Paris (AFP) – A reocurrence of an injury, two separate suspensions for insulting a referee and hitting a fan, losing Brazil's captaincy and a disputed accusation of rape — the world's most expensive player had a difficult season for club and country, on and off the field. – Back for Brazil – After more than […]

Berlin (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp hinted Tuesday that he could remain Liverpool manager for another five years following his Champions League success, in an interview with Germany's Bild newspaper. The former Borussia Dortmund coach did not rule out a future return to the Bundesliga, however, after Franz Beckenbauer urged him to join Bayern Munich earlier […]

Teresópolis (Brazil) (AFP) – Lawyers for a woman who accused Brazil star Neymar of rape are no longer representing her because of contradictions in her story, Globo TV reported on Monday. The Fernandes e Abreu law firm say their client initially told them she had had consensual sex with Neymar, the world's most expensive footballer, […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Marcello Lippi says he will quit for a second time if he fails to guide ambitious China to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The 71-year-old Italian World Cup winner is back as coach of China just four months after leaving. But with qualification for Qatar 2022 beginning in September, the under-pressure […]

Porto (Portugal) (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo has ended his international exile to spearhead Portugal's hopes of winning the inaugural Nations League on home soil this week, but gone are the days when he was the European champions' only man to fear. A five-time Ballon d'Or and Champions League winner, who has delivered league titles to […]

Rome (AFP) – More than three decades after it first put out a men's team, women are finally strapping on the Vatican's colours of yellow jersey and socks and white shorts and bearing the keys of St. Peter and papal tiara crest. For 35 years the world's smallest state has put out a men's team that […]

Paris (AFP) – The women's World Cup kicks off on Friday amid unprecedented attention as hosts France take on South Korea in Paris. "It's going to be a remarkable World Cup. The level of competition four years on from the last one has exponentially increased," said Jill Ellis, coach of the US team, the reigning […]

Paris (AFP) – A reoccurrence of an injury, two separate suspensions for insulting a referee and hitting a fan, losing Brazil's captaincy and now an accusation of rape, the world's most expensive player had a season to forget for club and country, on and off the field. Here AFP reflects on Neymar's difficult season starting […]

Paris (AFP) – The former head of European football Michel Platini has blasted FIFA President Gianni Infantino ahead of his re-election saying he has "no legitimacy" and that he previously mocked women's football. "He has no legitimacy, he is not credible as FIFA president," Platini said in an interview with French sports daily L'Equipe and […]

Teresópolis (Brazil) (AFP) – The coach of the Brazilian national football team, Tite, said Monday he would "not judge" the sexual assault allegations levelled against his star player Neymar, which the Paris Saint-Germain forward says are an attempt to blackmail him. "I understand the seriousness of the issue," he said. "But there must be time […]

Zurich (AFP) – Former Croatia international Zvonimir Boban says he is against football matches being suspended if players are racially abused by a small number of fans, days before England play for the first time since their black players were targeted by Montenegro supporters. England take on the Netherlands in the Nations League semi-final on […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has played down his club's chances of signing Manchester City winger Leroy Sane, saying that the cost of bringing the 23-year-old to Munich would be "crazy". Sane is yet to extend his contract at City amid rumours of an impending move to recently crowned Bundesliga champions Bayern. […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany assistant coach Marcus Sorg, 53, will stand in for Joachim Loew in Germany's two Euro 2020 qualifiers this weekend, but said Monday that he harbours no secret ambitions to take Loew's job in the long term. Head coach Loew will miss upcoming games against Belarus and Estonia as he recovers from […]

Utrera (Spain) (AFP) – Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral in Spain on Monday of former Real Madrid and Arsenal forward Jose Antonio Reyes, who was killed in a weekend car crash. Reyes' coffin, drapped in the flag of his boyhood club Sevilla, was carried through the streets of his hometown of Utrera before the […]

London (AFP) – England captain Harry Kane insists there will be no hangover from Tottenham's Champions League final defeat to Liverpool when players from both sides unite forces on international duty this week. Kane made his return from a two-month injury layoff to start Saturday's final in Madrid, but looked well short of match fitness […]