Paris (AFP) – Dijon came from behind on the last day of Ligue 1 on Friday to beat Toulouse, 2-1, and grab a lifeline that could keep them in the French top flight. At the start of the final round, Guingamp were sure to finish last, while Dijon occupied the other direct relegation spot, one […]

Teresópolis (Brazil) (AFP) – Star striker Neymar will join Brazil's Copa America squad for training Saturday, three days ahead of schedule, an official said Friday. "He will arrive tomorrow between 11:00 am and noon," (1400 GMT and 1500 GMT) Brazil football federation press officer Vinicius Rodrigues told reporters at the Granja Comary complex in Teresopolis […]

Berlin (AFP) – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has defended the decision to host the Europa League final in Baku in an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel set to be published on Saturday. Chelsea and Arsenal are set to play in Baku on May 29, and UEFA has faced heavy criticism, both for the […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi wants Ernesto Valverde to continue as Barcelona coach but admits the team have not recovered from their Champions League loss to Liverpool as they face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday. After winning La Liga by 11 points, Barca can complete a domestic double by beating Valencia in […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal and Chelsea have returned over half of their combined allocation of 12,000 tickets for next week's Europa League final due to the difficulty and great expense for fans travelling to Azerbaijan. A lack of direct flights between London and Baku means supporters face costs of over £1,000 ($1,300) just to make […]

Berlin (AFP) – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has defended the decision to host the Europa League final in Baku in an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel to be published on Saturday. Chelsea and Arsenal are set to play in Baku on May 29, and UEFA has faced heavy criticism, both for the distance […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich's goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer will play in this weekend's German Cup final against RB Leipzig, coach Niko Kovac revealed on Friday. Neuer, 33, has been out injured since mid-April after sustaining a calf injury in a Bundesliga game against Fortuna Duesseldorf. The Bayern number one had hoped to return […]

Vatican City (AFP) – Football is a game, Pope Francis on Friday reminded a gathering of 6,000 Italian youngsters at the Vatican, asking them not be become fanatics who "stain" the game. "Football is a game: shall we say it together?" the Argentine pontiff told the crowd, who chanted back at him. "Don't forget, football […]

Berlin (AFP) – Under-fire Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac will not be sacked at the end of the season, CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge revealed on Friday. "It was never in question that he would be our coach next season," Rummenigge told the Bild newspaper, at an event in Berlin on the eve of Saturday's German Cup […]

Accra (AFP) – Ghana coach Kwasi Appiah on Friday named Andre Ayew as the new captain while the nation's football federation said former captain Asamoah Gyan had been made 'general captain' for the Africa Cup of Nations squad. Gyan said Monday he would quit the national team, angered by Appiah's plan to strip him of […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany coach Joachim Loew said Friday that a move to Bayern Munich would be good for Manchester City winger Leroy Sane, as well as for the German national team. Speaking at an event organised by Bild newspaper in Berlin, Loew said that Bayern was "always a good place to go". "In my […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid have reacted angrily to Mauricio Pochettino suggesting they turned down a request from Tottenham to stay at their training ground next week ahead of the Champions League final against Liverpool. Spurs will train at Valdebebas on Thursday and Friday before the game on Saturday and Pochettino, in an interview with […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid have reacted angrily to Mauricio Pochettino suggesting they turned down a request from Tottenham to stay at their training ground next week ahead of the Champions League final against Liverpool. Spurs will train at Valdebebas on Thursday and Friday before the game on Saturday and Pochettino, in an interview with […]

Berlin (AFP) – Legendary former Bayern Munich boss Ottmar Hitzfeld has told AFP that he does not understand the criticism levelled at current coach Niko Kovac, and has backed the Croatian to complete a league and cup double this weekend. "I don't understand the criticism and controversy around Niko Kovac at all," Hitzfeld, 70, told […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker rates next week's Champions League final against Tottenham as the biggest game of his life. Alisson will be making his first appearance in the final of Europe's elite club competition when the Reds face their Premier League rivals in Madrid on June 1. The Brazil international reached the […]