JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Eight Italian Serie A clubs are threatening to postpone the start of their championship season because they lack pay-per-view TV contracts.

The clubs -- Atalanta, Chievo, Brescia, Piacenza, Empoli, Como, Modena and Perugia -- have said that offers from Italian pay-tv Tele+ and Stream are inadequate. Two clubs in Serie B -- Vicenza and Verona -- are in the same boat. The eight Serie A clubs will hold a press conference Wednesday to ask that the season start be postponed from September 1 to October 1. ...

Macedonia will play Israel in a friendly on November 18 after the Czech Republic pulled out of the match.

"Unfortunately, the Czech Republic cancelled but Israel agreed to play two games on November 20 and April 20," said Zarko Ignjatovski, chief of the international department at the Macedonian Football Association.

Macedonia is in European Championship qualifying group seven along with England, Turkey, Slovakia and Liechtenstein.

AFRICA: Cameroon coach Jean Paul Akono, who led his country to the 2000 Olympic title, is set to become the national coach of Chad. Akono will be helping Chad in its attempt to qualify for the 2004 African Nations Cup finals in Tunisia in 2004.

Egypt became firm favorites to claim the African Cup of Nations Group 7 slot after Guinea Bissau announced their withdrawal July 23. The central African country informed CAF they won't be participating in the qualifiers for reasons related to financial problems. This leaves Egypt facing Madagascar and Mauritius, neither of which has ever reached the finals of the competition.

The Pharaohs, currently stationed in Romania for a two-week training camp, are due to start their qualifying campaign against Madagascar away from home on September 8.

The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has advertised a vacancy for the position of a local chief coach for the national squad, the Super Eagles. Three weeks ago the NFA announced they would hire a foreign technical adviser for all its national teams while keeping a local chief coach for the Super Eagles. Under the arrangement, the foreign technical adviser will be the chief coach's superior.

Burkina Faso (Upper Volta) will host next year's African youth championships from January 4-18. The eight-team tournament will provide four African qualifiers for the world youth championship to be played in the United Arab Emirates from March 25 to April 16. CAF also announced that next year's African under-17 championship would be held in Swaziland in May, but the exact dates have yet to be fixed. The African under-17 championship serves as the qualifying competition for the world under-17 championship, to be hosted by Finland in August 2003.

NAMES AND NOTES IN THE NEWS

ARGENTINA: Argentina wants Marcelo Bielsa to continue as coach despite his team's first round elimination at the World Cup.

Argentina Football Association (AFA) president Julio Grondona says he will offer Bielsa a new contract and that the players also wanted the eccentric, introverted coach to stay on. The announcement came after Jose Pekerman, who had been favorite to take over, surprisingly stepped away from the post.

"He decided not to accept the national team job nor will he continue working with the AFA," said Grondona, who did not explain Peckerman's reasons for turning down the offer to Reinaldo Merlo.

Merlo is the coach who last year guided Racing Club to their first domestic title for 35 years. He quit just days before the start of the Argentine championship.

Merlo, who saw a statue of himself raised in front of the club's headquarters after he steered them to the Apertura title in December, 2001, was apparently unhappy about a lack of reinforcements for his team. "We are not on the same wavelength as the directors ... so that's why I'm going," Merlo said.

Ossie Ardiles will take over. Ardiles, who played in the Argentina team that lifted the World Cup on home soil in 1978 and spent most of his career in London with Tottenham Hotspur.

BELGIUM: Ren Vandereycken is the new manager of Dutch side FC Twente. The 49-year-old former Belgian international succeeds John vant Schip, who resigned two weeks ago. Vandereycken managed AA Gent, Standard Liege, RWD Molenbeek and Anderlecht before going to Germany to take over at Bundesliga 2 side, FSV Mainz in 2000. Yet after a series of dissappointing results, Vandereycken was sacked after just twelve games in charge of FSV. He had been strongly tipped to succeed Robert Waseige as manager of the Belgian national team this summer, but Aim Antheunis was eventually named.

ENGLAND: Former Manchester United defender Denis Irwin will join Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Irwin, a former Ireland international who was released by United at the end of last season after 12 years at Old Trafford, has agreed a one-year contract with the Molineux side Goalkeeper Richard Wright agreed to join Everton from Arsenal after the clubs agreed on a fee of 3.5 million ($5.48 million). The transfer could cost Everton 4.5 million depending on Wrights appearances and achievements.

Arsenal was said to be negotiating a loan deal with Juventus for goalkeeper Fabian Carini as a replacement for Wright. According to British newspaper reports, the 22-year-old Uruguayan international is being lined up as David Seaman's understudy.

Gary Megson has signed a new three-year contract as manager of newly-promoted West Bromwich Albion. Megson, who took up his post in March 2000, oversaw the club's promotion from the first division last season.

West Ham United goalkeeper Craig Forrest has been forced to retire following his battle against testicular cancer. The 34-year-old Canadian has successfully beaten the disease but doctors have told him he can no longer play professional soccer.

Forrest, who joined West Ham from Ipswich Town in 1997 for 500,000, is likely to be given a testimonial by the London club. ...

Camerooon international Geremi has been granted a work permit and will join Middlesbrough. The versatile 23-year-old, who can play in defense or midfield, agreed to join Boro last week on a one season loan deal from Real Madrid. The player is contracted to the Spanish club until 2004 but Middlesbrough has the option to make the move permanent if he proves to be a success.

Blackburn Rovers have signed former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke for only $2 million. The fee rises to $2.6 million depending on appearances but is much less than United originally wanted for the veteran who had one year left on his contract with them.

English champions Arsenal has acquired Uruguayan international goalkeeper Fabian Carini on a one-year loan from Juventus. The 22-year-old, who played in all three of his country's matches at the 2002 World Cup, could clinch a permanent move to Highbury if he performs well.

Carini, who has 38 caps for his country, made his first team debut for Uruguayan club Danubio at the age of 16. ...

Emile Heskey has signed an extension to his Liverpool contract, keeping him at Anfield until 2005. Heskey's decision came at the end of a week when Czech internationals Patrik Berger and Vladimir Smicer also agreed to extend their stays on Merseyside.

Heskey joined Liverpool from Leicester City for $11.5 million in 1999 and has scored 39 goals in 123 games.

Arsenal has completed the signing of Brazilian Gilberto Silva from Atletico Mineiro. The 25-year-old midfielder has signed a long-term contract with the Gunners for an undisclosed fee, subject to him receiving a work permit. Gilberto Silva played in every single minute of Brazil's seven matches during its triumphant World Cup campaign in the Far East this summer.

FRANCE: Lens striker Bruno Rodriguez has been loaned to newly-promoted Ajaccio for next season. The 29-year-old Corsican, formerly of Monaco, Bastia, Metz and Paris Saint Germain, signed a four-year contract with Lens in December last year Former France striker Patrice Loko has joined second division Lorient from first division Troyes on a three-year contract.

"I had contacts with Sedan and Bastia and could have stayed in the first division but they kept me waiting and I had excellent memories of my first spell in Lorient three years ago," the 32-year-old said on his website. ...

Romanian international defender Marius Achim Baciu has signed a three-year deal with Lille. The 27-year-old, who has 100 caps for the national side, joins from Romanian first division side Steaua Bucharest, which he helped to the championship title in 2001.

The owners of Paris St Germain have put France's most glamorous soccer club up for sale, casting a further shadow over the new season as European football grapples with a growing financial crisis.

French pay-tv group Canal Plus wants to sell the club, whose players include Brazil's Ronaldinho, as part of a break-up imposed by parent company Vivendi Universal. The French-American media giant announced the break-up of Canal Plus as part of plans to dig its way out of crushing debts left by rapid over-expansion.

GERMANY: Germany and Bayer Leverkusen defender Jens Nowotny will remain out of action until the end of the year after knee surgery. The Leverkusen captain underwent a successful operation in the United States on damaged ligaments which ruled him out of the World Cup. His club had hoped Nowotny could be back sooner but the injury, which he sustained in a Champions League semi-final match against Manchester United last April, turned out to be more serious than originally diagnosed.

Schalke 04s Belgian midfielder Marc Wilmots will be out of action for up to eight weeks while he recovers from a knee operation. The 33-year-old former Belgium captain, who ended his international career last month after appearing at his fourth World Cup finals, underwent minor surgery on his left knee on July 23. Bayern Munich's French international defender Bixente Lizarazu will miss the start of the season because of a thigh injury.

Lizarazu pulled a thigh muscle in a warm-up match against Karlsruhe SC July 20 and will be out of action for three to four weeks. The 32-year-old will be unavailable when Bayern kicks off its Bundesliga campaign away to Borussia Mnchengladbach on August 10.

Brazilian World Cup striker Luizao has signed a four-year contract with Hertha Berlin. The 26-year-old comes from Brazilian side Grmio on a free transfer in what is one of the few high-profile signings in a relatively uneventful summer for the Bundesliga. Luizao, who has scored five goals in 11 international appearances, played twice for Brazil in its World Cup-winning campaign. He twice replaced Ronaldo in the two games they played against Turkey, but took no part in the 2-0 victory over Germany in the final.

GREECE: Poland's World Cup goalkeeper, Radoslaw Majdan, signed a one-year contract with PAOK Salonica. No financial details were released for the contract of Majdan, who played 31 times for Goeztepe Izmir of Turkey last season. Majdan has appeared six times for Poland including, this year's World Cup in Asia when he played in a 3-1 victory over the United States.

HOLLAND: Ajax signed Nourdin Boukhari, a 22-year old midfielder, from Sparta Rotterdam to a four-year contract. After a slow summer in the transfer market, Boukhari becomes Ronald Koeman's second purchase, following Victor Sikora from Vitesse Arnhem. Sparta Rotterdam followed NAC Breda, Fortuna Sittard, Top Oss and FC Den Bosch in acquiring a license at the last minute in Holland, although the Rotterdam club will be facing strict observation. The sale of Boukhari's (1.5 million euros) to Ajax appears to have given the club enough of a lifeline for the KNVB (Dutch FA) to offer Sparta a temporary license for one season.

Sparta is one of the oldest clubs in Holland, but after sharing the proud record of Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord in never being relegated from the top-flight, a very weak Sparta side succumbed to relegation last season, with enormous financial worries.

ITALY: Bayern Munich's German international center-forward Carsten Jancker has signed for Udinese. The two clubs had been in negotiations for several weeks to finish a deal for the towering 27-year-old striker. According to press reports, Jancker signed a contract of four years for 3 million euros. ...

Bayern placed Jancker on the transfer list at the end of their unsuccessful 2001/2002 campaign after he failed to find the net all season Fiorentina's problems are not over. At a July 25 auction there were no offers to take over the Florence club, leaving owner Cecchi Gori has to find about 22 million Euros before July the 29 if Fiorentina is to take part in Serie B.

JAPAN: Brazils World Cup striker Edilson was officially unveiled as a Kashiwa Reysol player for the second time last week. The 31-year-old scored 44 goals in 54 J-League games when he played for Reysol in 1996-97 before returning to Brazil Ryoichi Kawakatsu accepted responsibility for Vissel Kobe's poor form this season and has resigned as manager. The 44-year-old, who took over from Englishman Stuart Baxter in January 1999, said the 4-1 defeat at Nagoya Grampus Eight on July 24 had been the final straw.

Kobe slipped to 14th in the 16-team first division after losing to Nagoya, with seven points from 10 games.

LIBYA: Saadi Khadafi, son of Libyan leader Moamer Khadafi, suffered a fractured ankle during a football friendly between the Libyan national side and amateur Italian outfit Cuneo, the Italian news agency ANSA reported July 23. Khadafi scored the first goal in his side's 5-0 victory on July 22, but was injured in a collision with the rival team's goalkeeper and was transported to a hospital. He is due to be released in time to rejoin his teammates who are attending a training camp in the northern region of Piedmont.

PORTUGAL: Portugal midfielder Paulo Bento announced his retirement from international soccer. The 33-year-old Sporting Lisbon player was a member of the Portugal side that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2000 and then flopped in the first round of the World Cup. His retirement follows those of Paulo Sousa and Pedro Barbosa, meaning Portugal faces a rebuilding task in time for the Euro 2004 tournament on home soil. ...

Mario Jardel, Portugals top scorer last season, has asked his club Sporting to allow him to leave Portugal as he was upset over a recent separation from his wife. Jardel scored 42 league goals last season when Sporting won the League-Cup double. The 28-year-old is under contract to play two more seasons with Sporting, but did not turn up for a club training session earlier on July 25.

ROMANIA: As reported last week, former Italy goalkeeper and New Englard Revolution coach Walter Zenga is to coach troubled National Bucharest with Romanian midfielder Dan Petrescu, formerly with Southampton and Chelsea, as his deputy. Zenga has signed a one-year deal with last year's championship runners-up while Petrescu will continue to play as well as acting as deputy. Iorgulescu said National, who owe their players about $1 million in wages, would soon resolve their financial problems but he did not give further details Romania's FA (FRF) launched an investigation on July 23 after second division side Tractorul Brasov posed as Romania's under-21 national team to play against Egypt.

RUSSIA: Spartak Moscow captain Yegor Titov has extended his contract with the Russian champions until December 2005. The 26-year-old midfielder was the subject of intense transfer speculation last year involving a move to a number of leading European clubs. But his transfer value has diminished following Russia's dismal showing at this year's World Cup finals.

SCOTLAND: Third division Stenhousemuir have complained to the Scottish and English FAs after a "friendly" with English minor-league side Barrow was abandoned after 17 minutes with two players hospitalized.

Stenhousemuir manager John McVeigh instructed his players to leave the field less than a quarter of the way into the game at Barrow, northern England, on July 20. Stenhousemuir defender Des McKeown had his leg broken in two places in a tackle after five minutes and could be out for the entire season. Striker Brian Crawford also was taken to a hospital with a suspected break although an x-ray later showed that he had suffered ligament damage. Barrow, a former Football League club who now plays in the semi-professional northern premier league, denied that there had been any deliberate foul play. ...

Midfielder Alan Thompson will miss the start of Celtic's Champions League campaign because of an ankle ligament injury. The Englishman faces eight weeks out after being injured five minutes into his team's 3-1 friendly defeat by Ajax at Celtic Park on July 24. An MRI scan confirmed extensive ligament damage to the 28-year-old's left ankle.

Celtic has been hit hard by injuries in the preseason with defenders Joos Valgaeren, Stephen Crainey and Bobo Balde struggling to regain fitness for their opening league game with Dunfermline on August 3.

SOUTH AFRICA: South African officials are scheduled to reveal details of a plan to cut the country's premier soccer league by two clubs just days before the kick off of the new season.

The league will be reduced from 18 to 16 by buying out the franchises of two of the existing clubs. The two sides being dropped are not yet known but a pay-out of between $400,000 to $800,000 each has been mentioned. The proposal, made by South African Football Association (SAFA) chief executive officer Danny Jordaan, said the league needed cutting because of fixture congestion and a decline in income for the country's professional clubs.

SPAIN: Atltico Madrid has loaned Yugoslav midfielder Zoran Njegus to Sevilla for a second successive season.

SWITZERLAND: The Swiss Football League has docked points from Lucerne, Lugano and Winterthur over financial irregularities. Lucerne will lose four points, Lugano seven and Winterthur eight from their totals for the season, which is already underway, but the League stopped short of expelling them.

"It was not possible to take clubs away from the competition once it had started," said Edmond Isoz, director of the Swiss Football League which had earlier decided not to grant any of the three clubs a license for this season.

Isoz said that Winterthur's accounting was false while Lugano had made false payments to players by giving them two salaries, only one of which was taxed. Lucerne were punished for returning a bank guarantee, which was supposed to remain to protect creditors until the end of December. ...

Swiss international Ciriano Sforza is set to return to his former club FC Aarau as player-coach after being made available on a free transfer by Bayern Munich. The 32-year-old midfielder spent one season at the Brugglifeld club in 1989-90 and has had talks with Aarau coach Alain Geiger about a two-year contract.

TUNISIA: Tunisian midfielder Skander Souayah was suspended until November 8 by FIFA's disciplinary committee, which said he tested positive for a prohibited substance. FIFA, which also fined him $6,800, did not identify the substance but said the positive test came following an exhibition game against Norway on March 27. The suspension was for six months, starting May 8. ...

The Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) announced that the job of national team manager would be temporarily handed to Youssef Zouaoui and Khemais Laabidi. The duo steps in to the position left vacant by Ammar Souayeh, who resigned recently citing ill health.

TURKEY: Besiktas has re-signed French striker Pascal Nouma, bringing the crowd favorite back to the Istanbul side after a poor season at Olympique Marseille. Besiktas said that it had signed a two-year deal with Nouma, who scored 18 goals in the 2000-2001 season for Besiktas but was often in disciplinary trouble. Nouma's fondness for Istanbul's nightlife earned him the nickname "Disco Pascal" and his goals won him huge popularity. His arrival bolsters a Besiktas strike force that includes Turkey's World Cup forward Ilhan Mansiz and Ahmet Dursun.

ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwean police shot and wounded two people, one seriously, during rioting after a club match in the country's second city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe television reported on Sunday.

One person was shot in the head and another in the groin as they tried to disarm a policeman during a riot after a match between top clubs Dynamos of Harare and Highlanders of Bulawayo, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation said. Hundreds of rival fans clashed outside the Barbourfields stadium following the match attended by 40,000 supporters. Several other people were believed to have been injured, the television station reported. Five cars, including two police cars, were damaged.