Italy

Italian media mogul, soccer club owner and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has sparked the resignation of the coach of the country?s soccer team.

Italy's Foreign Ministry summoned the Dutch ambassador to Italy on Monday to deplore the treatment of Italian journalists detained by police at Sunday's Euro 2000 soccer championships final in Rotterdam.

Austrian state broadcasting organisation Oesterreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) reports that its TV coverage of the Euro 2000 semi final between France and Portugal attracted 1.13 million Austrian citizens while 1.369 million watched the match between Italy and the Netherlands. Women accounted for 30% of this figure.

German Football Federation (DFB) president Egidius Braun has been taken to hospital over the weekend, a DFB spokesman said.

Euro 2000 organisers have warned soccer supporters that realistic fake tickets for Sunday's are in circulation.

The pride of the English nation was not the only thing shattered during the national team?s recent dismal Euro 2000 display ? so too was the UK brewing industry?s hopes of a bumper $155m summer sales bonanza.

A handful of Europe's top basketball clubs have formally broken away from the sport's governing body FIBA and detailed plans of their own rebel competition.

Sports.com, the European mobile and fixed internet provider of sports content, community and commerce, has signed a strategic alliance with Virgilio, a major Italian web portal and internet guide.

Germany's top television channel, RTL has bought the coveted free-to-air rights to Champions League soccer from September for the next three seasons.

Italian broadcaster Mediaset and digital TV platform Stream have signed a preliminary accord for the exclusive pay television rights for the 2000-2001 European Champions League soccer games.

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.

Sports.com has been chosen as the exclusively designated Official Sports Partner of Wimbledon.org for the All England Tennis Club.

Kevin Roberts in Hanover

Norman May, the man who stirred a nation with his radio commentary of Australia winning a swimming relay gold at Moscow in 1980, is to be awarded the Olympic Order by the International Olympic Committee.

UK press reports suggest that European basketball faces the threat of a breakaway by leading clubs.

An Australian promoter plans to bring World Cup winners France, England, Italy and Argentina to Australia as part of a A$40 million (US$23.2 million) showcase of soccer next year.