Italy

Fiorentina said on Sunday that they would appeal against European soccer body UEFA's decision to kick the Italian league leaders out of the UEFA Cup.

Newly-merged marketer Advantage International is aiming at the top slot in sports and event management and wants to double its share of the lucrative global business in three years, its new international chief says.

Italy's Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema met Fiat honorary chairman Giovanni Agnelli and other members of a Turin-based group on Monday to discuss the city's bid to host the 2006 winter Olympic Games.

European soccer's governing body has upheld its decision to kick Italian league leaders Fiorentina out of the UEFA Cup.

With no end in sight to the NBA lockout, overall No. 1 draft pick Michael Olowokandi might go to Europe to play professionally.

Brazilian striker Ronaldo has launched a Swiss-made chronograph watch and promised part of the revenue would go to keep poor children off Rio's streets.

The volleyball world championship's fashion police have struck, fining seven teams $3,000 each for ignoring its new dress code.

Europe's leading 14 clubs have accepted UEFA's proposals for a 32-team European Champions' League.

Arsenal's French World Cup star Emmanuel Petit has said that players should consider going on strike because of the amount of football they are expected to play.

The Italian government does not want a single operator to have more than 30 percent of pay-TV soccer rights, Communications Ministry undersecretary Vincenzo Vita has said.

The Italian government is increasingly worried that media baron Rupert Murdoch might take control of a pay-TV venture planned with Telecom Italia but the Football League was more welcoming.

Organisers are considering radical reforms to the Davis Cup on the eve of its centenary in a bid to enhance its appeal and make the top players take it seriously, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has said.

Future winners of the European Champions' League could collect up to 70 million Swiss francs ($52.0 million) in prize money, according to figures released by European soccer's ruling body UEFA on Friday.

Telecom Italia shareholders gathering in Turin are likely to be disappointed if they expect to hear that a digital pay-TV deal with media baron Rupert Murdoch has been wrapped up, industry sources said.

Pay-TV broadcaster Telepiu says it is confident contracts it signed for the digital rights for seven top Italian soccer clubs are unbreakable even if Rupert Murdoch makes a rival offer.

Isolationist North Korea has never been officially approached about the possibility of hosting matches during the 2002 World Cup, a top Pyongyang sports official has said.