Italy

Juventus has agreed a new sponsorship deal with Goodyear, marking the Serie A club’s first partnership with a tyre company.

Leaders of Rome’s bid for the 2020 Olympics insisted on Wednesday that they are determined to push ahead with efforts to bring the Games to Italy despite the country’s unravelling financial and political crisis.

Juventus has announced plans to raise Eur120 million through a share sale as the club seeks to tackle the worst financial loss in its history.

The Italian government is set to pass a new law within the next month which will facilitate the development of privately-owned stadiums.

Sports marketing and communications company Helios Partners has been recruited as the lead consultancy for Rome’s bid to host the 2020 Olympics.

Italy’s top football league, Serie A, has accepted bids for its live rights for the next three seasons worth Eur829 million per season.

AC Milan has agreed a deal that has seen Taci Oil become a premium sponsor of the Serie A club for the 2011-12 season.

Juventus chief executive Aldo Mazzia has predicted that the club’s new stadium will grant it a competitive advantage of “at least four or five years” over its Serie A rivals.

The 2011-12 Serie A season will commence on Friday with defending champion AC Milan hosting Lazio after the Italian Players’ Association (AIC) and Lega Serie A signed a temporary collective contract to ensure the end of strike action.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has secured a double boost by sealing extensions with partners Compass and Dolce & Gabbana.

The strike action that hit the opening weekend of the Serie A season could be lifted after league officials revealed they are prepared to revisit a temporary agreement.

The new Serie A season fell victim to a player strike at the weekend, with officials warning that the action could continue for many weeks to come.

The threat of strike action for the opening of the new Serie A season has increased after the Italian Football League voted overwhelmingly to refuse to sign the latest draft of a new collective agreement.

Thomas DiBenedetto’s American consortium has been confirmed as the new owner of AS Roma, after the long-winded takeover saga was brought to a close on Thursday.

Sky Italia has hit out at the Italian competition regulator’s decision to broaden a review of the pay-TV channel’s broadcasting rights for football matches to include the UEFA Champions League.

Promoted Atalanta will enter the new Serie A season with a six-point deduction after the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Tuesday upheld the club’s punishment for its part in alleged match-fixing.