Sao Paulo (AFP) – Former Argentina and Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli has been named as the new boss of Santos, the Brazilian club announced on Thursday. The 58-year-old will take charge in the new year for his first job since seeing his Argentina side dumped out of the World Cup in the last 16 by […]

Cairo (AFP) – Egypt on Thursday officially signalled its willingness to take over from Cameroon as hosts of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, a day before the deadline for candidates. "The Egyptian football federation (EFA) declares its candidacy to host the 2019 African Nations Cup which is scheduled to take place in June and […]

Doha (AFP) – A "majority" of football federations support increasing the number of teams playing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from 32 to 48, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in Doha on Thursday. Speaking at a press conference after a three-day FIFA summit in the Qatari capital, Infantino said the idea had widespread […]

Tunis (AFP) – Former France and Bordeaux star Alain Giresse has been appointed head coach of Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) participants Tunisia, the Tunisian football federation (FTF) announced Thursday. Giresse, a renowned playmaker in his 1970-1980s heyday, signed an 18-month deal which sees the 66-year-old replace Tunisian Faouzi Benzarti. Tunisia have been without a […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said Thursday he will never get bored of stories linking him to other clubs because it means he is doing something right. Fresh speculation about Pochettino's future has emerged this week following the club's qualification to the knockout stage of the Champions League, with reports suggesting the club […]

Rome (AFP) – Serie A giants Inter Milan on Thursday announced former Juventus supremo Giuseppe Marotta as their new Chief Executive Officer Sport. Marotta was recently ousted by Juventus following an eight-year spell as CEO in which he oversaw many of the club's recruitment operations in a spell which reaped seven Serie A titles, four […]

Madrid (AFP) – Ronaldo, the former Brazil striker and current majority shareholder of Real Valladolid, has said he would be in favour of the club playing La Liga games outside of Spain. Ronaldo bought a 51-percent stake in Valladolid in September, with the stated aim of establishing the team in the top flight after they […]

London (AFP) – Martin Glenn has resigned as chief executive of the Football Association and will leave his role at the end of the season, the governing body announced on Thursday. The FA said Glenn, who was appointed in 2015, "had delivered much of what he came to do". "When I accepted the role of […]

Amsterdam (AFP) – Thomas Mueller has apologised for his kung fu-style kick to the head of Ajax defender Nicholas Tagliafico which saw the Germany star being sent off in Wednesday's six-goal thriller in Amsterdam. "No, no – of course I didn't mean to do it," the 29-year-old told reporters over the first straight red card […]

Amsterdam (AFP) – Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac insisted on Wednesday Kingsley Coman's stunning late goal in their dramatic 3-3 draw at Ajax has put paid to talk of the 22-year-old's early retirement. Coman helped fire Bayern to the top of Group E in the bad-tempered six-goal thriller in Amsterdam, which both sides finished with […]

Rabat (AFP) – Morocco will not be a candidate to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations after Cameroon was stripped of the tournament, the country's sports minister Rachid Talbi Alami said on Wednesday, while Egypt expressed an interest in hosting the finals. "Morocco does not intend to run for the 2019 Africa Cup of […]

Bern (Switzerland) (AFP) – Guillaume Hoarau scored in either half as Young Boys inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Juventus in their final Champions League group game on Wednesday in Switzerland but the Italians still took top spot in Group H after Manchester United lost by the same scoreline to Valencia. The Swiss champions proved too hot […]

Valencia (Spain) (AFP) – Jose Mourinho said "nothing surprised" him about Manchester United's miserable performance against Valencia on Wednesday but dismissed the potential impact of them finishing second in their group. United were beaten 2-1, a result made all the more disappointing given they could have gone through top of Group H following Juventus' surprise […]

Amsterdam (AFP) – Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munich pipped Ajax to top spot in Champions League Group E on Wednesday after a dramatic 3-3 draw which saw both sides finish with 10 men. The point was enough to put Bayern into the last 16 as group winners on a bad-tempered night in Amsterdam […]

Kiev (AFP) – Nabil Fekir fired Lyon into the Champions League last 16 after bagging the crucial equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in the driving snow in Kiev. Fekir struck for the away side in the 65th minute to cancel out Junior Moraes' 22nd-minute opener for Shakhtar, who had to win at their temporary […]