HRISTO STOICHKOV TO JOIN PARMA

Football

Hristo Stoichkov, the European er of the Year, confirmed on Saturday that he is joining Parma, the Italian Serie A club, from Barcelona. "In two days I will be Parma's player," the Bulgarian international said. Italian television reported from Parma that Stoichkov had agreed to a three-year contract and that the deal was worth an estimated pounds 7m, half going to the player and the rest to Barcelona.

Portsmouth are to sign the midfield players Scott Taylor and Paul Holsgrove from Reading. The fees will be decided by tribunal.

INTERTOTO CUP (Saturday): Group One: Karlsruhe (Ger) 3 Aarhus (Den) 0; Gornik Zabrze (Pol) 1 FC Basle (Swit) 2. Group Two: Rudar Velenje (Sloven) 1 Tottenham Hotspur 2; Lucerne (Swit) 3 Osters Vaxjo (Swe) 2. Group Four: Ton Pentre 0 Heerenveen (Neth) 7 (Hansma 2, Wouden 2, Tammer 2, Tomasson); Naestved (Den) 3 Bekescsaba (Hun) 3. Group Five: Bordeaux (Fr) 6 IFK Norrkoping (Swe) 2. Group Six: Partick Thistle 3 (Craig, Smith 2) Keflavik (Ice) 1 (Tanasic). Group Seven: NEA Salamina (Cyp) 2 Tervis Parnu (Est) 0. Group Eight: Dnepr Mogilev (Bela) 2 Becej (Yug) 1; Farul Constanta (Rom) 2 Pogon Szczecin (Pol) 1. Group Nine: Beveren (Bel) 0 Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt (Rom) 2; Etar Veliko Tarnovo (Bul) 3 Boby Brno (Cz Rep) 2. Group Ten: Bursaspor (Turk) 2 Beitar Jerusalem 0. Group Eleven: Strasbourg (Fr) 4 Genclerbirligi (Turk) 1; Hapoel Petach-Tikva (Isr) 1 Floriana (Malta) 1. Group Twelve: Panerys Vilnius (Lith) 1 Vorwarts Steyr (Aut) 1. (Sunday): Group Three: Germinal Ekeren (Bel) 3 FC Aaru (Swit) 3, Tromso IL (Nor) 10 Havnar Boltfelag (Faroe) 0. Group Five: HJK Helsinki (Fin) 3 Bohemians (Ire) 2. Group Six: FC Zagreb (Croa) 0 Linzer ASK (Aut) 0. Group Seven: Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) 1 OFI Crete (Gr) 0. Group Ten: Kosice (Slovak) 1 Wimbledon 1. Group Twelve: Panerys Vilnius (Lith) 1 Vorwarts Steyr (Aut) 1, Iraklis (Gr) 0 Spartak Plovdiv (Bul) 0.

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY (Buenos Aires): Argentina 2 (Balbo 7, Batistuta 90) Australia 0