Rome (AFP) – Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Friday he was in favour of a pause in Serie A fixtures in the wake of the death of a supporter before a midweek game between Inter Milan and Napoli which was also overshadowed by racist chants. The Italian league will continue this weekend with the […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri says the time has come for star playmaker Eden Hazard to make up his mind as to whether he will sign a new contract. The 27-year-old Belgian — who has been at Chelsea since 2012 — is a target for Spain's European champions Real Madrid but said on […]

Kabul (AFP) – Afghanistan's attorney general slapped a travel ban on five top football officials Friday, hours after graphic details emerged of alleged sexual and physical abuse against members of the women's national team. One player told Britain's Guardian newspaper that Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) president Keramuddin Karim had lured her into a secret bedroom […]

London (AFP) – Former Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood, who signed off on hiring a then largely unknown Arsene Wenger as manager, has died aged 82, the Premier League club announced on Friday. The former Army officer and successful banker was chairman of the Gunners — the third member of his family to fill the role […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has warned Manchester United stars Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez they should follow Paul Pogba's example if they are to revive their careers at the club. Lukaku and Sanchez suffered a dramatic loss of form in the last months of Jose Mourinho's tempestuous spell in […]

London (AFP) – Felipe Anderson may have scored seven goals in his last nine matches for West Ham, but Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini claims he is still adjusting to the Premier League and has not fully hit his stride. The 25-year-old Brazilian midfielder — who signed from Serie A outfit Lazio for a reported £36 […]

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan travel to Tuscany side Empoli on Saturday without their fans after racism and violence overshadowed Christmas football in the Italian league. Police in Florence said that visiting Inter supporters would not be allowed to attend this weekend's match against promoted Empoli with the away stand closed. It follows violence before […]

Brisbane (Australia) (AFP) – Former Socceroos star John Aloisi quit Friday as coach of A-League strugglers Brisbane Roar after a poor start to the season. Aloisi, who secured Australia's place in the 2006 World Cup after slotting home a winning play-off penalty against Uruguay, said it was in the best interests of the club that […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Halfway towards ending a 29-year wait to win the Premier League, the next seven days will test Liverpool's title credentials to the fullest, starting with Arsenal's visit to Anfield on Saturday. For a long time a new year visit to Manchester City on January 3 had the makings of a title decider, […]

London (AFP) – A non-league club in the sixth tier of English football has struck an unlikely new sponsorship deal with a company that offers tours to North Korea, one of the world's most isolated countries. Blyth Spartans, a club based in the northeast of England, displayed an advertising board during Wednesday's fixture promoting Visit […]

Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Felipe Anderson scored twice as West Ham came from a goal behind to win 2-1 away to Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday. After a lacklustre first half at St Mary's, all three goals came in a nine-minute spell early in the second half, with Nathan Redmond firing the […]

London (AFP) – Bournemouth captain Simon Francis is set to miss the remainder of the season after being ruled out Thursday for six to nine months with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. The 33-year-old full-back suffered the injury in the 5-0 loss away to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. "We are devastated to have lost Simon […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Former Brazil forward Robinho transferred on Thursday to Turkish Super Lig leaders Basaksehir, the club said, from Sivasspor whom he had signed with earlier this year. "The club has reached an agreement with Demir Group Sivasspor Club for the transfer of Robson De Souza (Robinho)," Goksel Gumusdag, chairman of Istanbul's Basaksehir, said […]

Rome (AFP) – Inter Milan will play two Serie A home matches behind closed doors as punishment for the racist chants directed towards Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, the Italian league announced on Thursday. Koulibaly was subjected to monkey noises from the crowd several times during Inter's 1-0 win at the San Siro on Wednesday, leading […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association after kicking a water bottle into the crowd during the 1-1 Premier League draw at Brighton on Boxing Day. A Football Association spokesman said Thursday: "Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been charged following the game against Brighton yesterday […]