Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness confirmed on Thursday that the newly-crowned Bundesliga champions are considering a summer move for Manchester City winger Leroy Sane. Kicker magazine reported earlier this week that Sane, 23, was "a candidate" for Bayern's major transfer offensive this close season, and Hoeness confirmed the club's interest to Munich-based […]

London (AFP) – A former youth football coach at Premier League side Southampton, Bob Higgins, was found guilty of 45 counts of indecent assault on young boys on Thursday. Police described Higgins as a "kingmaker" who used his position of power over the future careers of his young players to abuse them during a 25-year […]

Lausanne (AFP) – Sepp Blatter has blasted his successor as FIFA head Gianni Infantino for thinking he can ride roughshod over decisions already made by the organisation after plans for a 48-team 2022 World Cup were shelved. Speaking to AFP, disgraced Blatter said that "you can't just change willy-nilly rulings taken by the Executive Committee", […]

Oeiras (Portugal) (AFP) – Captain Cristiano Ronaldo was included in Portugal's squad for next month's Nations League semi-final against Switzerland, head coach Fernando Santos announced on Thursday. Ronaldo, 34, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner missed the group stages preferring to try and adapt to life in Juventus since moving from Real Madrid. The Euro 2016 […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi was on Thursday charged with corruption in connection with the bidding process for this year's world athletics championships in Doha, judicial sources said. Al-Khelaifi, who is also the boss of Qatari television channel BeIN Sports, has been under investigation since March in a probe of the bidding […]

London (AFP) – The Premier League has welcomed Raheem Sterling's offer to help in the fight against racism after the Manchester City star called on the sport's authorities to do more to tackle the problem. Sterling told the Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything Festival in New York this week that football's current attempts to […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Wydad Casablanca coach Faouzi Benzarti is plotting the downfall of Esperance Tunis, the club he guided to glory 25 years ago, in the CAF Champions League final first leg this Friday. Leading Esperance to the 1994 African Cup of Champions Clubs title was the first of five CAF club titles won by […]

Paris (AFP) – Could Kylian Mbappe really be about to play his final game for Paris Saint-Germain? And how are the French champions' main domestic rivals shaping up for what looks set to be a summer of transition? AFP Sport looks at the main talking points in France ahead of the final night of the […]

Beijing (AFP) – China's Women's World Cup football team swapped the training pitch for the classroom to beef up their political knowledge and reinforce their dedication to the communist-ruled country. In a step that is unlikely to be replicated by their rivals at next month's tournament in France, the whole squad sat down for a […]

Lausanne (AFP) – FIFA shelved a proposed expansion of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to 48 teams on Wednesday, dealing a blow to the world football body's president Gianni Infantino. The 2022 tournament in the Gulf state will now be played with 32 nations taking part. FIFA said it had abandoned the expansion plans […]

Teresópolis (Brazil) (AFP) – Copa America hosts Brazil began preparations for the tournament at their training centre in Teresopolis on Wednesday, despite missing most of their team. Only seven players are expected at the Granja Comary football complex near Rio de Janeiro for the first week of training. Neymar, the world's most expensive player, is […]

Lausanne (AFP) – FIFA president Gianni Infantino was dealt a blow on Wednesday when world football's governing body shelved a proposed expansion of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to 48 teams. FIFA dumped the plans "following a thorough and comprehensive consultation process" which led to the conclusion that "under the current circumstances such a proposal […]

Lausanne (AFP) – The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be played with 32 teams after a proposed expansion of the tournament to 48 sides was scrapped, FIFA announced on Wednesday. World football's governing body said in a statement that "following a thorough and comprehensive consultation process with the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders, it was […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been ruled out of Saturday's Copa del Rey final against Valencia after the German failed to recover in time from a knee injury. In a statement, the Spanish champions said the stopper "still has discomfort in his right knee and will continue receiving treatment during the […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal have enough "ammunition" to sign their top transfer targets regardless of whether they qualify for the Champions League, according to head of football Raul Sanllehi. Unai Emery's side will book a place in next season's top-tier European competition if they beat Chelsea in the Europa League final in Baku on May […]