Netherlands

The Extreme Sports Channel has signed a deal with United Sport to broadcast Wake Up!

Glasgow Rangers chairman David Murray has revealed that the Ibrox club, along with rivals Celtic, have agreed in principle to join a new pan-European football league.

The wealth disparity between big soccer clubs from poor leagues and those from rich leagues has been highlighted by the high-spending guests - Lazio, Barcelona and Arsenal- who have been invited to a friendly tournament hosted by the famous Dutch club, Ajax Amsterdam. For more, see FEATURES

Sports channel Eurosport is setting up a separate sales team to handle advertising and sponsorship sales of events and youth programming, under the YOZ (Youth Only Zone) banner.

The Russian Football Union is asking the government to bankroll its bid to host the European soccer championship in 2008.

Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU) party called on Thursday for the German government to help pay for the redevelopment of Munich's Olympic Stadium, which will host the opening game of the 2006 World Cup.

The Euro 2000 website received more than a billion visits during the championships, making it one of the most popular sites ever, according to the company hosting the site.

The World Cup will return to Germany after a 32-year absence but for Franz Beckenbauer the 2006 tournament will be an entirely new experience for Germany following unification.

Sportswear giant adidas-Salomon has signed a new outfitting deal with Dutch soccer side Ajax Amsterdam to start with the new season.

UK pay-TV digital service Sky Sports has signed three new exclusive soccer deals.

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.

Belgium's zero-tolerance policing of Euro 2000 stamped out violence by thugs and hooligans bent only on destruction, according to the country's Interior Minister..

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.

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

The roof of the Amsterdam Arena was closed for the first time during Euro2000 on Saturday for the opening quarter-final between Portugal and Turkey.

While millions of soccer fans settle down on Sunday to watch the quarter-finals of Euro 2000, some might be tempted to flip television channels to catch a glimpse of the American variety's championship game.