Hamburg  - Avid TV fans, who do not want to miss an episode of their favourite programmes, are now in a conundrum over video disc recorders.

Hamburg - UEFA has agreed to pay compensation to broadcasters who lost live pictures as a result of a power blackout during a Euro 2008 match, Germany's Spiegel news magazine reported.

Football's organizing body in Europe has agreed to pay "a high six-figure sum" to the German public broadcaster ZDF, according to the report released in advance of Monday's publication.

All broadcasters affected will be paid unspecified compensation, according to the report.

Hamburg  - The concept of total football was nowhere to be seen, but Thursday night's 1-0 victory at SV Hamburg was a sign that Ajax Amsterdam are coming back to life.

The outcome of the UEFA Cup group match all but assured the Dutch club of a place in the knockout stages, as a domestic and international slump could be nearing its end.

"The victory was very important. We haven't had a lot of success in Europe lately," said coach Marco van Basten.

Hamburg  - A late strike from Filippo Inzaghi was enough to salvage a 2-2 draw for AC Milan away to Portsmouth in the UEFA Cup Thursday and book the Serie A side's place in the tournament's knockout stages.

CSKA Moscow also progressed thanks to a 2-1 win over Lech Poznan while Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester and Standard Liege moved a step closer with victories.

Milan found themselves behind when Younes Kaboul headed home a Glen Johnson cross and looked to be heading for certain defeat when Kanu made it 2-0 for Pompey.

Hamburg  - CSKA Moscow booked their place in the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup Thursday with a 2-1 victory over Polish side Lech Poznan in a Group H encounter.

Alan Dzagoev latched on to a pass from Vagner Love to open the scoring for the Russians and Yuri Zhirkov doubled the home side's lead at the Luzhniki Stadium with a left-footed volley just before the break.

Semir Pilic pulled on back for Poznan from a free-kick after 66 minutes.

The victory was CSKA's third win in succession in the group and moves CSKA on to nine points from three matches, five clear of Nancy and eight ahead of Poznan. Deportivo La Coruna and Feyenoord Rotterdam, who are both still without a point, meet later Thursday.

Hamburg - Fans of Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam have clashed with police in the northern German city of Hamburg ahead of a UEFA Cup tie in the city later Thursday.

Just hours before the game against Bundesliga side SV Hamburg, around 450 Ajax fans blocked the Reeperbahn, the famous red district in the city, breaking windows of a hotel and holding up traffic for around 40 minutes, said police spokesman Ralf Meyer.

On Wednesday night, between 30 and 40 Ajax supporters smashed up a local bar before attacking police called to the scene. Around 40 people were taken into custody as a result.

"Around 50 or 60 glasses were broken and the furniture was destroyed," said Meyer.