Berlin (AFP) – Veteran Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro has agreed a one-year contract extension at Werder Bremen, paving the way for a remarkable 21st season in European professional football, the club announced on Saturday. "We have agreed a deal with Claudio and will sign a contract in the coming days," said Bremen managing director Frank […]

Berlin (AFP) – Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery bid an emotional farewell to Bayern Munich ahead of Saturday's title-deciding clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, despite starting their final home game for Bayern on the bench. Fans displayed a tifo thanking the pair for their "fight and committment for our colours", and the two players looked close […]

Madrid (AFP) – Antoine Griezmann was jeered during his last game for Atletico Madrid and Rodrigo might have scored his final goal for the club as they came from behind to draw 2-2 against Levante in La Liga on Saturday. Griezmann received whistles at the City of Valencia Stadium from the visiting fans, who were […]

Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane hinted on Saturday that Gareth Bale could make his last appearance for Real Madrid on Sunday after saying he would make changes this summer ahead of the final match of their miserable La Liga season. Bale fell out with Zidane towards the end of the Frenchman's first spell in charge […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne understands Liverpool players being disappointed at falling just short of winning the Premier League title but he does not have any sympathy for them. The 27-year-old Belgian midfielder says simply his side were better than Liverpool. City, who face Watford in the FA Cup final on […]

Melbourne (AFP) – A refugee footballer who was detained in Thailand and threatened with extradition to Bahrain said he "feels great" after voting in Australia's election Saturday. Hakeem al-Araibi, who became an Australian at a ceremony in Melbourne in March, shot to international fame when he was arrested during his honeymoon last year for alleged […]

Berlin (AFP) – The Bundesliga title race has gone down to the wire this year, with Bayern Munich just two points ahead of Borussia Dortmund going into the final round of games on Saturday. Bayern need just a point to seal a seventh straight league crown, but after the twists and turns of recent weeks, […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro flouted the rules of his club Guangzhou Evergrande to keep the seven-time champions in the Chinese Super League title race. Evergrande declared prior to the season that they would field only two foreign players at a time to promote homegrown talent. But with his side trailing 1-0 at […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Zamalek of Egypt go into the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup final at Renaissance Berkane of Morocco this Sunday with a third-choice goalkeeper and no back-up on the bench. Omar Salah will start between the posts because regular Mahmoud 'Gennesh' Abdel Rahim is suspended and second-choice Emad el Sayed injured. […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been suspended for two games after grabbing New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson by the neck during Los Angeles Galaxy's defeat last weekend, Major League Soccer said Friday. The MLS Disciplinary Committee announced in a statement it was sanctioning Ibrahimovic for violent conduct after the incident in […]

Paris (AFP) – Brazil's Sylvinho, who once played for Barcelona and Arsenal, was set to be named as the new coach of French Ligue 1 club Lyon on a two-year contract, reports claimed on Friday. RMC Sport said that the 45-year-old will replace Bruno Genesio for next season after being hand-picked by compatriot Juninho, a […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is already planning his assault on next season, claiming his collection of superstars will have to push the 100-point barrier again to keep Liverpool's clutches off their Premier League title. City have accrued an incredible 198 points in winning the Premier League for the last two seasons, […]

New York (AFP) – Heavyweight challenger Dominic Breazeale will carry a sizeable weight advantage into his grudge match with WBC champion Deontay Wilder at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Saturday. Breazeale tipped the scales at 255 1/4 pounds (115.77 kilos) on Friday as he prepares to take on unbeaten champion Wilder. Wilder meanwhile weighed in at […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Brazil coach Tite admitted that superstar striker Neymar had "made a mistake" when he clashed with a fan in France but that didn't deter him from including the world's most expensive player in his Copa America squad. Neymar, the world's most expensive player, was banned for three matches for lashing […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola insisted on Thursday that he has complete confidence in his bosses at Manchester City ahead of UEFA's ruling on their participation in the Champions League, as his side prepare for this weekend's FA Cup final against Watford. City have been referred to UEFA's adjudicatory chamber for alleged breaches […]