Portugal

UEFA's in-house marketing team has signed its first major sponsorship deal for the Euro 2004 soccer tournament.

UEFA are happy with the progress of preparations for the 2004 European championships in Portugal and believe any problems are the result of local political changes which will be resolved.

UK player agency First Artist and its Swiss-based subsidiary, FIMO Sport Promotion, have created a joint venture partnership with two European football management agencies.

England football team manager Sven-GC6ran Eriksson has signed up IMG to represent the Swede's global commercial activities.

Consulting firm Sinclair Knight Merz, has secured a role as engineer on the HOK Sport-led team to design the main stadium and other venues for the 2005 China Games.

Germany will host the Confederations Cup in 2005 as a dress rehearsal before staging the World Cup finals the following year, the German Football Association (DFB) said yesterday.

UEFA has reassured Portugal it will not lose the right to stage soccer's 2004 European Championships - despite wrangles over the building of new stadia.

Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio has called for a meeting on Wednesday to discuss hosting the 2004 European Championships after problems over revamping the stadiums that will stage matches at the tournament.

UEFA's new in-house marketing team is set to announce the first fruits of its negotiations with commercial partners for Euro 2004 next month.

Cash-strapped Oporto lack the money for a centrepiece stadium project for the 2004 European soccer championships, the Portuguese city's mayor has stated.

German media giant Kirch told delegates in Munich yesterday that the 2006 World Cup will be significantly more lucrative than this summer's event because it will be held in Europe where television rights are worth more money.

Officials representing the 10 Portuguese soccer clubs hosting Euro 2004 matches have met to allay fears on stadium funding.

UEFA has confirmed sportbusiness.com's exclusive that TEAM has once again won the agency contract to market the Champions League in a deal worth an estimated $700m (EUR798m).

UEFA starts its first executive committee meeting of 2002 today - with the agency contract to market the Champions League high on the agenda.

Almost two thirds of tickets for Spain's friendly soccer international against Portugal next month will be on sale for just 6 euros ($5.31), the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has said.

UEFA is set to put TEAM and TWI out of their misery in two weeks time, when it finally names the winner of the agency contract to market its lucrative Champions League tournament.