Massimiliano Allegri is set to extend his contract as coach of Italian champions AC Milan to 2014, the club's chief executive Adriano Galliani announced on Monday.

Galliani, who also raised the possibility of signing Manchester City's out of favour Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez and Fiorentina captain Riccardo Montolivo in the upcoming transfer window, said that it had been in the pipeline for a while.

In a dramatic shift, British Olympic officials doubled the funding Monday to protect venues at the 2012 London Games, raising overall security costs to more than 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion).

Olympics minister Hugh Robertson insisted that the London Games remained financially on track — and within contingency planning. But the new figures are certain to become a sensitive issue in Britain, as tough economic times and bleak forecasts for the future raise questions about the wisdom of hosting the Olympics.

Bayern Munich hope that midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger will make his comeback from injury before the December 18 date that marks the winter Bundesliga break.

The 27-year-old had a plate inserted in his right shoulder after breaking his collarbone following a heavy fall in the 3-2 Champions League win over Napoli on November 2.

Chelsea hosts in-form Valencia in the Champions League on Tuesday in what could turn out to be the most crucial match of Andre Villas-Boas' debut season as Blues coach.

With Chelsea 10 points off the Premier League lead and eliminated from the League Cup, defeat to Valencia would effectively leave Villas-Boas with only the FA Cup to aim for.

Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez will be up against Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo for the FIFA world player of the year award.

The three Ballon d'Or finalists were named Monday from 23 nominees. Messi beat Barcelona teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavi to win last year.

Former Brazil captain Socrates, who played in the great 1982 Brazilian side which was widely-regarded as the finest team never to win a World Cup, died on Sunday, aged 57.

Socrates was taken to Albert Einstein Hospital late Friday after suffering food poisoning. He went into septic shock, placed on a life support machine but passed way at 0630GMT on Sunday.

Spain's fifth Davis Cup title party in 11 years fell flat when Rafael Nadal revealed he'd skip next year's title defense while brother-in-arms David Ferrer called time on his tournament duties.

World number two Nadal, who battled back from a set down to defeat Juan Martin del Potro and give Spain victory over Argentina in an epic clash on Sunday, insisted that the defense of his Olympic title must be a priority.

Former Brazilian football star Socrates was in "critical condition" in an intensive care unit early Saturday after suffering intestinal infection, his doctors said.

Albert Einstein Hospital announced in a statement here that Sampaio de Sousa Vieira de Oliveira, 57, "was in critical condition due to a septic shock of intestinal origin."

Accepting widespread criticism of the Jabulani's movement at last year's World Cup, Adidas has completely redesigned the ball that will be used at the 2012 European Championship.

The swerving Jabulani angered several coaches in South Africa and was even cited as a possible cause for "inexplicable" goalkeeping mistakes in an official FIFA report.

Spain avoided its biggest challengers in the first round of the 2012 European Championship, leaving Germany and the Netherlands in the toughest group of the competition.

Spain, which beat Germany to win the Euro 2008 title and then defeated the Dutch in last year's World Cup final, was drawn Friday in Group C with Italy, Ireland and Croatia for next year's tournament in Poland and Ukraine.