Porto (Portugal) (AFP) – Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco said on Tuesday he wants his side to re-discover the performances which led them to last season's semi-finals before they face Porto in the second leg of the Champions League last 16. The Italians have conceded six goals in their last three games, losing heavily in […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Orlando Pirates became the third leaders of the South African Premiership within seven days despite only drawing 1-1 at home to mid-table Bloemfontein Celtic in Soweto Tuesday. Mamelodi Sundowns surrendered top spot after losing 2-1 away to third-place Cape Town City with the new signing Chris David snatching the winning goal two […]

Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – With his side needing to score at least three goals, Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre thrust Marco Reus, Mario Goetze and Paco Alcacer all into Tuesday's line-up against Tottenham Hotspur. Having lost their Champions League last 16, first leg at Wembley 3-0, Favre threw caution to the wind for the return […]

Paris (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has raised morale at Manchester United and overseen a remarkable improvement in results as interim manager, so it is no surprise he is remaining optimistic going into Wednesday's Champions League last 16, second leg against Paris Saint-Germain. United travelled to Paris with 10 first-team players missing either due to […]

Nice (France) (AFP) – Former Arsenal scout and defender Gilles Grimandi has been appointed Nice's technical director, the French club announced on Tuesday. Grimandi, 48, will rejoin ex-Gunners teammate Patrick Vieira who is the Ligue 1 outfit's coach, after the pair played together for five seasons in north London. The Frenchman's arrival at the Allianz […]

Madrid (AFP) – Gareth Bale was back on the bench for Real Madrid's crunch game at home to Ajax in the second leg of the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday. Bale had started the defeat to Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday but the Welshman departed to whistles in the second half and was […]

Doha (AFP) – Former Bayern Munich and Juventus star Medhi Benatia struck a 56th-minute goal as Qatar giants Al Duhail powered to a 3-0 win over Iran's Esteghlal in their Asian Champions League Group C opener on Tuesday. The French-born Moroccan international, who along with Japan’s Shoya Nakajima were the key signings for Al Duhail […]

Madrid (AFP) – Women's football in Spain is set for a revamp after a new league was approved by the Spanish Football Federation's (RFEF) board of directors on Tuesday. The new format, based on British, Australian and German models, must be signed off at a General Assembly to be held in April, with the intention […]

Paris (AFP) – Manchester United come into their Champions League last 16, second leg away to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday with a mountain to climb and with a squad decimated by injury, but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains optimistic his team can turn the tie around. The Old Trafford side lost the first leg 2-0 […]

Porto (Portugal) (AFP) – Porto coach Sergio Conceicao says his side need to be more attack-minded against Roma if they are to overturn a first-leg 2-1 deficit and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. In this pursuit the former Nantes coach can count on the services of striker Moussa Marega, returning from injury for […]

Paris (AFP) – Manchester United's Alexis Sanchez is set to be out for up to six weeks after suffering a knee injury, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed on Tuesday. "It was a bad knee injury so it's four weeks, or six weeks. Hopefully he'll recover quickly," Solskjaer said at a press conference in Paris on […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea have appealed against the one-year transfer ban handed to the Premier League giants, FIFA confirmed on Tuesday, but will have to wait to discover whether the ban will be temporarily lifted pending the outcome of the appeal. Last month the club were issued with a two-window registration ban and fined 600,000 […]

London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp has vowed that Liverpool will remain positive as they battle for the Premier League title despite a wobble that has enabled Manchester City to seize the initiative. Liverpool's destiny is no longer in their own hands after a goalless draw in Sunday's Merseyside derby allowed Pep Guardiola's City to regain […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany head coach Joachim Loew dropped a bombshell on Tuesday by announcing that 2014 World Cup winners Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Thomas Mueller are no longer in his plans. Loew told the Bayern Munich trio before he names the squad for the friendly against Serbia in Wolfsburg in two weeks and […]

Berlin (AFP) – Another heavy defeat this weekend could mean the sack for head coach Domenico Tedesco, Schalke's new sports director hinted Tuesday, even with a key away leg looming at Manchester City in the Champions League. Bundesliga strugglers Schalke unveiled Jochen Schneider as their new sports director – Tedesco's immediate boss – with the […]