Argentina

The Argentine football federation (AFA) has been in frantic last minute negotiations with three banks in order to find the $35m (?39.66m) necessary to avoid a strike on Friday.

Television distributor Venevision International has been chosen by satellite broadcaster DirecTV to sub-license the rights to the 2002 soccer World Cup in a number of Latin American nations.

Argentine soccer players are planning to go on strike for the second time this year over unpaid wages and bonuses.

FIFA president Joseph Blatter praised a successful Copa America on Friday even though chaotic organisation caused most countries to send reserve teams and favourites Argentina to pull out altogether.

South American Football Confederation (CSF) president Nicolas Leoz, whose organisation staged the Copa America at only six days' notice, says his dream is for every country in the Americas to take part in the future.

Latin American pay-TV sports network PSN is to broadcast more than 100 matches from two of the region?s soccer tournaments ? the Copa Mercosur and the Copa Merconorte.

Sports rights marketing company Traffic has expressed dismay at poor ticket sales for the first two quarter-finals of the controversial Copa America.

Yet another South American soccer tournament is in danger of disappearing as doubts arise about the participation of Brazilian teams in the Copa Mercosur 2002.

France stayed ahead of Brazil atop of the FIFA world soccer rankings for a third straight month, while Germany climbed three places to fifth.

Pay-TV sports network PSN, which operates across Latin America, was the highest ranked cable channel for sports in Argentina during June.
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Fox Sports International has teamed up with Argentine broadcaster TeleRed Imagen to launch a Spanish language sports television network serving both the Latin American and US markets.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has written to all members of the FIFA executive committee and all national associations concerning the bankruptcy of the ISMM Group.

Sponsoring the shirts of an international soccer team would cost about $50m, sports sponsorship consultants have told sportbusiness.com.

Cablevision and Multicanal have been ordered to transmit Sunday?s soccer international between Argentina and Columbia live on open television or lose their licenses.

UEFA president Lennart Johansson has called on FIFA chief Sepp Blatter to explain the collapse of FIFA's marketing agent ISL and the cancellation of the World Club championship or face the consequences, which could lead to his removal as president of the game's ruling body.

African soccer officials will meet in Johannesburg next Wednesday to discuss the recent spate of crowd deaths at soccer stadiums on the continent.