Bordeaux (AFP) – Local French officials removed the last obstacle Friday to the sale of Ligue 1 club Bordeaux to an American investment fund in a deal worth 75 million euros ($86.6 million). The city's municipal council voted overwhelmingly to approve the American takeover which is expected to be concluded by the end of the […]

London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp says he does not want to be remembered as the "fun" Liverpool manager who failed to win silverware as expectations rise that the club can break their long trophy drought. The German manager celebrated his three-year anniversary at Anfield this week but has not tasted success despite taking the club […]

London (AFP) – Aaron Ramsey plans to stay at Arsenal for the rest of this season and not make a cut-price January move after the collapse of contract talks with the Premier League club. Arsenal could attempt to cash in on the 27-year-old midfielder in the January transfer window, with top Premier League, La Liga […]

Brussels (AFP) – Belgian prosecutors have charged 19 suspects and detained nine in a massive fraud and match-fixing scandal that has mired Belgium's elite league in scandal, they said on Friday. The charges came after police on Wednesday carried out a massive operation in Belgium, arresting 29 people, 10 of which were released without charges. […]

Sydney (AFP) – Sprint legend Usain Bolt scored his first goals in professional football Friday after starting up front in a pre-season game for Australia's Central Coast Mariners. The 100 metres world record-holder, who is bidding for a professional contract, recovered from a painful kick in the groin to grab a double against Macarthur South […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United coach Michael Carrick says Jose Mourinho is in an elite group alongside Alex Ferguson as one of the greatest managers of the past 30 years despite his current problems at Old Trafford. The former midfielder, 37, took up a coaching role at the end of last season after a distinguished […]

Shanghai (AFP) – China and India together account for more than a third of the world's population, but in football terms they are minnows often beaten by countries a fraction of their size. Their struggles will be laid bare on Saturday when China host their Asian rivals in a friendly that the home side are […]

Berlin (AFP) – Joachim Loew faces the toughest tests of his 12-year tenure as Germany head coach in the forthcoming Nations League matches away to the Netherlands and world champions France. After earning himself some breathing space following a 0-0 draw with Didier Deschamps' France in Munich last month, Loew must take points from the […]

Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ryan Giggs expects Gareth Bale to miss Wales' Nations League clash against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday. Bale was sidelined for Wales' 4-1 friendly defeat against Spain in Cardiff on Thursday after aggravating a groin injury while playing for Real Madrid against Alaves last weekend. The 29-year-old had hoped […]

Guingamp (France) (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe inspired a fightback from world champions France as they rallied from two goals down at home to earn a 2-2 draw with Iceland on Thursday. Birkir Bjarnason swept Iceland ahead from the edge of the area on 30 minutes, and Kari Arnason's excellent second-half header doubled their lead in […]

Paris (AFP) – Portugal, playing without embattled Cristiano Ronaldo, defeated Poland 3-2 in the Nations League on Thursday, shattering Robert Lewandowski's celebrations of playing his 100th international. European champions Portugal scored three times in 20 minutes in the Polish city of Chorzow through Andre Silva (32 minutes), a Kamil Glik own-goal (43) and a strike […]

Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Paco Alcacer made his case for a regular place in the Spain team as the on-loan Borussia Dortmund forward struck twice in his country's 4-1 rout of Wales on Thursday. With Diego Costa injured and Rodrigo on the bench, Alcacer seized his chance to impress Spain boss Luis Enrique in […]

Riyadh (AFP) – Argentina shrugged off the absence of Lionel Messi as a second-string team eased past Iraq 4-0 in an international friendly in Riyadh on Thursday. Interim coach Lionel Scaloni used the match to blood a host of new talent with goalkeeper Sergio Romero, defender Ramiro Funes Mori and striker Paulo Dybala the only […]

Rijeka (Croatia) (AFP) – Gareth Southgate has backed England's young guns to deal with the "strange" situation of playing in an empty stadium when they bid to avenge their World Cup semi-final loss against Croatia. Southgate's side were beaten by Croatia in Russia earlier this year when they stood on the cusp of their first […]

Moscow (AFP) – Disgraced Russian footballers Pavel Mamaev and Alexander Kokorin were Thursday ordered to be detained for two months following an unprovoked attack on two government officials, prosecutors said. Krasnodar midfielder Mamaev and Zenit Saint Petersburg forward Kokorin will remain behind bars until December 8 pending their trial for "hooliganism", a crime for which […]