Sporting briefs...

Artmedia: Slovakia's Artmedia Bratislava said they would not play the first leg of their UEFA Cup tie against Levski Sofia in Vienna as reported by the Bulgarian club earlier yesterday. Artmedia said moving the match to Austria had been an option but it would be played in Slovakia in Trnava. "I can unambiguously confirm that the Trnava alternative still remains valid," Artmedia sport director Peter Pavlovic said. "We will play Levski Sofia in Trnava on February 15." Artmedia were earlier this week ordered by UEFA to play the match in Trnava, 45km from Bratislava, because their pitch was frozen.

Match-Fixing: The head of Portugal's soccer league has been charged with 26 others in a match-rigging scheme involving second division games. The charges against Valentim Loureiro, chairman of the Portuguese Professional League, and others stem from an investigation of almost two years into alleged attempts to influence referees called "Golden Whistle". Loureiro was charged with 26 crimes of active corruption and two of malfeasance.

Campbell: Sol Campbell's troubled season took a turn for the worse yesterday when an ankle injury ruled out the England and Arsenal defender for at least two weeks. "Sol is out now because of a foot problem," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "We had a scan and he will be out for two or three weeks. It is an ankle injury but not a ligament problem."

Ailton: Hamburg striker Ailton will be out for six to eight weeks after breaking his jaw in the club's 2-1 Bundesliga defeat by Hanover 96 on Wednesday. The Brazilian forward, who has yet to score since joining on loan from Turkey's Besiktas in January, was taken to hospital after colliding with Hanover's Hanno Balitsch in the first half.

Germany: Germany will kick off their Euro 2008 qualifiers with a home match against Ireland on Sept. 2, while Czech Republic will host Wales in their first game. The Group D teams agreed the match schedule for qualifying at a meeting in Frankfurt yesterday. The heavyweight contests between the two group favourites will be in the Czech Republic on March 24, 2007 and in Germany on Oct. 17, 2007.