Milan (AFP) – Tottenham defensive pair Toby Alderweireld and Kieran Trippier have been left out of Tuesday's Champions League group stage opener against Inter Milan at the San Siro, coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed on Monday. Pochettino told a press conference he had made a "technical decision" to omit the pair, but not as a punishment […]

Tehran (AFP) – Iranian giants Persepolis broke Al Duhail’s sequence of nine straight victories to storm into the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League with a stirring come-from-behind 3-2 aggregate win on Monday. Persepolis staged a remarkable second half recovery in Tehran. Trailing 1-0 after the first leg and then conceding a 33rd minute goal […]

Liverpool (AFP) – The last time Thomas Tuchel went to Anfield, he was in charge of a Borussia Dortmund side who were dumped out of the Europa League after a stunning Liverpool comeback. On Tuesday he returns with Paris Saint-Germain looking to finally get one over Jurgen Klopp in one of the most enticing ties […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp defended Neymar's play-acting at the World Cup and believes it will be impossible to completely snuff out the Brazilian's threat when Paris Saint-Germain visit Anfield in the Champions League on Tuesday. Klopp insisted Neymar wasn't fully fit in Russia after breaking a bone in his foot in February […]

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan coach Luciano Spalletti believes Harry Kane will be the man to watch but hopes the enthusiasm of returning to "the Disneyland of football" will spur on his Italian side in Tuesday's Champions League opener against Tottenham. Against the backdrop of a disastrous start to their domestic campaign, Inter host the […]

Basra (Iraq) (AFP) – A health crisis in the Iraqi city of Basra has claimed an unexpected victim — a top football club from Baghdad is 10 players down and unable to kick off the new season. The Al-Hussein team travelled 600 kilometres (370 miles) south to play Naft Al-Junoob in the Iraqi Premier League, […]

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann says he still can't fathom why he was not voted one of the world's top three players by FIFA — but hopes winning the "more prestigious" Ballon d'Or will make amends. "It's a prize from FIFA and it seems a pity that no World Cup winners were […]

London (AFP) – Gareth Bale has won four Champions Leagues in five years at Real Madrid, but believes the Spanish giants can be even better in their quest for a 14th European crown despite the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo. Bale has shone in the spotlight since Ronaldo's departure for Juventus, scoring in all of Real's […]

Paris (AFP) – England's lack of success in major international tournaments can be linked to the relatively low number of English players taking part in the Champions League, a study has suggested. Analysis by sports statisticians Gracenote of the nationalities of players starting games in the Champions League reveals that England still lags behind other […]

London (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has revealed that Benjamin Mendy missed Manchester City's Premier League victory against Fulham because of a knee problem and he does not know how long the French defender will be out. The left-back missed much of last season with a knee ligament injury sustained against Crystal Palace last September. He […]

London (AFP) – Eden Hazard can score 40 goals this season and win the Premier League Golden Boot, according to Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri after the Belgium forward scored a hat-trick to maintain the club's perfect start to the season. Sarri believes Hazard can become the best player in Europe and outstrip even arch poachers […]

Milan (AFP) – Eight years have elapsed since Jose Mourinho's reign as Inter Milan coach ended on a historic high of Champions League glory, and the fallen Italian giants are still struggling to recapture that magic from Madrid. The Portuguese oversaw the most successful season in the club's history — a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Mohamed Salah outshone Neymar and Kylian Mbappe on the Champions League stage last season, but as Paris Saint-Germain's star duo head to Anfield on Tuesday seeking to make amends, the Egyptian is struggling to match the heights of his debut campaign at Liverpool. Salah's failure to hit top form dates back to […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham open their Champions League campaign at Inter Milan on Tuesday bidding to banish the growing belief that they lack the steel to win major silverware. Packed with dynamic young stars and well drilled by charismatic manager Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham appear to have all the ingredients required for a winning recipe. Having […]

Madrid (AFP) – Almost exactly an hour after the final whistle, Barcelona posted a tweet: "Congratulations to @realmadrid for winning the 2017/18 Champions League title." Underneath some fans demanded the message be deleted immediately while others claimed it as a classy touch. "We are rivals, not enemies", one wrote. Meanwhile, Barcelona's key players – Lionel […]