution taking place in the area.

Cycling's international governing body plans to crack down on the use of performance-enhancing drugs during the 2001 season, according to its president Hein Verbruggen.
Business

This season's secondary European club rugby competition has been launched with a new name, the European Shield rebranded as the Parker Pen Shield.