London (AFP) – Fourth-tier Newport County will take on Premier League champions Manchester City in the fifth round of the FA Cup after shocking Championship high-flyers Middlesbrough 2-0 on Tuesday. Robbie Willmott and Padraig Amond scored brilliant second-half goals for the Welsh side to secure a plum tie at home to Pep Guardiola's side on […]

Paris (AFP) – Nantes coach Vahid Halilhodzic hopes his side can reach the final of the French Cup as a tribute to former teammate Emiliano Sala, whose plane disappeared in the English Channel last month. The 28-year-old Argentine striker was onboard a light aircraft taking him to his new Premier League team Cardiff City when […]

Marseille (AFP) – Marseille won for the first time at home since November as they beat Bordeaux 1-0 behind closed doors in Ligue 1 on Tuesday. The fixture was played at an empty Stade Velodrome as the hosts were punished by the French football league (LFP) for crowd trouble during the January defeat to Lille. […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi was named in Barcelona's squad on Tuesday ahead of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Madrid but coach Ernesto Valverde insists he will not take any risks with his captain's fitness. Messi returned to training on Tuesday before the first leg at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, despite feeling […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness ahead of Barcelona's Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Madrid on Wednesday but coach Ernesto Valverde insists he will not take any risks. Messi is a doubt for the first leg at the Camp Nou after he felt discomfort […]

Åre (Sweden) (AFP) – Lindsey Vonn admitted to thoughts of being "too old for this shit" as she slid out of Wednesday's world championship super-G race, adding however that she dreaded missing the adrenaline ski racing gave her as she heads into retirement. Vonn, in flat light caused by cloud cover in Are, Sweden, hit […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has played down the suggestion that Manchester City are now Premier League title favourites despite two stumbles in as many games by leaders Liverpool that cut the gap at the top to three points. Jurgen Klopp's side could have gone seven points clear by beating Leicester last week, […]

Madrid (AFP) – One hundred days will split the last Clasico from the latest one and for Real Madrid the prize in the rematch is more than a place in the Copa del Rey final. When they trudged off the Camp Nou in October, the big screens above them flashed 5-1 to Barcelona, with Luis […]

Madrid (AFP) – Ex-Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has avoided jail for tax fraud as part of a deal with Spanish prosecutors revealed Tuesday but will pay a fine of close to two million euros. The 56-year-old is accused of committing tax fraud in 2011 and 2012 when he coached Spanish giants Real Madrid. According […]

Madrid (AFP) – One hundred days will split the last Clasico from the latest one and for Real Madrid the prize in the rematch is more than a place in the Copa del Rey final. This time, there is more than just the cup at stake. When the white shirts trudged off the Camp Nou […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United have opened talks with Marcus Rashford over a new and improved contract following the forward's impressive run of form under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, reports said on Tuesday. The 21-year-old scored his 10th goal of the season in Sunday's 1-0 win at Leicester, becoming the second-youngest player to reach […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Much has changed at Manchester City in the three seasons since Pep Guardiola took charge tasked with turning the wealth of the club's Abu Dhabi backers into domination of English football. However, if Guardiola's men are to reel in Liverpool to become the first side in a decade to retain the Premier […]

London (AFP) – Andy Robertson has dismissed suggestions Liverpool are starting to feel the pressure of being Premier League leaders, saying they are experiencing no more than a "blip" in their pursuit of their first title for 29 years. Jurgen Klopp's side drew 1-1 with West Ham on Monday after failing to beat Leicester last […]

Berlin (AFP) – Hertha Berlin captain Vedad Ibisevic sees Wednesday's German Cup clash against Bayern Munich as a "mini final" with the hosts hoping to topple the Bavarian giants again. Ibisevic scored when Hertha shocked Bayern 2-0 in the Bundesliga last September and the last-16 tie at the Olympic Stadium offers a chance to deal […]

London (AFP) – British crash investigators told AFP on Tuesday they were planning "an underwater operation" in the next couple of days on the wreckage of a plane carrying Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala in the Channel. "There is still an ongoing operation gathering evidence," said a spokesman for the Air Accident Investigations Branch. Asked whether […]