Balkans

More than a dozen countries have declared an interest in hosting either of the next two editions of the World Club Championship, FIFA said on Thursday.

UFA SPORTS has extended its existing contract with the Croatian Football Association until the year 2008.

European basketball is set to be split into two opposing camps in Thessaloniki today when newcomers ULEB will challenge the sport's governing body FIBA by announcing its own rival to the recently launched Suproleague.

ESPN International has acquired a package of more than fifty 2002 World Cup qualifying matches from the European group, including matches involving England, Italy, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Norway, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Denmark and Portugal.

Spanish soccer club ? and Champions League finalist ? Real Madrid has signed an exclusive marketing contract with Global Sportnet.

Yugoslavia will be excluded from this year's UEFA Intertoto Cup starting on June 19 and Macedonia will take its place instead, the European soccer body UEFA has said.

Czech police have arrested the country's top soccer boss Frantisek Chvalovsky and charged him with credit fraud, the CTK news agency reported. Police suspect Chvalovsky, who heads the Czech-Moravian Football Association, of a 640 million crown ($17 million) fraud connected with debts of a company he leads, the agency said. Police were not available for comment.

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

FIFA has given Azerbaijan a deadline of next Monday to settle its internal disputes or be banned from all international competition, a spokesman for the Azeri Soccer Federation (ASF) has said.

FIFA President Sebb Blatter has opened a new headquarter in Croatia for the Croatian Football Association.