France

World champions France have abandoned plans to play friendly internationals in South America early next year and will instead play two games in Europe.

France, currently president of the European Union, is pressing for sports "specificity" to be recognised by the European Commission after EU plans to scrap transfer rules sparked consternation in soccer.

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

Beijing is eyeing the 2008 Olympics as a cure for problems ranging from choking smog to taxi-clogged streets, and as an image boost for the Communist capital.

Eurosport, the pan European TV channel, has officially unveiled its new sports news channel Eurosportnews in Paris.

Miami-based sports rights and production network, Sportsmania, has acquired exclusive rights for a number of key French soccer games.

Thailand has said it would pursue its dream of hosting the Olympics despite rejection of its bid for the 2008 Summer Games.

The race to host the Olympic Games in 2008 has now begun in earnest following the announcement of the shortlist by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Holders Real Madrid will find out their first opponents in the 2000/2001 Champions League on

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson has welcomed a move by the French soccer club Strasbourg to take legal action against some supporters for incitement to racial hatred.

Arsenal Football Club has reported a surge in pre-tax profits from #2.07m ($3.10m) to #23million ($34m) thanks largely to the #23million departure of Nicolas Anelka to Real Madrid.

The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRFU) has announced that the All Blacks will play a Pacific rim Barbarians side in Tokyo in November.

Portuguese international Abel Xavier has decided to fight a nine-month ban by soccer's European governing body UEFA in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

UEFA president Lennart Johansson has warned of a catastrophe waiting to happen if big clubs carry on spending huge sums of money on players in the transfer market.

Leading Swedish clubs AIK Stockholm, IFK Gothenburg and Helsingborg might be interested in playing in a new European league if governing body UEFA backs the idea.

Season ticket sales by French first division clubs have hit a new high despite the vast majority of the country's best players plying their trade abroad.