France: France is ready to allow the country's professional sports clubs to seek a share listing under certain conditions, French Sports minister Jean-Francois Lamour said. Lamour said that a French law preventing its professional sports clubs from going public would be amended. It will be possible for its professional sports clubs, and notably soccer clubs, to list on the stock market providing they can give guarantees that they are pursuing general interest.
D'Alessandro: Portsmouth signed Argentine midfielder Andres D'Alessandro from VfL Wolfsburg on loan until the end of the season yesterday with a view to a permanent move. The 24-year-old is the latest in a string of signings made by the Premier League club this month and manager Harry Redknapp told Portsmouth's website: "This is a massive signing at the club for sure. We have got together some players who can have a huge influence on matches and this lad is one of them."
Lecce: Struggling Serie A side Lecce have signed Tunisia defender Karim Saidi on loan from Feyenoord, the Italian club announced yesterday. The 22-year-old is expected to make his first appearance for the club on Sunday, when Lecce travel north to face fourth-placed Fiorentina. Lecce are bottom of the 20-team division with 13 points from 22 matches.
Tottenham: Tottenham Hotspur bought Egyptian midfielder Hossam Ghaly from Dutch club Feyenoord yesterday. The 24-year-old, who has 19 Egypt caps, has signed a 4-1/2 year contract, Spurs said on their official website. Ghaly will link up with compatriot Mido at the north London club.
Blackburn: Blackburn Rovers have completed a deadline-day triple swoop for David Bentley, Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Martin Olsson. Midfielder Bentley, who has been on loan at Blackburn this season, signed on a permanent basis from Arsenal. Sinama-Pongolle arrived from Liverpool on loan for the rest of the season. Blackburn also paid Swedish club Hogaborgs BK a small fee for teenage defender Olsson.
Africa Nations Cup: Zimbabwe rounded off their African Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over Ghana which knocked their World Cup-bound opponents out the competition yesterday. Cephas Chimedza put Zimbabwe in front on the hour mark and striker Benjani Mwaruwari galloped through to add the second, before Baba Adamu pulled one back for Ghana in stoppage time. Neither team qualified from Group D, where Nigeria's 2-1 win over Senegal left the Senegalese to squeeze through on goal difference.
Mediaset: TV network Mediaset has bought the rights to broadcast Inter's and Livorno's Serie A matches. Mediaset said it had bought the rights for Inter's domestic league matches in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. It also bought an option for the same rights in 2009-2010. Mediaset bought the rights to transmit Livorno's league games in 2007-2008 through digital terrestrial, cable, ADSL and DVBH for mobile phones, extending an existing contract.
Basketball: Peugeot League play-off semi-finals (game two) - Luxol vs Hibs 55-46 (1-1); Depiro vs Loyola 81-39 (2-0).
¤ Kiev city officials are to debate the consequences of a construction site next to the Olympic stadium which is undermining Ukraine's bid to co-host the 2012 Euro Championship. FIFA has said it will not allow international matches to be played at the stadium because of the construction of a nearby shopping and entertainment complex. FIFA general secretary Urs Linsi wrote a letter to the Ukrainian federation last week, saying the construction site violated crowd control rules at major events. The letter also said UEFA had also criticised the construction project, suggesting the Ukraine-Poland joint 2012 bid would be in jeopardy.