London (AFP) – Maurizio Sarri has hailed Eden Hazard as a "genius", but the Chelsea manager warned the Belgian star to work with even more intensity if he wants to be the world's best player. Hazard has already scored six goals in seven Chelsea appearances this season, including Wednesday's sublime solo strike to seal a […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Jose Mourinho warned Paul Pogba that no player is bigger than Manchester United, but praised the Frenchman's attitude in training during another week in which tensions escalated between the Portuguese coach and his star midfielder. Mourinho stripped Pogba of his role as vice-captain on Tuesday and a frosty exchange between […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Ernesto Valverde is optimistic the knee injury suffered by Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti will not prove serious. Umtiti missed training on Friday ahead of Barca's game at home to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, with the club confirming his left knee as the problem. Reports in the Spanish press suggested Umtiti could be […]

Madrid (AFP) – Diego Simeone has pledged his full support to Diego Costa, despite the Atletico Madrid striker's La Liga drought ahead of Saturday's derby against Real Madrid. Costa scored twice against Real as Atletico lifted the European Super Cup in August and, going further back, he hit the winner at the Santiago Bernabeu in […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp faces an anxious wait to see if Virgil van Dijk will be fit for Saturday's top of the table Premier League clash at Chelsea on Saturday. The world's most expensive defender has been the foundation around which Klopp's men have greatly improved their defensive record since the giant […]

Berlin (AFP) – The president of the German Football Association (DFB) on Friday rekindled his war of words with Mesut Ozil by criticising the Arsenal midfielder for refusing to meet with Germany head coach Joachim Loew this week. "I think it's not okay that every attempt at communication is being rejected (by Ozil)," Reinhard Grindel […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Turkey's newspapers on Friday blasted the decision of UEFA to award the Euro 2024 football tournament to Germany over a rival Turkish bid, saying it had been "stabbed in the back" and taking particular aim at UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. The handing of the tournament to Germany came as Turkish President Recep […]

London (AFP) – Playing under Argentinian coaching great Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United is like being in the army, Polish international midfielder Mateusz Klich has told a British newspaper. Bielsa, whose tactics of high-press football have been adopted by the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, has garnered praise so far this season as […]

Madrid (AFP) – Diego Simeone described Atletico Madrid's sluggish start to the season as a wake-up call but it was Real Madrid's nightmare in Seville that threw a whole new complexion on Saturday's city derby. Atletico were seven points adrift of the top of La Liga after drawing to Eibar two weeks ago, and it […]

Jakarta (AFP) – From deadly fan beatings to teams being transported to matches in armoured personnel carriers, Indonesia is fast gaining a reputation as Asia's most violent football nation. Last weekend 23-year-old Persija Jakarta fan Haringga Sirla was clubbed to death by supporters of arch-rival Persib Bandung. His murder once again highlighted the Southeast Asian […]

Milan (AFP) – Carlo Ancelotti faces his first big test of Napoli's title ambitions this season as he heads north to his former club Juventus on Saturday in a top-of-the-table clash which could allow them to pull level with the champions. Ancelotti's side are three points behind Juventus who have a 100 percent record after […]

Milan (AFP) – Carlo Ancelotti faces his first big test of Napoli's title ambitions this season as he heads north to his former club Juventus on Saturday in a top-of-the-table clash which could allow them to pull level with the champions. Ancelotti's side are three points behind Juventus who have a 100 percent record after […]

London (AFP) – Premier League leaders Liverpool face another stiff test of their title credentials when they travel to third-placed Chelsea on Saturday defending a perfect record from their opening six league games of the season. Chelsea have only dropped two points themselves under new coach Maurizio Sarri and beat Liverpool at Anfield 2-1 in […]

London (AFP) – Boasting arguably the best player in the Premier League in Eden Hazard and an unbeaten start under new coach Maurizio Sarri, Chelsea have emerged as surprise challengers for the title ahead of their meeting with leaders Liverpool on Saturday. In a chaotic summer at Stamford Bridge, Sarri was only officially announced as […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Riyad Mahrez will be pushing for a starting place in Pep Guardiola's line-up against Brighton as Manchester City's club record-signing continues to adapt to life at Eastlands. The Algeria winger, signed for £60 million ($79 million, 67 million euros) from Leicester in pre-season, has made a relatively subdued start to […]