Paris (AFP) – World Cup winner Alphonse Areola has signed a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain keeping him with the French champions until 2023, the club announced on Thursday. Goalkeeper Areola has made 85 senior appearances for the side he joined as a teenager in 2006 and has won eight titles including the French league […]

London (AFP) – Banned former Pakistan batsman Nasir Jamshed has been charged in Britain with bribery offences as part of an investigation into spot-fixing in cricket, the National Crime Agency said on Thursday. Jamshed and two British nationals — Yousaf Anwar and Mohammed Ijaz — were served with written summonses, charging them each with two […]

Paris (AFP) – Belgium will end the year as No. 1 ahead of world champions France in the global rankings released by FIFA on Thursday. Belgium, beaten by France in the World Cup semi-finals, edge Didier Deschamps' team by one ranking point. Belgium have 1,727 points by FIFA's calculations to 1,726 for France. Brazil are […]

Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – When Germany's last black coal mine shutters Friday, it is not just miners who may shed a tear — football fans too will mourn the end of a pillar of the nation's industrial wealth. "Coal, steel, football and beer are inseparable here, they permeate our culture and our community," said Borussia […]

Monaco (AFP) – Veteran coach Franck Passi has joined Monaco as an assistant to Thierry Henry, the struggling Ligue 1 club announced on Thursday. The 52-year-old Frenchman reinforces a staff of first-time coaches with little Ligue 1 experience. Henry, who is in his first management job, is rediscovering the French topflight, which he left in […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren says the Premier League leaders can go through the whole season unbeaten, matching the achievement of Arsenal's 'Invincibles' in 2003/04. Jurgen Klopp's side are one point clear of defending champions Manchester City after 14 wins and three draws from 17 games. "Hopefully we can be unbeaten until the […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arrived at Manchester United's training ground on Thursday to begin his role as caretaker manager after the sacking of Jose Mourinho. United called time on Mourinho's two-and-a-half years at the club on Tuesday, with the club languishing sixth in the Premier League, 19 points behind leaders Liverpool. […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese football on Thursday imposed a salary cap of 10 million yuan ($1.45 million) a year for domestic players and vowed to kick teams out for so-called "yin-yang contracts". The swingeing measures are part of a ramped-up effort by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) to clamp down on big spending and get […]

Wolverhampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Xherdan Shaqiri proved his quality to Liverpool fans almost as soon as he arrived in July but it is only now that he is starting to suggest he can be a key figure in their Premier League title bid. Shaqiri's two goals as a substitute on Sunday secured a 3-1 […]

Sydney (AFP) – Alex Ferguson's former right-hand man Mike Phelan Thursday said he remained committed to Australia's Central Coast Mariners despite being appointed first team coach at Old Trafford alongside caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Phelan is sporting director of the A-League side — the club that handed an unsuccessful trial to sprint king Usain […]

Jakarta (AFP) – Indonesian football's long-running struggle against corruption has been reignited with authorities promising a new crackdown after a senior official was caught trying to bribe a coach, the latest scandal in a league scarred by mismanagement and deadly hooliganism. But, dogged by years of match-fixing, violence and corruption rife at all levels of […]

Sydney (AFP) – Aaron Mooy was Thursday included in the Socceroos squad to defend their Asian Cup title, despite Huddersfield ruling him out of the tournament, but the experienced Tomi Juric was axed. Midfielder Mooy has been in fine form in the English Premier League this season, but suffered a tear to the medial collateral […]

Paris (AFP) – Marseille's miserable run of form continued with a penalty shoot-out defeat by Strasbourg in the French League Cup last 16 on Wednesday, while Monaco reached the quarter-finals to ease some of the pressure on Thierry Henry. After this latest setback at the Stade Velodrome, Rudi Garcia's OM have lost eight of their […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic returned to the top of the Scottish Premiership after a 3-0 win over Motherwell as Rangers were held to a goalless draw by Hibernian on Wednesday. Steven Gerrard's side had led the top flight after beating Hamilton and their Old Firm rivals' loss to Hibernian on Saturday. Brendan Rodgers' side have […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham marched into the League Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 win at bitter rivals Arsenal, but the north London derby was overshadowed as Dele Alli was hit by a bottle thrown from the crowd. South Korea forward Son Heung-Min put Tottenham ahead in the first half of a fiery quarter-final clash. […]