Netherlands

Ajax Amsterdam has taken a majority stake in Belgian first division side Germinal Beerschot of Antwerp.

Representatives from large clubs in the Netherlands, Scotland, Belgium and Portugal met in Amsterdam this week to discuss the problems of being big fish in small soccer ponds.

Yugoslavia's three teams competing in the UEFA Cup will play their "home" matches in the Netherlands, Bulgaria and Macedonia.

PSINet , the Internet solutions provider and full sponsor of Euro 2000, expects up to 150 million hits per day next summer from visitors to the official Euro 2000 site - a figure which would break records for daily site usage. World Cup France '98 recorded 70 million hits per day compared to less than a million hits per day for Euro 96.

A reassuring progress report on Euro 2000 has been issued by tournament director Alain Cortais.

Dutch soccer champions Ajax have taken a 51 percent in Ajax Cape Town, a new club which will start competing in South Africa's Premier Soccer League in the 1999-2000 season it has been confirmed.

Seven candidates are in the running for one of tennis' key jobs, as the International Tennis Federation votes for a new president next week.

The United States Postal Service has signed a three-year contract extension to remain the title sponsor of the professional cycling team led by double Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.

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.

European soccer's ruling body UEFA has "major concerns" over proposals by a number of clubs to abandon their national championships and set up their own league together.

Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU) party called on Thursday for the German government to help pay for the redevelopment of Munich's Olympic Stadium, which will host the opening game of the 2006 World Cup.

The European Commission has approved Euro 2000's ticket sales policy, just two days before the tournament kicks off in Brussels.

Euro 2000 co-hosts Belgium will spend close to $25million on security arrangements for the tournament, which begins June 10th. The Belgian Minister of the Interior, Antoine Duquesne, revealed that Belgian government spending to guarantee safety during the tournament is estimated at a total of 25 million Euros (approximately US$23 million).

Euro 2000 organisers have sent a letter to the Dutch parliament demanding MPs back proposals to make black market ticket sales illegal.

The Dutch government has topped up its security spending for next year?s Euro 2000 championship it is co-hosting with Belgium, bringing the total budget to $6.75million.

Organisers of soccer?s Euro 2000 have launched a crackdown of on-line black market ticket sales for the tournament.