London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho takes his Manchester United side to high-flying Watford on Saturday knowing they cannot afford another slip-up if they are to stay on the coattails of the Premier League pacesetters. A 2-0 victory against struggling Burnley followed by an international break has taken the heat off the Portuguese manager as he […]

Newcastle (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Unai Emery is set to unleash Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Newcastle on Saturday as the Arsenal manager looks to maintain his side's free-scoring revival. The Premier League season may be only a few weeks old, but Emery is beginning to get his feet under the table at the […]

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid were billed as serious contenders to win La Liga this season but three games in and they are already playing catch-up. A creditable draw away to Valencia was followed by a stodgy one-goal win at home to Rayo Vallecano. By the time the whistle blew on a chaotic 2-0 defeat […]

London (AFP) – A perfect start from their opening four games has raised expectations over Liverpool's title credentials, but Jurgen Klopp's men face their first serious test of the Premier League campaign at Tottenham on Saturday. After dismissing West Ham 4-0 on the opening weekend of the season, Liverpool have had to show a more […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool can fire a warning to their Premier League rivals by avenging last season's thrashing at Tottenham when they return to Wembley for an acid test of their title credentials. Jurgen Klopp's side are being hailed as contenders to win their first English title since 1990 after making a perfect start to […]

Milan (AFP) – Italian champions Juventus revealed Thursday that debts almost doubled during the past financial year which ended on June 30 hitting 309.8 million euros ($362 million), up from 162.5 million euros the previous season. Despite lifting a seventh straight Serie A title the club suffered as a result of their Champions League quarter-final […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has told AFP he is confident a lucrative new kit deal with Nike's Jordan Brand will help them fall into line with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules. PSG unveiled their new home and away Champions League shirts, which will carry the Jordan Brand "Jumpman" logo, at a […]

Madrid (AFP) – Spain's anti-doping agency said Thursday it has closed its probe into Valencia's Russian striker Denis Cheryshev, one of the revelations of the 2018 World Cup, after it found no evidence he used a banned substance. The investigation stemmed from an interview which the player's father, Dmitri Cheryshev, gave to Russian publication Sport […]

Paris (AFP) – Seven men, including the ex-presidents of Nimes and Caen football clubs, were found guilty on Thursday of trying to fix French Ligue 2 matches in 2014. Jean-Marc Conrad, a former co-owner and club president at Nimes, and Serge Kasparian, the club's majority shareholder at the time, were both sentenced to three years […]

Paris (AFP) – The president of Nike's Jordan Brand insists that the sportswear giant were "absolutely" right to use Colin Kaepernick as the face of their new "Just Do It" campaign. "One of the great things is that Colin Kaepernick is a great inspirational athlete and he used his position to help further a cause […]

London (AFP) – English champions Manchester City posted record revenues of £500.5 million ($652 million) in a record-breaking 2017/18 campaign on the pitch as Pep Guardiola's men romped to the Premier League title amassing 100 points. City reported profits of £10.4million, a fourth consecutive year of profitability, with wages to revenue ratio falling to 52 […]

Paris (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe takes an enforced rest from the Paris Saint-Germain side this weekend as the French champions warm up for their Champions League trip to Liverpool with a home clash against Saint-Etienne. Mbappe begins a three-game ban from domestic action handed down after he was sent off right at the end of […]

London (AFP) – England international Harry Maguire will not walk out on Leicester City at the end of the season, said the Premier League club's manager Claude Puel on Thursday. The 25-year-old central defender signed a new five-year contract with the Foxes on Sunday which will see any future suitor pay a sizeable transfer fee. […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Unai Emery is hoping a break from international football can help Mesut Ozil recover his best form at club level for the Gunners. Ozil, capped 92 times, walked away from the Germany set-up in the wake of their disastrous World Cup campaign, complaining of facing racism and being made a […]

London (AFP) – Scottish international midfielder Stuart Armstrong says he is proud his former youth club's financial future is assured thanks to a payout resulting from his move from Celtic to Premier League side Southampton. The 26-year-old — who won eight trophies during his time with Celtic — moved to England in a reported £7 […]