Madrid (AFP) – Spanish police were carrying out an operation on Tuesday against several footballers, ex-players and club executives accused of fixing matches in the first and second divisions, a source close to the case said. The source, who refused to be named, said that matches were allegedly fixed in the first and second divisions […]

Enfield (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Hugo Lloris has had his share of setbacks over the past 12 months, but he can complete a remarkable year in triumph if he leads Tottenham to glory in the Champions League final in Madrid on Saturday. Last July, Lloris captained France to the World Cup, but the moment the […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Atletico Madrid have agreed to buy 30-year-old central defender Felipe, the Brazilian's current club Porto announced. In a statement released to the Lisbon stock exchange late Monday, Porto said that Atletico had agreed to pay 20 million euros ($22.4 million) for Felipe Augusto de Almeida Monteiro who joined Porto from Corinthians of […]

Seoul (AFP) – When defender Hwang Bo-ram takes to the field in France next month, she will become the first mother to play for South Korea at the Women's World Cup, challenging traditional notions of motherhood in her homeland. In a country where the gender pay gap remains high, and marriage and child-rearing can cripple a […]

London (AFP) – The transformation of Liverpool and Tottenham's fortunes under Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino has so far been measured in progress rather than trophies. That will all change for the winner of Saturday's Champions League final with one of the two claiming the biggest prize in Europe. Klopp has not won any silverware […]

Baku (AFP) – Arsenal are aiming to win a first European trophy in a quarter of a century in distant Baku on Wednesday and their hopes of doing so appear to rest at the feet of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. After missing out on a top-four place in the Premier League, the assessment of […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid president Florentino Perez confirmed on Monday the club are keen to sign Eden Hazard this summer and claimed Sergio Ramos has an offer to move to China. Hazard could play his last match for Chelsea in the Europa League final against Arsenal on Wednesday, with the Belgian's contract expiring next […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea fear it may be a parting gift, but should Wednesday's Europa League final be Eden Hazard's last game for the club, the Belgian is determined to go out on a high. After seven seasons at Stamford Bridge, Hazard is expected to move to Real Madrid this summer after running down his […]

London (AFP) – Harry Kane was included in England's 23-man squad for next month's Nations League finals on Monday but Tottenham Hotspur team-mates Harry Winks and Kieran Trippier were both left out. Gareth Southgate, the England manager, has reduced his group from the list of 27 he named earlier this month, with Southampton's James Ward-Prowse […]

Berlin (AFP) – Union Berlin were promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in their history on Monday after beating Stuttgart in a promotion-relegation play-off. Having narrowly missed out on the top-tier in 2017, they are the first club from the former communist East Germany to reach the Bundesliga since Energie Cottbus were relegated […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane is adamant he's "ready to go" for Saturday's Champions League final against Liverpool in Madrid after returning to full training The England captain has been out of action since suffering an ankle injury during the first leg of the quarter-final against Manchester City. But Kane speaking to […]

London (AFP) – Aston Villa manager Dean Smith said the "potential now is massive" after the club ended a three-year exile from the English Premier League on Monday. A 2-1 victory over Midlands rivals Derby County in the Championship play-off final at Wembley — the so-called "richest game in football" will be worth at least […]

Piraeus (Greece) (AFP) – Former France international winger Mathieu Valbuena has signed a one-year deal with Olympiakos, the Greek Super League club announced Monday. Valbuena, 34, played for France from 2010 to 2015 before a sex-tape scandal and alleged blackmail to get a smartphone back saw him and Karim Banzema lose their places in the […]

Milan (AFP) – Torino forward Andrea Belotti has been recalled but Marseille's Mario Balotelli left of Italy's 33-man squad named on Monday for Euro 2020 qualifiers against Greece and Bosnia next month. Belotti, who has been absent from the Azzurri since last September, was included on coach Roberto Mancini's list, with AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi […]

London (AFP) – Representatives of Dubai-based Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nahyan said Monday they had "agreed terms" with Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, moving closer to completing a deal to buy the Premier League club. A statement from billionaire Sheikh Khaled's Bin Zayed Group said: "We can confirm that representatives of His Highness Sheikh […]