A group of U.S. money managers, led by Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Boston Red Sox partner Thomas DiBenedetto are hoping to buy Italian Seria A soccer side A.S. Roma, becoming the only foreign owner in Italy’s top soccer league as clubs struggle to fill stadiums and increase sales.

DiBenedetto is leading the group that includes hedge fund manager James Pallotta and as many as four other investors, according to two people briefed on the discussions. They are in exclusive talks to purchase the three-time Italian champion from the Sensi family and UniCredit SpA, the country’s biggest lender, by a March 17 deadline.

According to former Vicenza owner and founder of private equity company Stellican Ltd., Stephen Julius, unlike the U.K., foreign investors have shunned Italian soccer because its “business model is decades behind” the English Premier League.

Julius stated: “In English football, they have squeezed the lemon and developed the sport commercially, but that hasn’t happened in Italy.”

Roma was put up for sale in July because the Sensi family accumulated debt of more than US$416m with Milan-based UniCredit. The bank agreed to swap the debt for equity and jointly owns a 67 per cent stake in the team with the Sensis’ oil company Italpetroli SpA.

A federal judge has sided with the the National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA) in ruling that the league improperly negotiated to receive US$4bn in income from television networks even if a lockout occurs, cancelling games in the 2011 season over failing discussions to agree a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

U.S. District Judge David Doty upheld a complaint from the players’ union yesterday, March 1, overruling an earlier decision on the matter by a special master, or arbitrator.

Doty, who has overseen the NFL labor contract since 1993, ordered a hearing to consider the award of money damages and equitable relief to the players.

The judge agreed with the union that, in extending the contracts into the 2011 season, the NHL had failed to get the best terms available to maximize revenue in 2009 and 2010.

Spokesman for the NFLPA, George Atallah stated: “This ruling means there is irrefutable evidence that owners had a premeditated plan to lock out players and fans for more than two years.”

The union is now seeking to have the money placed in escrow during any potential lockout, rather than allowing the NFL to use it to fund operations. The league responded by saying that the money is a loan that will have to be repaid if no games are played.

In his decision, the judge stated: “The NFL negotiated access to over $4bn in rights fees in 2011 if it locks out the players. Of that sum, it has no obligation to repay $421m to the broadcasters.”

The NFL extended contracts and altered lock out provisions with DirecTV, CBS Corp., News Corp.’s Fox, Comcast Corp.’s NBC and Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN Inc.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello released a statement playing down the issue, reading: “Our clubs are prepared for any contingency, this decision included. The ruling will have no effect on our efforts to negotiate a new, balanced labor agreement.”

Rogge stated: “We are in favour of a system where betting operators have to be licensed by the government. Sports organisers, national federations and international federations would have a fair return for all their efforts for organising the sport. They should be recognised with a return from financial income.”

Rogge continued to urged governments to monitor betting companies to “control if there is any money laundering”, adding: “I think you have to assume like in doping, all sports are affected and none is totally free, but those sports with the biggest audiences will be affected (by illegal and irregular betting). That goes without saying.”

Government ministers from Australia, France, Switzerland and the UK are attending the meeting.

After coming under pressure from the European Commission, in late 2009 France, which had long protected its state monopoly on gambling through Francaise des Jeux and Pari Mutuel Urbain, finally introduced its own licensing system for betting on sport, with bookmakers forced to pay a portion of their revenues to sport.

ParalympicsGB have confirmed that chief executive Phil Lane is to leave is post with immediate effect after 10 years in the job.

In his time with the team, order Lane has overseen a hugely successful regime, with GB finishing second in the medal table at the 2004 Athens and Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. 

The news leaves ParalympicsGB looking for a new head with just 18 months to go until the 2012 London Paralympics.

Lane spoke of his decision, stating: “The staff team at ParalympicsGB is well-placed to deliver fantastic support to British Paralympic athletes and ensure their continued success. I am looking forward to watching them compete in what promises to be the best Paralympic Games ever.”

Tim Reddish, ParalympicsGB chairman added: “I would like to thank Phil, on behalf of myself and the board, for the work he has done over the last 10 years promoting the Paralympic movement and his significant contribution in successfully taking GB teams to the last five Winter and Summer Paralympic Games.”

Formula One team Red Bull Racing has received a financial boost in the region of £7m (US$11.36m) ahead of the 2011 season after their Renault engines were renamed Infiniti, improving the team’s budget. 

Infiniti is the premium brand of Nissan, part owned by Renault, and are using Formula One to boost its global profile. 

The engines will remain the same, aside from the branding, with the only other difference being that they will be supplied for free.

The renaming will therefore save the team approximately £6.8m ($11m) per annum, which is the cost of all customer engine supplies in the sport. 

The saving is estimated to be around 4-5 per cent of the team’s total budget which will now be used in other departments, though no statement has been made on whether there will be further financial support from the deal.

The Red Bull-Infiniti deal is expected to be officially announced at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday.

The former head of communications at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Mark Dolley, has been appointed to replace Tiffany Granfors as the new chief executive of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD).

Dolley will begin his new role with the organisation from March 1, having worked for the IOC between 2003 and 2006 and also as a consultant to the successful London 2012 bid. He replaces Granfors who has been the chief executive for the past 10 years.

ICSD President Craig Crowley spoke of the appointment: “ICSD is faced with immense challenges and I’m grateful that Mark Dolley will now be bringing his high-level experience of sport, sports policy and his vital Olympic Movement professionalism and ‘ethos’ to the ICSD.

“A stronger organisation and a more robust calendar of competitions must be put in place. 

“ICSD must deliver on its core objective of serving deaf athletes, via successful Deaflympics, if we are to ensure greater recognition by sports organisations, business, the media and Government. 

“These are the things ICSD is working toward. 

“And we are very confident that Mark Dolley is the best person to lead the delivery of ICSD’s work, for the benefit of Deaf athletes everywhere.”

Dolley added: “I’m profoundly honoured to be joining the ICSD at an absolutely critical time in the organisation’s development.

“The ICSD has had a long and proud history of serving the needs of deaf sport.

“I have no illusions about the scope of the task ahead. 

“But a sound strategic plan has been established by the ICSD’s Executive Board. I am convinced there are still opportunities ahead. 

“I look forward to working with all of deaf sport, to ensure a rich future is added to ICSD’s rich history, despite the current challenges.”

Crowley then spoke of the outgoing Tiffany Granfors, stating: “On behalf of the Executive Board, staff, delegates and athletes everywhere, I would like to thank Tiffany for her sterling contribution.”

The Soccerex European Forum have announced that they are to play host to Manchester City and former France international/World Cup winner Patrick Vieira, who will be speaking alongside La Liga President, Jose Luis Astiazaran and European Professional Leagues Association (EPFL) CEO, Emanuel Madeiros as part of a press conference on European soccer’s “Professional Football Against Hunger” project at the event on 30-31 March, Manchester.

The “Professional Football Against Hunger” project aims to use the sport’s worldwide appeal and power to engage massive audiences to inspire people to team up and help those in need.

The Association of European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL), the European Union – Humanitarian Aid (EU) and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) will be holding a press conference on Wednesday 30th March to discuss their current soccer-related joint initiatives in the fight against hunger.

The Press Conference is part of a diverse agenda reflecting the latest issues in European Football including Financial Fair Play, sponsorship, commercial strategies, social media and fan interaction and International FA development.

With regret, anesthetist the ITF, unhealthy in consultation with Tennis New Zealand and Canterbury Tennis, has decided to cancel the 2011 ITF Seniors World Individual Championships scheduled to be played in Christchurch, New Zealand next week. The ITF Seniors World Team Championships currently being played in Timaru and Ashburton will continue as planned.

The organisers will now make every effort to ensure the safe return home for all participants. The ITF thanks Tennis New Zealand and the organisers from Canterbury Tennis for all their efforts on behalf of the Seniors World Team and Individual Championships.

“We send our sincere sympathies to the people of Christchurch who have suffered so much due to the earthquake that hit their city on Tuesday,” said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti. “While we are, of course, relieved that all the players, captains and officials who were in Christchurch this week are safe, we are mindful of the loss of life and the large number of injuries that have occurred in Christchurch. We thank Tennis New Zealand and Canterbury Tennis for their outstanding efforts on behalf of the Seniors World Team and Individual Championships. We also thank the players for their support of both events and their willingness to play on in these difficult conditions.”

Dates and prices for ticket sales for Wembley’s staging of the UEFA Champions League Final in May have been announced to the displeasure of many fans.

The prices for tickets are perhaps unsurprisingly at a record high but many wouldn’t have predicted an increase of as much as 17 per cent in some cases.

The availability of tickets for the flagship European club soccer final will go on sale from next week, February 24, until March 18, with prices ranging from £300 (US$487) down to the lowest cost of £150 ($243.5), and £80 ($130) for wheelchair users.

Sales will be conducted exclusively through Europe’s football website, UEFA.com, with each applicant having to complete in full the online application form. Should demand exceed supply then every valid request will enter a lottery to decide the allocation.

The net capacity of Wembley Stadium for the UEFA Champions League final will be around 86,000. Each finalist club will be entitled to take up to 25,000 tickets, to be distributed directly to their fans.

Along with the rising ticket prices, an administrative fee of £26 ($42.2) (including postal charges) for successful applicants inside Europe is in place and £36 ($58.4) for the rest of the world.

The most expensive seats available to the general public for the game are from Category 1; costing £300 ($487), 17 per cent up on the comparable ticket last year. Second-tier places are up 15.5 percent to $355, and the third category costs $243.5, 13 percent more.

UEFA’s event director Giorgio Marchetti told reporters in London. ““We have to benchmark this event against other comparable events like, for example, the final of the European Championship, the World Cup. It’s still priced below comparable events.”