Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Lyon stunned Manchester City with a shock 2-1 win in their Champions League group-stage opener on Wednesday. Here are three things we learned from the Etihad Stadium clash: Guardiola sorely missed Pep Guardiola was forced to endure City's miserable display from high in the stands as he served a suspension […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola had to watch on in horror from the stands as Manchester City's Champions League campaign got off to the worst possible start in a 2-1 home defeat by Lyon on Wednesday. Guardiola was serving a touchline ban for being sent-off in last season's quarter-final exit to Liverpool and […]

Bern (Switzerland) (AFP) – Paul Pogba was the driving force with a brace as Manchester United recovered from a shaky start to record an ultimately convincing 3-0 win away to Young Boys in their opening Champions League game in Bern on Wednesday. Skipper Pogba's superb opening goal cut down the Swiss champions in their prime, […]

Valencia (Spain) (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for the 11th time on Wednesday on his Champions League debut with Juventus at Valencia. Here, AFP Sport takes a look at all of the Portuguese star's dismissals. 1. Saturday, May 15, 2004, Aston Villa 0 Manchester United 2 Ronaldo scored in United's 2-0 win away […]

Valencia (Spain) (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo ended his Champions League debut for Juventus in tears after being sent off against Valencia on Wednesday. Ronaldo was shown a red card by German referee Felix Brych in the 29th minute at Estadio Mestalla after an altercation with Valencia defender Jeison Murillo. The decision seemed harsh. Ronaldo was […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Brazil's football star Neymar is getting involved in politics and has given his backing to former fellow international forward Romario in the upcoming gubernatorial elections next month. "I'm here to say I support you. To you and all those that are with you," Neymar, the Paris Saint-Germain striker, said in […]

Rome (AFP) – Sampdoria and Fiorentina both missed out on taking second in the Serie A table, as Gianluca Caprari secured a 1-1 draw for the hosts on Wednesday in a game delayed due to the Genoa bridge disaster. The match was originally scheduled for the opening weekend of the season, but was pushed back […]

Paris (AFP) – Brazilian youngster Maycon came off the bench to rescue Shakhtar Donetsk a 2-2 draw in their Champions League opener against group-stage debutants Hoffenheim in Kharkiv on Wednesday. Paulo Fonseca's Ukrainian champions trailed twice, but the 21-year-old Maycon's first goal for the club in the 81st minute grabbed a point in the Group […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Scottish champions Celtic announced on Wednesday a pre-tax profit of £17.3 million ($22 million) in the financial year up until June 30, 2018. The Glasgow club's profits rose from £6.9 million in 2017. Celtic also revealed record sales revenue of £101.6 million, up from £90.6 million the previous year. Celtic chairman Ian […]

Moscow (AFP) – Spartak Moscow manager Massimo Carrera dropped captain Denis Glushakov and defender Andrei Eshchenko from the team ahead of a Europa League game for liking a social media video criticising the Italian, local media reported Wednesday. The two Russian internationals were accused of liking a video on Instagram posted by the famous actor […]

Zagreb (AFP) – Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren was charged on Wednesday over alleged perjury at the trial of Zdravko Mamic, the former Dinamo Zagreb boss. In line with Croatian law, prosecutors did not name Lovren but said in a statement they brought charges against a "Croatian citizen born in 1989 suspected of ... giving false testimony" […]

Lausanne (AFP) – FIFA has given three officials who pleaded guilty to corruption in a US court, life bans from all football-related activities for corruption, the sport's governing body announced on Wednesday. The adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee banned former chairman of the North American Soccer League (NASL) Aaron Davidson, former CONCACAF official Costas […]

Paris (AFP) – When two Red Bulls clash in the Europa League on Thursday, it will only be possible because their sponsor has tried to ensure that the two "brothers" are not quite as similar as they appear. RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg wear the same colours. Their shirts carry the same sponsor and […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany defender Jerome Boateng wants clear-the-air talks with Bayern Munich bosses Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeness after his proposed transfer to Paris Saint-Germain fell through. "I think we should talk again in the near future – that's what we have set out to do – it's important for me to make it […]

Berlin (AFP) – South Korea striker Hwang Hee-chan said his winning goal for Hamburg was just the tonic for Asian Games fatigue after keeping Germany's sleeping giants on a four-match winning streak. Hamburg were relegated from the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history last May, but have won four of their first […]