Germany

The head of the Brazilian football federation has insisted that his country's economic crisis would not affect its bid for the 2006 World Cup.

German soccer authorities have said they had been taken by surprise by a new FIFA rule on World Cup stadium capacity which rules out several of the country's proposed venues for the 2006 finals.

South Africa is confident it will emerge as the sole African bidder to host the 2006 soccer World Cup, a move that would greatly boost its hopes of staging soccer's showcase, says bid chief Danny Jordaan.

Germany's bid to host the soccer World Cup in 2006 has received a boost after the Finance Ministry declared it would not tax the huge revenue the tournament would generate.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has made a formal appeal to FIFA, and to the presidents of the five other soccer confederations, for the 2006 World Cup finals to be awarded to Africa.

The German Soccer Federation (DFB) has ruled private companies must not invest in more than one professional club each.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has strongly denied corruption claims of a cash-for-votes scandal made in a sensational new book.

The German Soccer Federation (DFB) has ruled private companies must not invest in more than one professional club each.

A year before the Euro 2000 soccer championships, organisers received a possible taste of things to come as hooligans linked to Rotterdam's Feyenoord fought with police and wrecked the centre of their own city.

South Africa`s 2006 World Cup bid committee said it was vital for the future of soccer as a sport and the World Cup as a multi-billion dollar business that the African continent stage the finals in seven years' time.

"Morocco is officially a candidate for the World Cup finals in 2006," Youth and Sports Minister Ahmed Moussaoui stated yesterday.

Egypt has confirmed it is out of the race to host soccer's World Cup in 2006, leaving six nations competing to stage the finals.

Germany's soccer fans and tabloids have expressed outrage after media mogul Rupert Murdoch swooped to buy European Champions League TV rights for his tiny, almost unknown TM3 women's channel.

Rupert Murdoch's TM3 women's channel, fresh from its success in winning the rights to broadcast Champions' League soccer in Germany, is gearing up to go after its next conquest - the German Bundesliga.

Nigeria withdrew their bid to host the World Cup Finals in 2006 to help South Africa win the right to stage the tournament, Nigerian sports minister Emeka Omeruah.

South African soccer officials have reacted with delight to Nigeria's decision to withdraw their bid to host the World Cup finals in 2006 and instead support the South African bid.