Berlin (AFP) – After making his 450th Bundesliga appearance last weekend, Werder Bremen striker Claudio Pizarro turns 40 on Wednesday, yet the ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich forward has no plans to hang his boots up just yet. "I enjoying playing football, even at 40, and I will keep doing it until my body says 'no […]

Naples (Italy) (AFP) – Four months have passed since Carlo Ancelotti arrived in Napoli after Maurizio Sarri's departure for Chelsea with the promise of finding the missing piece in the jigsaw to end the southern Italian side's near three-decade wait for the Scudetto. The former AC Milan and Chelsea coach's arrival was hailed by club […]

Sydney (AFP) – Australia's football governing body voted for wide-ranging reforms Tuesday against the wishes of its outgoing chairman, ending a long-running battle that saw FIFA threaten to take over the federation. Football Federation Australia's 10-member Congress — nine state and territory associations, and one A-League representative — voted 8-2 in favour of constitutional changes, […]

Barcelona (AFP) – As Lionel Messi lay on the Wembley grass, his left hand grasping the Champions League trophy and his right pumping the air, he must have thought there would be many more European glory nights to come. It was 2011 and Barca had beaten Manchester United 3-1. "No one has given us a hiding […]

London (AFP) – In dire need of a famous victor to revive his team's Champions League campaign, Mauricio Pochettino will draw on the memory of the most cherished success of his career when Tottenham host Barcelona on Wednesday. Pochettino's side can ill afford a damaging defeat against the Spanish champions after conceding two late goals […]

London (AFP) – It was a sight that just a few months ago would have been unthinkable — Liverpool a goal down in a big game, and Mohamed Salah hauled off by Jurgen Klopp. Klopp got the goal he craved for a 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Saturday that preserved Liverpool's unbeaten Premier League start, […]

Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – Jadon Sancho hopes his reputation for being a "weapon" off the bench for Borussia Dortmund will win the England Under-19 international a starting berth against Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday. The 18-year-old wants a place in Lucien Favre's line-up after once more proving his worth on Saturday, when he […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Police said Monday they had reopened an investigation into a rape accusation made by a former model who says soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo attacked her in his Las Vegas hotel penthouse suite in 2009. Ronaldo, who now plays for Juventus in Italy's Serie A, rejected the charges as "fake news" during […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Christian Pulisic and Michael Bradley earned recalls on Monday as United States coach Dave Sarachan unveiled his squad for upcoming friendlies against Colombia and Peru. Borussia Dortmund star Pulisic and experienced midfielder Bradley missed the team's games against Brazil and Mexico last month as interim coach Sarachan ran the rule over […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said Monday Cristiano Ronaldo's one-match Champions League suspension was a welcome break for the Portuguese star to recharge after playing all matches since his move to Turin. Ronaldo will sit out Tuesday's European game in Turin against Swiss club Young Boys after his controversial sending off after half […]

Bournemouth (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Bournemouth snatched a dramatic 2-1 win over Crystal Palace as Junior Stanislas's last-gasp penalty sealed the points at Dean Court on Monday. Eddie Howe's side took an early lead through David Brooks before Patrick Van Aanholt bagged a controversial second-half equaliser for Palace. Van Aanholt looked well offside when he […]

Heidelberg (Germany) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola says his Manchester City side effectively face the first of "five finals" in the Champions League group stages at Hoffenheim on Tuesday following defeat in their opening game. City's 2-1 loss to Lyon in Manchester a fortnight ago meant they arrived in Germany desperate for a win over Bundesliga […]

Paris (AFP) – The four British national football associations are planning to send a Great Britain women's team to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, FIFA confirmed on Monday. World football's governing body said it had received written confirmation from the English Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish football Associations confirming their intention to allow a […]

Lyon (AFP) – Lyon coach Bruno Genesio hopes his side can get the better of Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday despite being forced to play the game behind closed doors. Supporters will be absent from the 59,000-capacity Groupama Stadium for the Group F encounter after Lyon were told by UEFA they must […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo is facing allegations of rape by a former model who accuses the Portuguese superstar of attacking her in his Las Vegas hotel penthouse suite in 2009. Ronaldo, who now plays for Juventus in Italy's Serie A, rejected the charges as "fake news" during a live chat on Instagram. "What […]