Athens (AFP) – PAOK Thessaloniki coach Razvan Lucescu was fined 28,000 euros on Thursday for likening a points deduction for his team to life in Hitler's Germany. "I believe that in the history of sport, in the history of football, this happened only during Hitler's Germany. I never remember a similar situation," Lucescu, 49, was […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Prince Ibara and Prince Oniangue scored and a player wore gloves in stifling heat as Congo Brazzaville beat Liberia 3-1 Thursday in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Liberia president George Weah, the 1995 world, European and African footballer of the year, was among the crowd who saw Congo deservedly secure […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Istanbul prosecutors have opened an investigation after Turkish football star Arda Turan, currently on Barcelona's books, was reportedly involved in a fight with a Turkish pop star in which he broke the singer's nose. Turan, who is this season playing for Istanbul side Basaksehir while on loan from Barcelona, was summoned to […]

Milan (AFP) – Italian champions Juventus on Thursday lost their appeal against a one-match closure of their south stand with a further suspended punishment added for racist chanting by fans towards Napoli's Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly. The Italian FA's appeals court ruled that the club's south stand will be closed for Juventus's game against Genoa […]

Brussels (AFP) – A top football referee and a Belgian club executive were among the first suspects charged on Thursday in a massive fraud and match-fixing scandal that has engulfed Belgium's elite league, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said more than 20 suspects were being investigated a day after hundreds of police carried out 44 house searches […]

London (AFP) – Jan Vertonghen is expected to be out of action until December with a hamstring injury, Tottenham announced on Thursday, adding to the club's injury woes. The 31-year-old defender was injured in the Premier League win at Huddersfield last month. "The Belgium international defender will now continue his recovery with a view to […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Roger Federer added his heft to the growing debate around the controversial new-format Davis Cup, saying on Thursday that "this was not designed for me". The inaugural Davis Cup finals are slated for a week in Madrid in November 2019 as part of a revamp to the competition, but it has been […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal "lacked respect" for his teammates by complaining on social media about not playing enough, the club's sporting director Pep Segura said Thursday. Chilean international Vidal has started only two games for the Catalan giants since his summer move to the Nou Camp from Bayern Munich. The former Juventus […]

Berlin (AFP) – Toni Kroos says Germany are relishing the chance for redemption following a woeful World Cup campaign as they prepare for crunch Nations League matches away to the Netherlands and France. "Those games sound good to the ear and we hear the ringing of six points," quipped the Real Madrid midfielder. "We're motivated, […]

Milan (AFP) – AC Milan have reached agreement to sign rising Brazilian star Lucas Paqueta with Swedish veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic a possibility to return to Italy, club sporting director Leonardo said on Thursday. The Serie A giants are reported to have agreed a 35 million euro ($40.4 million) deal with Flamengo – the club Paqueta […]

Milan (AFP) – Former Italy manager Gian Piero Ventura said Thursday he was determined to redeem his tarnished reputation at Serie A strugglers Chievo after the disgrace of failing to lead the Azzurri to the World Cup. "I have a tremendous desire to start all over again," said the 70-year-old, who was fired after four-time […]

Beijing (AFP) – China is rolling out football programmes across 10,000 kindergartens in a fresh effort to popularise the beautiful game in the world's most populous country, which is still struggling to produce world-class players. The Chinese Football Association announced plans Wednesday to bring specialised programmes to promote soccer among three- to six-year-olds across China […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea forward Eden Hazard appeared to dismiss the possibility of a January move to Real Madrid on Thursday despite casting fresh doubt over his future in recent days. The 27-year-old was speaking at a press conference on national team duty with Belgium, broadcast on Sky Sports News. It was put to Hazard […]

Monaco (AFP) – Monaco, languishing 18th in Ligue 1, said Thursday that they have sacked Leonardo Jardim, who led them to a French title in 2017. Monaco wished Jardim, who also led the club to a Champions League semi-final in 2017, and his staff "the best for the future." The club from the principality would […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Novak Djokovic wants to see a tennis "Super World Cup" and strongly suggested that he will join Alexander Zverev in skipping the new Davis Cup finals. A new-format Davis Cup finale is slated for a week in Madrid in November 2019, but it has been controversial with some fans and players. Zverev, […]