Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera has bought French rights to screen the Champions League for three seasons.

UEFA says it sold four of five available media packages covering 133 matches each season from 2012-15. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

The English Premier League's claims to being the best in Europe will be tested this week with three clubs facing Champions League matches which will decide whether or not they progress to the knockout stages.

Chelsea host Valencia on Tuesday needing to either beat the Spaniards or draw 0-0 to progress -- failure to do so is likely to have dire consequences for young Portuguese manager Andre Villas-Boas.

With top place secured in Champions League Group H, it'll be an unfamiliar looking Barcelona which faces BATE Borisov on Tuesday as the team's superstars are rested ahead of the weekend's El Clasico against Real Madrid.

The hard work has already been done by coach Pep Guardiola's players with the 3-2 victory in their last match at AC Milan putting them five points clear on 13 points and assured of a place in the last 16.

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.