Rome (AFP) – Italy coach Roberto Mancini has called on the coaches of Serie A squads to give younger players more playing time as he embarks on a program to relaunch the Azzurri after they missed the 2018 World Cup. "There have never been fewer Italians playing the game," Mancini told a press conference on […]

London (AFP) – Lionel Messi was left off the shortlist for the FIFA's men's player of the year award on Monday as his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo was named alongside Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah. Messi has dominated the award along with Ronaldo over the past decade, but the Barcelona star has been omitted from […]

Paris (AFP) – Sadio Mane upstaged Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah among the African stars in Europe at the weekend by scoring his fourth goal this season in a 2-1 league win over Leicester City. Senegalese Mane was overshadowed by reigning African Footballer of the Year Salah last season with the Egyptian scoring 32 Premier League […]

Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines (France) (AFP) – France World Cup-winning captain Hugo Lloris will miss his country's games in the inaugural UEFA Nations League this week due to a thigh injury, coach Didier Deschamps confirmed on Monday. Lloris missed Spurs' 2-1 defeat at Watford in the English Premier League on Sunday and will now sit out France's games […]

London (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo will go head to head with former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric and Egypt's Mohamed Salah as he seeks a sixth FIFA men's world player of the year award. But Lionel Messi — who has dominated the award along with Ronaldo over the past decade — has been omitted from […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness, exasperated by two long and eventually failed transfer negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain, fired off a volley of criticism at the French club's sports director Antero Henrique in an interview Monday. PSG made bids for Bayern defender Jerome Boateng and Portuguese international Renato Sanches over the summer but […]

Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – The head of the Palestinian football association pledged to appeal Monday against FIFA's 12-month ban for comments made about Lionel Messi, calling it an "unjust and political decision." FIFA last month banned Jibril Rajoub from attending matches for a year and fined him 20,000 Swiss francs ($20,600, 17,700 euros) for […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona forward Malcom sprained his ankle in training on Monday, the club has announced. Malcom, who joined Barca from Bordeaux in July, is expected to be out for one week. A club statement read: "In Monday morning's training session with the Barcelona squad, Malcom suffered a sprain to the lateral external ligament […]

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa has withdrawn from the Spain squad ahead of their upcoming games against England and Croatia, the national team announced on Monday. Costa has pulled out for "family reasons" and will be replaced by Celta Vigo striker Iago Aspas, who had been a surprise omission from Luis Enrique's first […]

Milan (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to score but Italian champions Juventus pulled clear at the top of Serie A with a 2-1 win at Parma as Carlo Ancelotti's Napoli suffered their first setback with a 3-0 defeat at Sampdoria. Massimiliano Allegri's seven-time reigning title-holders now sit top the table with nine points after […]

Madrid (AFP) – Former Brazilian striker Ronaldo has taken control of Real Valladolid after buying 51 percent of the La Liga club's shares, it was announced on Monday. At a press conference held in the city's town hall, Valladolid president Carlos Suarez said: "Today is a starting point. Ronaldo personally acquires 51 percent of the […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus says no player can feel his place is safe after Leroy Sane was dropped from the squad for the weekend's Premier League match against Newcastle. The Germany international, who arrived last summer, did not even make the bench for Saurday's 2-1 home victory for the defending champions. […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Steven Gerrard got an early lesson in how fickle life as a football manager can be as a 12-game unbeaten run to start his reign as Rangers boss turned into the Gers' worst league start in 29 years with a 1-0 defeat to Celtic. Billed as a clash between Gerrard and his […]

Paris (AFP) – Marseille came from behind to beat southern rivals Monaco 3-2 on Sunday thanks to a 90th minute winner from Valere Germain. Konstantinos Mitroglou kissed Dimitri Payet's right boot after his superb cross allowed the Greek to give Marseille the advantage right on half-time at the Stade Louis II. Youri Tielemans hit back for […]

Piraeus (Greece) (AFP) – Former Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure rejoined Olympiakos on Sunday, 12 years after making his mark in Europe with the Greek Super League club. The 35-year-old Ivorian international played for the Piraeus-based side during the 2005-2006 season, scoring three goals in 20 matches. He then joined Monaco before moving […]