Paris (AFP) – Super agent Mino Raiola, who counts Manchester United's Paul Pogba amongst his clients, on Friday had a three-month Italian ban extended to a global sanction, FIFA announced. "The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has today decided to extend the sanctions imposed by the Italian Football Association (FIGC) on the intermediaries Carmine […]

Prague (AFP) – Arsenal's veteran goalkeeper Petr Cech said Friday the Gunners' showdown against his former club Chelsea in the Europa League final in Baku on May 29 was "a quirk of fate". With Cech in the squad, Arsenal beat Valencia 4-2 away on Thursday and 7-3 on aggregate in the semifinal to set up […]

London (AFP) – Defender David Luiz has signed a two-year contract extension with Chelsea, the Premier League club announced on Friday. The 32-year-old's previous deal was due to expire at the end of the season but the Brazil international will now remain at Stamford Bridge until June 2021. Centre-back Luiz has been a mainstay in […]

London (AFP) – Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury has been fined £5,000 and ordered to attend an education course due to historical comments on social media, the Football Association announced on Friday. The FA said his comments constituted an "aggravated breach" as they included reference to "ethnic origin and/or race and/or sexual orientation." The 21-year-old wrote […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has welcomed the prospect of a three-week break for his exhausted and injury-ravaged squad before they face Liverpool in the Champions League final ahead of their last Premier League match of the campaign. The scheduling of the showpiece match on June 1 in Madrid has been criticised as […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal say they are "hugely concerned" that Henrikh Mkhitaryan could potentially miss the Europa League final against Chelsea in Baku because of tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Armenia captain skipped the Gunners' earlier fixture in the competition against Qarabag because of a dispute over the Nagorny Karabakh region, an issue that […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea defender David Luiz expects to tie up a new contract with the club in the coming days. The Brazilian's current Blues deal expires at the end of the season, with the 32-year-old having been in protracted talks over an extension. Luiz's error led to Luka Jovic's goal as Eintracht Frankfurt took […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp branded UEFA "irresponsible" on Friday as fans expressed their disgust over eye-watering price hikes after four Premier League clubs qualified for the Champions League and Europa League finals. Tottenham and Liverpool will meet in the Champions League final in Madrid on June 1, while supporters of London clubs […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola says Manchester City have to win the Premier League on Sunday or risk being "destroyed" by the critics. City and Liverpool have been engaged in a remarkable and relentless title race that has left the rest of the division trailing. That race reaches its conclusion on Sunday as […]

Geneva (AFP) – A Swiss oversight body said Friday that it had opened a "disciplinary investigation" targeting the attorney general over his meetings with FIFA's president, while Bern is probing corruption in world football. Switzerland's top prosecutor Michael Lauber, who is in charge of the FIFA probe, has come under fire over a series of […]

London (AFP) – Fulham on Friday appointed Scott Parker as their new full-time manager after his spell as caretaker boss of the relegated Premier League club. "The players, staff and fans have all been fantastic with me since I took temporary charge," said the former England midfielder. "We are now all focused on ending this […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hopes to have Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Jordan Henderson fit for Sunday's Premier League finale against Wolverhampton Wanderers as the Reds aim to end a 29-year wait to win the title. Klopp's men trail Manchester City by one point at the top of the table and need […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp branded UEFA "irresponsible" on Friday as fans expressed their disgust over eye-watering price hikes after four Premier League clubs qualified for the Champions League and Europa League finals. Tottenham and Liverpool will meet in the Champions League final in Madrid on June 1, while supporters of London clubs […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United confirmed Mike Phelan as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's permanent assistant manager on a three-year deal on Friday, ending speculation he could become the club's technical director. Meanwhile, reports linked the club to Wales winger Daniel James. Phelan took up the role on a temporary basis when Solskjaer was appointed […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hopes to have Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Jordan Henderson fit for Sunday's Premier League finale against Wolves as the Reds aim to end a 29-year wait to win the title. Klopp's men trail Manchester City by one point at the top of the table and need the […]