Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain's dismal recent run in Ligue 1 continued on Saturday as Edinson Cavani missed a stoppage time penalty for the French champions in a scrappy 1-1 home draw with Nice. The Uruguayan shot weakly at Nice stopper Walter Benitez nearly five minutes after Neymar, who scored PSG's leveller from the spot […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Brazil will play World Cup hosts Qatar in one of their last two friendlies before the Copa America gets underway in June, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Saturday. Asian champions Qatar are to make their Copa America debut in Brazil as one of two invitees to the South […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Esperance of Tunisia and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco qualified for the CAF Champions League final Saturday, setting up a third consecutive title decider between north African clubs. Trophy-holders Esperance drew 0-0 away to TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo in a semi-final second leg to advance 1-0 on aggregate. […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Italian president Sergio Mattarella led the tributes as the country remembered the legendary 'Grande Torino' on the 70th anniversary of the Superga air disaster that wiped out one of Italy's greatest ever football teams. On Saturday, just like every year, thousands climbed up to the Basilica of Superga, a Baroque church […]

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid missed the chance to ensure they finish above Real Madrid for a second consecutive year on Saturday after slipping to a surprise 3-0 defeat by Espanyol. Atletico needed only a point to guarantee second place in La Liga, with two games left to play, but Espanyol were deserving winners at […]

London (AFP) – Mauricio Pochettino insisted on Saturday that nine-man Tottenham won't let a "cruel" 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth ruin their bid to finish in the top four and reach the Champions League final, while Fulham's 16-year-old Harvey Elliott become the Premier League's youngest ever player in their 1-0 defeat Wolves. Tottenham's South Korea forward […]

Berlin (AFP) – Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben returned to action on Saturday as Bayern Munich heaped pressure on Bundesliga title rivals Borussia Dortmund with a 3-1 win over Hanover. The veteran wingers, both of whom are set to leave Bayern at the end of the season, returned from injury as Bayern made heavy weather […]

London (AFP) – Celtic remain in a league of their own in Scotland as a 3-0 win at Aberdeen clinched an eighth consecutive Premiership title on Saturday. The Hoops are now just one victory away from a third consecutive domestic treble of trophies should they defeat Hearts in the Scottish Cup final on May 25. […]

Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane has played down speculation linking Real Madrid with a summer move for Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba. Zidane said in March he knew Pogba personally and likes him "a lot" before adding Madrid could be his next club "when his experience in Manchester comes to an end". Pogba had also […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic secured an eighth successive Scottish Premiership title on Saturday with a 3-0 win at Aberdeen that put them two-thirds of the way towards an unprecedented third consecutive domestic treble. Saturday's title triumph came the day after former Celtic captain and manager Billy McNeill's funeral in Glasgow, and both he and fellow […]

Bournemouth (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Nine-man Tottenham Hotspur's bid for Champions League football was rocked on Saturday after Nathan Ake's last-gasp winner punished red cards for Son Heung-min and Juan Foyth and condemned Spurs to a 1-0 Premier League defeat at Bournemouth. South Korea forward Son was sent off for a needless push in the […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Celebrated French coach Roger Lemerre is still plotting trophy-winning campaigns aged 77 and hopes to guide Tunisian club Etoile Sahel into the CAF Confederation Cup final Sunday. Etoile, the only team to win all five current and past African club competitions, host Zamalek of Egypt after losing 1-0 away in the semi-final […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Brazil's Ronaldinho has found a second calling after retiring from professional football: rapper. The former Brazil national and FC Barcelona megastar — full name Ronaldinho Gaucho — has released a song along with Brazilian singer Jorge Vercillo decrying corruption in their country. The 2005 Golden Ball award winner appears in […]

Paris (AFP) – Five weeks before the women's World Cup kicks off in France, and there is a hive of activity high up in the Montparnasse Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Paris. It is here, on the 49th floor and with an unobstructed view over the French capital, that tournament organisers are working […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal have one foot in the Europa League final but know they cannot afford the luxury of taking it easy in Sunday's match against struggling Brighton as they chase a Premier League top-four berth. Unai Emery's team have wobbled badly in the league in recent weeks, losing four out of their past […]