Sweden

Swedish league champions AIK Stockholm have recruited UEFA president Lennart Johansson to lead the club in the run-up to a possible stock market listing, AIK chairman Sune Hellstromer has revealed.

MTG, the Scandinavian media company, has bought 17% of the share capital of Stockholm-based soccer club Djurgaarden, worth SKr7m ($781,000), according to news sources.

An agreement to build a multifunctional motor sport complex in Moscow, part of which will be a Formula 1 track, has been approved by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and president of the British company TWR Group Tom Walkinshaw.

The ATP Tour will unveil the latest ad in its "New Balls Please" campaign in tomorrow's edition of USA Today.

Sportal has signed a major sponsorship deal with European online and recruitment portal StepStone.

European nations might not participate in a biennial World Cup due to pressure from clubs, says UEFA president Lennart Johansson.

Sweden?s answer to Rupert Murdoch, Jan Stenbeck, has bought a 17 per cent stake in soccer team Djurgarden. Stenbeck's company, Modern Times Group (MTG), owns several media companies, including the free commuter newspaper Metro which was introduced in the UK two years ago.

Eleven soccer clubs from five of Europe's smaller nations are to keep alive the prospect of a breakaway "Euroleague" in the face of UEFA's failure to address their concerns.

Moldova has been given permission by UEFA to use their main stadium for international matches this season, the country's soccer chief said.

Extreme Sports Channel, the adventure and adrenaline sports service, has become available on the UPC Sweden network from May 1st. UPCtv has signed an agreement with UPC Sverige to distribute Extreme Sports Channel in the city of Stockholm.

The bidding process by cities hoping to host the Olympic games has been open to abuse for years and needs a radical revamp, the mayor of Cape Town, which failed to win the 2004 Games, has said.

Only clubs which can prove they are financially stable and soundly managed will be allowed to compete in fixtures organised by UEFA from the 2003-04 season, European soccer's governing body has announced.

Twelve major clubs from six of Europe's smaller nations have met with UEFA, to voice their concerns about the growing gap between soccer's rich and poor and discuss proposals for a new "Euro League".

Sportal, the global provider of interactive sports content, has signed an extensive multi language sports content distribution deal with Yahoo! Europe.

NHL International, in conjunction with ESPN International, will distribute the 2000 NHL

From next season, the top-skiers of Sweden will be forced to pay 10% of their prize-money to the Swedish Skiing Association.