Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates) (AFP) – Australia's coach said Asian sides had closed the gap after the defending champions received a reality check at the Asian Cup, signalling a tough time ahead in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The Socceroos once expected to dominate their regional rivals but they found their title defence tough, going […]

Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates) (AFP) – Australia's ex-refugee football international Awer Mabil was hit by tragedy after his sister died in a car crash shortly before he played in Friday's Asian Cup quarter-final. Bor Mabil, 19, was killed in the accident in Adelaide just hours before Australia's 1-0 defeat to hosts UAE, in which Awer […]

Marseille (AFP) – Marseille's slide continued with a 2-1 home loss to Lille in a match that started with a fan protest, was interrupted for more than 30 minutes after a firework exploded on the touchline and also saw a red card and a Mario Balotelli goal on his debut. The game ended with Marseille […]

Marseille (AFP) – Marseille's slide continued with a 2-1 home loss to Lille in a match that started with a fan protest, was interrupted for more than 30 minutes after a firework exploded on the touchline and also saw a red card and a Mario Balotelli goal on his debut. The game ended with Marseille […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has revealed Manchester City pulled out of the race to sign Ajax midfielder Frenkie De Jong for fear of upsetting other players by breaking the club's wage structure. De Jong will join Barcelona in July in a deal that will cost up to a reported £74 million ($97 […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Highlands Park won a South African FA Cup round-of-32 tie in rain-lashed Durban Friday thanks in part to woeful shootout penalty-taking by fellow top-flight club AmaZulu FC. The first of four all-Premiership clashes in the opening round ended 1-1 after extra time and Highlands triumphed 3-1 on penalties. In regulation time, Argentine […]

London (AFP) – Alexis Sanchez came back to haunt Arsenal as the Chilean opened the scoring in Manchester United's 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round win on Friday to maintain Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's 100 percent record as caretaker manager. United's winning run under the Norwegian is now eight games in all competitions and his decision to make […]

Berlin (AFP) – Schalke are unbeaten in their last three Bundesliga matches after Friday's 2-2 draw at Hertha Berlin further boosted moral with the visit of Manchester City approaching. Schalke twice took the lead at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, through Yevhen Konoplyanka and Mark Uth, only for Marko Grujic and captain Vedad Ibisevic to equalise for […]

Marseille (AFP) – Marseille's French Ligue 1 match against Lille was halted on Friday night when a firework exploded on the touchline in the 57th minute just inches away from two players. The game started with a 10-minute stay-away strike. It was then stopped in the second half after a firework, thrown from the crowd, […]

Monte Carlo (Principality of Monaco) (AFP) – Leonardo Jardim returned for a second spell as Monaco coach on Friday, just over three months after he was sacked, the struggling French Ligue 1 club announced. Jardim replaces Thierry Henry who was suspended Thursday and then sacked Friday with the team second-from-bottom in the French top division […]

Berlin (AFP) – RB Leipzig will be without key defender Dayot Upamecano for Sunday's away Bundesliga match at resurgent Fortuna Duesseldorf after the burly French centre-back suffered a knee injury in training. "It was an unfortunate clash between 'Upa' and (France Under-21 defender) Nordi Mukiele," said Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick. "At first it looked dramatic […]

Marseille (AFP) – Swathes of the stands were empty at the normally vibrant Velodrome when the Ligue 1 game against Lille kicked off on Friday night, as Marseille fans staged a 10-minute protest against the way the club is run. Fans are frustrated that Marseille, seventh in Ligue 1, have won only once since late […]

London (AFP) – Marko Arnautovic has ended the speculation concerning his immediate future by indicating he will stay with West Ham. The Austrian forward, who had been linked with a lucrative move to China, took to Instagram on Friday to say he wanted to help London club West Ham win the FA Cup this season. […]

Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates) (AFP) – Australia's Milos Degenek said he just had to take it on the chin after his defensive mistake sent the holders spinning out of the Asian Cup at the hands of hosts UAE on Friday. The 24-year-old looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up after veteran striker […]

Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates) (AFP) – Asian Cup hosts UAE and Gulf rivals Qatar pulled off titanic upsets as they sent defending champions Australia and Son Heung-min's South Korea crashing out in the quarter-finals on Friday. Milos Degenek's defensive howler handed UAE a 1-0 win, and the Qataris beat South Korea by the same score […]