London (AFP) – Gareth Southgate has been rewarded for guiding England to this year's World Cup semi-finals with a new contract, the Football Association (FA) announced on Thursday. The 48-year-old's new deal will see him through to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and see his pay rise to a reported £3million ($3.9million) per year. […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo has been given the backing of the Portuguese football federation president (FPF) as he fight accusations of rape. Real Madrid and Portugal star Ronaldo on Wednesday firmly denied claims by a former American model that he raped her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. And FPF president Fernando Gomes […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi appears a man on a mission in the Champions League this season after making it five goals in two games following Barcelona's 4-2 win over Tottenham on Wednesday. Three quarter-final exits in a row have left Barca, and Messi, desperate to make amends. He began with a hat-trick against PSV […]

Paris (AFP) – The Paris Appeal Court said on Thursday that it will rule next month on the validity of a blackmail case against Real Madrid star Karim Benzema and five other men. At a long-awaited hearing on Thursday, prosecutors asked the court confirm the validity of a police investigation into Benzema for his role […]

London (AFP) – Wales boss Ryan Giggs said on Thursday that Jose Mourinho should remain as Manchester United manager despite the mounting crisis at the club. Mourinho is under increasing pressure at Old Trafford with United a lowly 10th in the Premier League and winless in four games in all competitions. Giggs, who played almost […]

Madrid (AFP) – Diego Costa was left out of the Spain squad announced by coach Luis Enrique on Thursday, ahead of games against Wales and England. Costa sustained a thigh strain playing for Atletico Madrid against Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday. Isco, Dani Carvajal, Inigo Martinez and Sergi Roberto are also injured. […]

Naples (Italy) (AFP) – Napoli's Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik was robbed at gunpoint on his way home after his team's Champions League win over Liverpool, Italian police said on Thursday. The 24-year-old was in his car heading towards his home at Varcaturo on the Domitian Coast 20km west of Naples at around 2am when his […]

London (AFP) – Guinea midfielder Naby Keita is in hospital in Naples after complaining of back pain when he came off early in Liverpool's Champions League clash with Napoli on Wednesday, his club said. The 23-year-old — who Liverpool paid German side RB Leipzig £52million ($67million) for last year — underwent tests after being taken […]

Naples (Italy) (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said his side could only blame themselves after the last year's Champions League runners-up were overrun by Napoli before Lorenzo Insigne's late winner gave the Italians a 1-0 win to go top of Group C on Wednesday. "We were not good enough and if you are not […]

London (AFP) – Mauricio Pochettino admitted Tottenham had only themselves to blame for Lionel Messi's mesmerising masterclass in Barcelona's 4-2 Champions League win at Wembley. Pochettino's side found it impossible to subdue Messi as Barcelona ended their three-match winless streak in emphatic style. The Spanish champions punished a howler from Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to […]

Miami (AFP) – The United States will be looking to fine-tune their preparations for next year's Women's World Cup on Thursday as the defending champions head into the final round of qualifiers on the back of a 21-game unbeaten streak. Two years ago, the all-conquering US women were left stunned after being bundled out of […]

Naples (Italy) (AFP) – Lorenzo Insigne struck late as Napoli snatched a 1-0 win over an outclassed Liverpool side described as "not good enough" by coach Jurgen Klopp in a Champions League Group C game at the Stadio San Paolo on Wednesday. Carlo Ancelotti's team had piled the pressure on last year's finalists before finding […]

Madrid (AFP) – Diego Simeone hailed Antoine Griezmann as the best player in the world after the Frenchman's double fired Atletico Madrid to victory over Club Brugge on Wednesday. Griezmann scored twice and set up a third for Koke as Atletico won 3-1 in the stadium they hope to return to for the Champions League […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino lauded Lionel Messi's consistent brilliance after the Argentine dealt a huge blow to Spurs' Champions League hopes with a double in Barcelona's 4-2 win at Wembley on Wednesday. Messi also hit the woodwork twice in a virtuoso display as Barca bounced back from a three-game winless run […]

Paris (AFP) – Lionel Messi struck twice as Barcelona inflicted more Champions League pain on Tottenham with a 4-2 win at Wembley on Wednesday, while Neymar hit a brilliant hat-trick in Paris Saint-Germain's 6-1 rout of Red Star Belgrade. Philippe Coutinho scored after just two minutes for Barcelona, who arrived in London winless in three La […]