Augsburg (Germany) (AFP) – South Korea forward Ji Dong-won has been hailed as 'world-class' and a 'genius' after his two-goal haul for struggling Augsburg condemned Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund to a shock 2-1 defeat. The 27-year-old showed lightning reactions to pounce on two individual mistakes in the Dortmund defence on Friday, showing clinical finishing for […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Off-form CAF Confederation Cup trophy-holders Raja Casablanca are bottom of Group A with just two points ahead of a vital away match against fellow Moroccans Renaissance Berkane Sunday. Helped by two goals from Togolese Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba, Berkane triumphed 4-2 away to Raja last weekend and home advantage gives them a […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp has seen Liverpool's title ambitions given a major boost from the most unlikely source ahead of Sunday's eagerly-awaited Merseyside derby at Everton. The Premier League leaders were under pressure in Wednesday's home meeting with Watford following an exhilarating run of form from their closest rivals Manchester City. But a Liverpool […]

London (AFP) – Maurizio Sarri is set to decide whether to end Kepa Arrizabalaga's Chelsea exile at Fulham on Sunday as the under-fire Blues boss and his controversial keeper face a defining moment in their troubled season. Sarri dropped Kepa for Chelsea's midweek 2-0 win over Tottenham as punishment for the Spaniard's refusal to be […]

Sao Paulo (AFP) – Brazilian superstar Neymar revealed Friday that he suffered major two injuries last season with a previously undisclosed angle ligament strain accompanying the broken foot which badly affected his role at the World Cup. The fragile Paris Saint German star picked up another foot injury in January this year which will sideline […]

Berlin (AFP) – South Korea striker Ji Dong-won netted twice against his former club Borussia Dortmund as the league leaders suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Augsburg on Friday to stumble again in the Bundesliga title race. Defending champions Bayern Munich, who are second, will draw level with Dortmund on 54 points if they win […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will seek to make "three or four" major signings this summer, with a replacement for the injury-hit Benjamin Mendy a top priority. Mendy has been plagued by knee problems since joining from Monaco for £52 million ($69 million) in 2017, forcing Guardiola to use a […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is spearheading a Manchester United promotional campaign to market tickets for the 2019-20 season, another hint the Norwegian is winning the battle to be appointed manager on a permanent basis. Solskjaer filmed the season ticket sale videos last week before impressive performances against Liverpool and Crystal Palace […]

Madrid (AFP) – La Liga has bowed to fan pressure and will remove Monday matches from next season, Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales said on Friday. Supporters have complained in recent weeks that the same clubs are being made to play on Monday nights, with attendances at those games suffering as a result. […]

Madrid (AFP) – Ernesto Valverde believes Barcelona can inflict a hefty blow to Real Madrid's morale by winning a second Clasico in four days on Saturday. Barca knocked Madrid out of the Copa del Rey with a 3-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday and will go 12 points clear of their opponents in […]

Madrid (AFP) – As a few hundred Barcelona fans in a far-flung corner of the Santiago Bernabeu roared at the final whistle, millions around the world celebrated with the push of a finger. A little more than 2 million liked the club's post on Instagram. Meanwhile 1.3 million watched the live video on Facebook. On […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness can consider himself a free man, after completing a three-year probation period following his 2014 conviction for tax fraud, a German court ruled Friday. Hoeness, 67, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for tax evasion of at least 28.5 million euros ($32.433m) in […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich's strength in depth will be tested at Borussia Moenchengladbach this Saturday with six of their star-studded squad sidelined. There is some good news for second-placed Bayern, who are three points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund after winning 10 of their last 11 league games as captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino insisted Friday that Spurs have shed their "soft" label are mentally equipped to bounce back from defeats at Burnley and Chelsea to win this weekend's north London derby with Arsenal. A long-shot Premier League title bid appears to have eluded Pochettino's men in the past week as they […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Neil Lennon says Celtic fans will come to regret targeting Brendan Rodgers with abuse over his Parkhead exit, urging them to cherish the success he brought to the club. Rodgers' decision this week to quit the Scottish champions midway through the season to join Leicester was met with bitterness and dismay from […]