London (AFP) – Crystal Palace have opened up their Selhurst Park stadium to rough sleepers seeking shelter from the winter weather, the English Premier League side said. A lounge at the south London ground can be turned into a temporary overnight shelter for up 10 rough sleepers whenever temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing. […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is the latest star to commit his future to the Premier League leaders after signing a long-term contract. Alexander-Arnold's improved deal is reported to tie him to Liverpool until 2024. The 20-year-old has emerged as one of Liverpool's brightest young stars as Jurgen Klopp's side chase the club's […]

Abu Dhabi (AFP) – He's the safe hands behind Iran's Asian Cup quest whose rags-to-riches story turned him into a national hero — now giant goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand has become an internet smash. Videos of the 26-year-old shot-stopper throwing the ball over 70 metres to a striker during Iran's clash with Iraq in Dubai went viral, […]

Melbourne (AFP) – Australia's women's football coach Alen Stajcic was sacked Saturday just months out from the World Cup amid concerns over "workplace" and "player welfare" issues. The move comes despite guiding the Matildas to as high as fourth in the FIFA world rankings in one of their most successful eras since being appointed in […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola takes reigning champions Manchester City to struggling Huddersfield on Sunday, with the Premier League's bottom side facing the prospect of finding themselves on the receiving end of Kevin De Bruyne's frustration. Arguably City's standout performer in their record-breaking title campaign last season, the Belgian's season has been badly […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Romelu Lukaku has been assured by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he will get chances at Manchester United despite being overtaken by Marcus Rashford in the competition for a starting place. Lukaku has not started a Premier League match since Solskjaer took over as caretaker manager on December 19, although he […]

London (AFP) – Unai Emery has warned Arsenal that losing to bitter rivals Chelsea on Saturday would end their hopes of finishing in the Premier League's top four. Emery's side host Chelsea in a crucial clash at the Emirates Stadium knowing a defeat would leave them nine points adrift of the Champions League places. After […]

Milan (AFP) – Serie A club Napoli have blasted an Italian football federation appeals court's decision to reject Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly's appeal against his two-match ban as "a great opportunity missed to fight racism". French-born Koulibaly was targeted by monkey noises and racist chants in Napoli's 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan at the San […]

Paris (AFP) – Lille coach Christophe Galtier signed a new contract this week and his highflying side celebrated the news with a come-from-behind 2-1 home win over Amiens on Friday. Galtier, the successor to sacked Marcelo Bielsa, now making waves at Leeds in the English Championship, was rewarded for reviving the fortunes of the club […]

Berlin (AFP) – Leon Goretzka was outstanding with two first-half goals as Bayern Munich halved Borussia Dortmund's lead at the top of the Bundesliga on Friday with a 3-1 win at Hoffenheim. Bayern's impressive victory in Sinsheim trimmed Dortmund's lead to just three points before they face fourth-placed RB Leipzig away on Saturday night. Bayern, […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – A CAF Champions League match was abandoned Friday over crowd trouble in an Egyptian stadium likely to be one of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations venues. The Cameroonian referee halted a match between hosts Ismaily and Tunisian opponents Club Africain in stoppage time after sections of the crowd hurled bottles […]

Madrid (AFP) – Holders Barcelona will face Sevilla in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey after a complaint that they fielded an ineligible player in the last round was thrown out by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Friday. The current leaders of La Liga have won the trophy in each of the last […]

London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp has warned Liverpool's Premier League rivals that the leaders are laying the foundations for long-term success. Klopp's side sit four points clear at the top as they chase Liverpool's first English title since 1990. But the Liverpool boss does not want this season's potential title triumph to be a one-off. The […]

London (AFP) – Harry Kane's absence will inevitably affect Tottenham's performances in the coming weeks, manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted on Friday, but the Argentine is positive they can cope without the England captain. Kane is not scheduled to return to training until early March after suffering ankle ligament damage towards the end of a 1-0 […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola said on Friday that clubs he has coached in the past were involved in spying on their opponents after Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa admitted to using espionage tactics. The Manchester City manager made clear he has not been involved in any such activity during his time in England, […]