Romania

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Rising violence amongst Romanian soccer fans has spawned a new phenomenon in the country's post-communist sport - the gun-carrying soccer star.

Romania on Friday extended a ban on referee Florin Chivulete after he was accused of offering women to match officials, ruling him out of domestic as well as international soccer.

Romania and South Africa have signed a bilateral co-operation agreement in Pretoria to lay the foundation for practical relationships at the level of sport federations, clubs and schools.

This season's European Cup Final - likely to be the last under the current format - will be played at the Nou Camp Stadium, home of Barcelona.

The head of a leading sport marketing company in Romania has slammed the International Gymnastics Federation (GIF) for failing to allow payment at GIF sanctioned events.

French customs officials have seized more than 77,800 pairs of counterfeit Adidas, Fila and Sprandi sports shoes in a shipment from China at the French port of Le Havre.

Vasile Ianul, who is standing trial on charges of fraud during his tenure at Dinamo Bucharest, has been appointed president of Romanian second division club Politehnica Iasi.

World and European soccer champions France have launched a publicity campaign aimed at keeping the French public interested in the team.

The Extreme Sports Channel has extended it reach to include the city of Louvain in Belgium.

Crvena Zvezda Belgrade has said they planned to ignore an order by UEFA to play a European match at a neutral venue because of political tension.

The president of Rapid Bucharest has been banned from any involvement with the Romanian first division club for six months for forging the contract of a player's transfer, the country's soccer federation (FRF) said in a statement.

Romania's sports ministry (MTS) has launched an official investigation into alleged financial irregularities at the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, a ministry spokesman has said.

Romanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile has accused local soccer club presidents of resorting to illegal payments in a long-running match-fixing scandal, the first such accusation made by the country's top leaders.

Alexandru Siperco, veteran Romanian member of the IOC who persuaded Communist authorities to compete in the 1984 Los Angeles Games, died on Monday. He was 78.

Celta Vigo's Russian international Valery Karpin is hoping to finish the season with the status of a European Union national after taking his case to a Madrid court this week.