Italian season may be delayed

ROME (AP) -- Italian soccer officials may decide to delay by one month the start of the upcoming season, with 11 clubs in deep financial trouble without vital television contracts.

Antonio Matarrese, vice president of the Italian league, said Wednesday that the postponement of the 18-team Serie A and the 20-team Serie B seasons may be decided at an Aug. 20 meeting of league officials and club presidents in Milan.

The season is tentatively scheduled to start Sept. 1, although the delay could force the start of play back to October.

While such leading clubs as Juventus, AC Milan, and AS Roma already have lucrative contracts from pay-per-view networks Stream and Tele-piu, eight Serie A and three Serie B clubs have failed to reach agreement on television rights for their matches.

Roma president Francesco Sensi, who has been lending support to the clubs without television contracts, said Wednesday that he has long thought "that we are not ready to start on September 1st."

Chievo, last season's Serie A sensation from Verona, Roberto Baggio's Brescia team, and newly promoted Como, Empoli and Modena are some of the clubs still without a contracts.

Brescia president Luigi Corioni told Italian news agencies that the one-month postponement would allow additional time for negotiations with the pay networks.

The eight Serie A clubs are each seeking contracts worth 10 million euros (US$10 million).

The television networks claim they are facing growing losses from payment for soccer rights, and have been offering sharply reduced contracts to the minor clubs.

Also, soccer officials were scheduled to decide Thursday if the overall financial situations of eight Serie A and B clubs were sufficient to warrant inclusion in their respective leagues. One of the clubs to be decided on Thursday, Fiorentina, was in great risk of being excluded for the upcoming season due to its dire financial status.

Rivaldo delays AC Milan arrival for Barcelona trip

Rivaldo, who announced the change of plans on his Web site, said he would now join up with his new team mates in Madrid on Saturday.

AC Milan are playing in a four-team tournament along with Real Madrid, Liverpool and Bayern Munich over the weekend and Rivaldo will be present for his new team's first game against Bayern on Saturday, although he is not expecting to play.

"In the end I won't be going to Milan on Thursday," said Rivaldo, who signed for AC Milan this week after being released from Barcelona with a year still to run on his contract.

"Before that I want to bid farewell to Spanish fans and journalists and to do that I'll give a news conference on Friday at a hotel in Pedralbes [Barcelona].

"The next day I'll travel to Madrid to join the Milan party and after that I'll be available for my medical and official presentation, on Monday or Tuesday."