Bogota (AFP) – Carlos Queiroz was named coach of Colombia on Thursday, the country's football federation (FCF) said, replacing Argentine Jose Pekerman who left the post in September. Queiroz's appointment had long been expected but Colombia had to wait until the end of the recently-concluded Asian Cup for the Portuguese's contract with Iran to run […]

Rome (AFP) – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin announced Thursday that European football's governing body will launch an Over The Top (OTT) streaming platform for football matches. Ceferin, 51, who was re-elected unopposed on Thursday for a four-year term as UEFA chief, said that the online streaming platform will broadcast women's and youth matches within the […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid midfielder Isco has complained he is not being given a fair chance by coach Santiago Solari. Isco has been cut out almost completely since Solari was appointed in November. He has started only three matches under the Argentinian, two in the Copa del Rey and one in the Champions League. […]

London (AFP) – Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha has been given a one-match ban by the Football Association for improper conduct after sarcastically applauding referee Andre Marriner. Zaha was punished following his antics in Palace's Premier League draw at Southampton on January 30. The Ivory Coast forward clapped Marriner after being booked for a clash […]

London (AFP) – Unai Emery admits Arsenal have no excuse for failing to improve their wretched away record when they face lowly Huddersfield on Saturday. Emery's side have lost their past three away games in the Premier League including a 3-1 loss at Manchester City last weekend. With defeats at Southampton and West Ham among […]

Prague (AFP) – Former Czech Republic international Tomas Repka was jailed for 15-months on Thursday on charges of selling a leased Mercedes for 46,500 euros ($52,700). Repka played three years at Fiorentina in Italy and five at West Ham United in London as well as turning out 46 times for his country. But the 45-year-old […]

Rome (AFP) – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was handed a new four-year term on Thursday and promised a bright future despite the "complex challenges" ahead for European football's governing body. The 51-year-old Slovenian lawyer was the only candidate going forward for election at the UEFA Congress in Rome and was voted in by acclamation. His election […]

Rome (AFP) – Nasser al-Khelaifi, the Qatari president of French giants Paris Saint-Germain, was on Thursday officially appointed club representative on UEFA's Executive Committee, at the Congress of European football's governing body in Rome. The 45-year-old had been elected at the end of January at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the European Club […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – China's Shandong Luneng defied a hostile crowd to beat Japanese club Sagan Tosu 3-1 and win Hong Kong's Lunar New Year Cup on Thursday in a match dominated by foreign imports. Shandong took the field without injured star recruit Marouane Fellaini, who signed from Manchester United last week, but Brazilian centre-back […]

Portland (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Investigators recovered a body underwater from the wreckage of a plane carrying Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala in the Channel and transported it to the British mainland on Thursday for identification. Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said that bad weather meant they were unable to recover the plane and as […]

London (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has helped bring back "the old school Manchester United" and persuaded Jesse Lingard that they can mount a Premier League title challenge next season. Jose Mourinho's December sacking was followed by the surprise appointment of Solskjaer until the end of the campaign. The Norwegian has won nine of his […]

Rome (AFP) – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was on Thursday re-elected for a four-year term as head of European football's governing body by acclamation. The 51-year-old Slovenian lawyer was the only candidate going forward for election at the UEFA Congress in Rome. Ceferin took over two and a half years ago after the corruption scandal that […]

Paris (AFP) – Qatar have climbed a huge 38 places in the latest FIFA world rankings released on Thursday, reaching their highest position in more than quarter of a century on the back of their victorious Asian Cup campaign. The Gulf state, who will host the World Cup in 2022, are now ranked 55th — […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Neither claimed a clear advantage but Barcelona and Real Madrid each had cause for optimism following a frantic 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final. "The result does not point to any clear favourite," Barca coach Ernesto Valverde said after Wednesday's match. "The tie is open," said […]

Rome (AFP) – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin on Thursday vowed there would never be a breakaway European Super League during his term in office. Ceferin — set to be reelected for a four-year term later Thursday at the organisation's Congress in Rome — said both he and Andrea Agnelli, president of the European Club Association […]