* Says may sell Opel stake to Russian investor in future

* Says believes Opel won't need big job cuts in Germany

* Says Opel needs a major restructuring of assets abroad

* Fiat still in the race for Opel, Italy says (Adds comment from Italy's economy minister)

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, June 4 (Reuters) - Russia's Sberbank(SBER03.MM) announced a 500 million euro ($708.4 million) cashinjection for Opel on Thursday to help the German automakersave jobs at home while totally restructuring its assetsabroad.

Magna was one of four bidders to come forward for Opel

Opel, the main European unit of ailing US car firm General Motors, is to be acquired by Canadian-Austrian car parts maker Magna.

The Canadian firm fought off rival bids from Italian car maker Fiat and Brussels-based investment firm RHJ International, as well as interest from Beijing Automotive Industry Corp (BAIC).

* Germany agrees deal with Magna, GM, governments * Deal to shield Opel from GM bankruptcy * Two state parliaments still to endorse deal * Key union endorses accord (Adds comment from union) By Madeline Chambers and Gernot Heller BERLIN, May 30 (Reuters) - Germany reached a landmark dealwith Canadian auto parts group Magna (MGa.TO), General Motors(GM.N) and governments to save carmaker Opel from the imminentbankruptcy of its U.

FRANKFURT/BERLIN (Reuters) - Canadian car parts group Magna has reached a preliminary deal with General Motors to invest in its German unit Opel, sources close to the negotiations told Reuters on Friday.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Magna is seeking further multi-billion euro German government support if it takes over General Motors' Opel unit, German magazine Der Spiegel reported on Saturday.

BERLIN, May 22 (Reuters) - Within Germany's government, aclear preference is emerging for Canadian-Austrian car partsgroup Magna's (MGa.TO) bid for carmaker Opel, a governmentofficial said.

"There is a rather clear preference for Magna's offeremerging within the government," the official said, requestinganonymity.

Top German government officials were meeting on Friday inBerlin to discuss three bids for Opel by Magna, Italian carmakerFiat (FIA.MI) and industrial holding company RHJ International(RHJI.BR).

* Believes Magna has bid for Opel

* GAZ to be "industrial partner" in bid

MOSCOW, May 21 (Reuters) - Russian carmaker GAZ (GAZA.RTS)has the role of "industrial partner" in a bid submitted byCanadian auto parts maker Magna (MGa.TO) for German carmakerOpel, the Russian company said on Thursday.

"We believe the bid has been placed and we have a role ofindustrial partner in this process, as we have productioncapacities, competence and experience in producing componentslocally," Yelena Matveyeva, deputy head of GAZ, told Reuters.

-- Alexander Smith is a Reuters columnist. The opinionsexpressed are his own --

LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - It says Opel on the outside, butwhat exactly is inside the new General Motors vehicle that Fiat, Canadian parts maker Magna and private equity firm RHJI arequeuing up to buy?

There is a German limited liability company (GmbH) of thesame name, but Opel is basically a marketing company that sellsOpel branded cars as part of GM's European division GM Europe.It doesn't report separate results, making it almost impossibleto value without a copy of the owner's manual.

May 4 (Bloomberg) -- OAO Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender,and OAO GAZ, its second-biggest carmaker, are joining MagnaInternational Inc. in a bid for a stake in General MotorsCorp.’s Opel unit, a German minister involved in the talks said.