Bundesliga Seeks New TV Deal

German soccer, in the midst of its midwinter break, was thrown into turmoil Thursday when the Swiss marketing company that holds the Bundesliga’s television rights decided not to pick up a two-year option.

The move by Infront, headed by former German international Guenther Netzer, leaves the league with only Premiere Pay TV as a partner for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Infront declined the option in a dispute over the rights fee.

The Bundesliga receives $360 million a year for its TV rights, money the 36 first- and second-division clubs rely on to finance their operations.

“The existing contract with Infront runs out in the summer,” said Werner Hackmann, Bundesliga president. “We will have to quickly start negotiations with interested parties.

“I’m confident [of finding a new broadcast partner] because we have a very good product to offer. The ratings are booming on all channels.”

*

Emperor’s Cup

Jubilo Iwata of Japan’s J-League won the Emperor’s Cup for the first time in two decades Thursday when it shut out Cerezo Osaka, 1-0, in the final at Tokyo.

Brazilian Rodrigo Gral scored the only goal in the 72nd minute on a right-foot shot during an odd afternoon for him.

Earlier, Gral had hit the crossbar with a close-range shot in the first half. He then received a yellow card for celebrating his goal with too much enthusiasm and was ejected on a second yellow card with eight minutes left.

The victory was doubly significant for Jubilo Iwata Coach Masaaki Yanagishita, who was celebrating his 44th birthday and in his last game before leaving to coach Consadole Sapporo next season.

Jubilo Iwata had last won the Emperor’s Cup in 1983.

*

Real Madrid in Tune

The Spanish league returns from a two-week Christmas break this weekend and Carlos Queiroz, coach of defending champion Real Madrid, said his first-place team was in peak form.

“From a technical point of view, we have no comparison,” he said. “The [players] have developed a harmony and they know how to play. They have made fantastic progress and the team is now more responsible, calculated and calm.”

Earlier in the week, Queiroz had told the Spanish sports daily Marca that he hoped Real Madrid and his former club, Manchester United, would advance to the final of the European Champions League in May.

“It would be a dream final,” he said. “That is the final I want to see.”

*

Expensive Kompany

Herman van Holsbeek, general manager of perennial Belgian champion Anderlecht, has rejected the possibility that the club will sell highly touted 17-year-old defender Vincent Kompany to Manchester United.

Belgian newspapers have speculated that United will offer $17 million for him.

“If that’s the offer, I think he will stay,” Van Holsbeek said. “He is only 17 and we are trying to have a new policy at Anderlecht, showing young players they can make a career here. If we sell Kompany after only six months, then that policy will look like nothing.”

*

Bilardo Resurfaces

Three months after resigning for personal reasons, Carlos Bilardo has returned as coach of Estudiantes in the Argentine league.

Bilardo, who coached Argentina to its 1986 World Cup title, said he could not stand being away from the game.

“I was going mad,” he told reporters in Buenos Aires. “I was turning the radio on [to listen to games] and then turning it off because I was powerless to do anything.”

One of Bilardo’s assistants will be Jose Luis Brown, who scored Argentina’s first goal in its 3-2 victory over Germany in the 1986 World Cup final in Mexico City.

*

Times wire services contributed to this report.