Gelsenkirchen (Germany) (AFP) – Having been rejected as an eight-year-old by Schalke 04, Ilkay Gundogan is relishing returning to Gelsenkirchen with Manchester City in what could potentially be a one-sided Champions League clash. While Pep Guardiola's high-flying City are top the Premier League table, Schalke, Wednesday's opponents in the last 16, first-leg clash, are just […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – As their Premier League title rivals Liverpool sunned themselves in Marbella last week, Manchester City were getting muddy in Newport on Saturday to keep alive the prospect of a historic clean sweep of four trophies. City's focus switches from south Wales to Schalke on Wednesday for the first leg of […]

London (AFP) – Maurizio Sarri insists he isn't worried about being sacked as Chelsea manager despite his troubled side's lacklustre FA Cup surrender against Manchester United. Sarri faces a fight to save his job after FA Cup holders Chelsea crashed to a 2-0 fifth round defeat at Stamford Bridge on Monday. Ander Herrera headed United […]

London (AFP) – Under-fire Maurizio Sarri admitted his Chelsea flops played "confused" football as they crashed out of the FA Cup with a tame 2-0 defeat against Manchester United on Monday. Sarri was subjected to calls for his sacking from angry Chelsea fans during the troubled team's fifth defeat in their last 10 games. Booed […]

Milan (AFP) – Defenders Aleksandar Kolarov and Federico Fazio both scored in the second half as Roma closed in on the Champions League places with a 2-1 win over Bologna on Monday. Eusebio Di Francesco followed their Champions League last 16, first-leg win over Porto last week by consolidating fifth position and are now just a point […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Los Angeles Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic set an exceptional challenge for the upcoming Major League Soccer season on Sunday, vowing to rewrite the league record book this year. The 37-year-old Swedish superstar unveiled new Galaxy jerseys in a flashy entrance, then told a crowd of fans his ambitious plans for the 2019 […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund dropped more points in the title race on Monday when they were held to a goalless draw at bottom side Nuremberg. Dortmund are now just three points ahead of second-placed Bayern Munich, the defending champions who won 3-2 at Augsburg on Friday, with their lead slashed from nine […]

London (AFP) – Paul Pogba drove Manchester United into the FA Cup quarter-finals and pushed Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri closer to the sack as the troubled holders crashed to a 2-0 defeat on Monday. Pogba set up United's opening goal for Ander Herrera with a majestic cross and the France star added the second himself […]

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan's Chinese president Steven Zhang on Monday ruled out selling unsettled Argentine forward Mauro Icardi to Serie A rivals Juventus. It follows comments from Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici that the champions would keep an eye on the striker's situation in the summer after he was stripped of the captain's armband […]

Miami (AFP) – Portuguese winger Nani, a four-time Premier League champion and 2008 UEFA Champions League winner with Manchester United, signed a three-year contract Monday with Orlando City of Major League Soccer. The 32-year-old who helped Portugal win the 2016 European crown joined the Florida side on a free transfer from Sporting Lisbon. "This is an […]

London (AFP) – Leeds United have escaped a points penalty in their quest to be promoted to the Premier League after it was announced Monday they had been fined £200,000 ($259,000, 229,000 euros) and reprimanded for spying on their opponents. Leeds faced an investigation by the English Football League after veteran manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Bidvest Wits kept on course for a South African league-cup double when they beat Black Leopards 3-2 on penalties Monday to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals. A lively last-16 tie ended 1-1 after extra time with Gift Motupa putting league leaders Wits ahead on 35 minutes and Mwape Musonda equalising for the […]

Lyon (AFP) – The ghost of Rome still haunts Lionel Messi and Barcelona as they find themselves in Lyon for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday. The Spanish champions won the domestic double last season in Ernesto Valverde's first campaign as coach at the Camp Nou, but that achievement was […]

Lyon (AFP) – Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde hopes his team have learned the lessons of last year' humiliation in Rome as they look for a rare win on the road in the Champions League in Tuesday's clash with Lyon. The Spanish champions are in France for the first leg of their last-16 tie, their first […]

Milan (AFP) – Italian third-tier side Pro Piacenza were on Monday excluded from Serie C after fielding a team of just seven players in a 20-0 defeat by league rivals Cuneo, governing body Lega Pro announced. Financially troubled Pro Piacenza, a side from northern Italy, have been unable to pay their players and staff, who […]