London (AFP) – Leicester's Ben Chilwell has been called into the England squad as a replacement for injured Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw, the Football Association confirmed on Monday. Chilwell, who made his England debut in a 1-0 friendly win over Switzerland on home soil at Leicester's King Power Stadium last month, had originally been […]

Moscow (AFP) – The Russian interior ministry is investigating former football internationals Alexander Kokorin and Pavel Mamaev over an incident in a Moscow cafe on Monday that left a civil servant seriously injured. "The investigation is currently establishing all the circumstances of and participants in the incident," the interior ministry said in a statement. Local […]

Paris (AFP) – FIFA best player of the year Luka Modric remains on track for a second major award after he was named Monday among 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or alongside the likes of ex-Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah. Modric, a World Cup runner-up with Croatia, beat […]

Milan (AFP) – Italy coach Roberto Mancini on Monday called up defenders Cristiano Piccini and Lorenzo Tonelli for the first time to replace injured trio Danilo D'Ambrosio, Patrick Cutrone and Alessio Romagnoli for internationals against the Ukraine and Poland this week. The Azzurri take on Ukraine in a friendly in Genoa on Wednesday, before playing […]

Paris (AFP) – Marseille playmaker Dimitri Payet earned a recall to the France squad on Monday after Lyon forward Nabil Fekir was forced to withdraw due to an ankle injury. Fekir, a World Cup winner, hurt his left ankle in Sunday's 5-0 rout by French league leaders Paris Saint-Germain. The 31-year-old Payet, capped 37 times, […]

London (AFP) – England women's coach Phil Neville believes winning next year's World Cup in France would help the women's game "explode" back home. The Lionesses started their build-up campaign for next summer's showpiece with an impressive 1-0 victory over Brazil on Saturday and face Australia on Tuesday. "I think this is probably our moment […]

Milan (AFP) – Italian champions Juventus are appealing the one-match closure of their south stand, saying the club should not be punished for racist chanting by a few fans towards Napoli's Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly during a league game two weeks ago. Italian Football Federation observers reported hearing Koulibaly targeted by the chanting in the […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea's Eden Hazard has cast fresh doubt over his future despite a blistering start to the season by admitting he is still tempted by the childhood dream of a move to Real Madrid. Hazard has been instrumental in Chelsea's unbeaten start under Maurizio Sarri, scoring eight goals in all competitions, as the […]

Paris (AFP) – Real Madrid and Wales forward Gareth Bale and Manchester City's Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne were among the first 15 nominees for the Ballon d'Or award announced on Monday. Bale, who scored two goals in Real's triumph in the final of the Champions League against Liverpool, joins his club teammate Karim Benzema […]

London (AFP) – Alexandre Lacazette has spoken of his growing understanding with his "brother" Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the forwards propelled Arsenal into the top four of the Premier League. The Gunners won 5-1 at Fulham on Sunday to record nine successive victories in all competitions, moving two points off the top of the Premier League […]

Milan (AFP) – Veteran former Real Madrid and AC Milan forward Antonio Cassano on Monday started training with Italian outfit Virtus Entella, a club embroiled in a dispute over which division they should play in. Entella were relegated from the second-tier Serie B after the play-offs last season, but they have played just one Serie […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness affirmed Monday his strong support for coach Niko Kovac, as the Croat came under intense pressure over a winless run capped by a stinging 3-0 defeat at home. "I will defend Niko Kovac to the end," declared Hoeness in an interview with Kicker magazine. Separately, Hoeness told […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp has branded the UEFA Nations League "the most senseless competition in the world" as he prepares to see many of his squad leave on international duty following Liverpool's drab 0-0 draw with Manchester City. The two sides — along with Chelsea — are all locked on 20 points at the […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal are on their best winning run for 11 years after thrashing Fulham 5-1 to make it nine successive victories in all competitions. It is an unexpectedly strong start to the season for the Gunners after their dismal form in the final campaign of Arsene Wenger's reign. AFP Sport takes a closer […]

Jerusalem (AFP) – Aqal passes to Aqal, who finds Aqal in space out wide. He squares to Aqal, who smashes home a strike, sending the crowd of yet more family members into hysterics. The match inside Jerusalem's walled Old City was part of a month-long football tournament in which the largest Palestinian families play each other […]