London (AFP) – Five-time Europa League winners Sevilla look set for another assault on the competition after Pablo Sarabia's solitary goal earned a 1-0 away win to Sigma Olomouc in the first leg of their playoff on Thursday. Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers are also well-placed to make the group stages, but Burnley's first European […]

Sao Paulo (AFP) – Peru striker Paolo Guerrero will have to serve the remainder of a doping ban which was lifted for the World Cup, meaning the 34-year-old won't be able to play again this year, Brazilian media reported Thursday. In late May, the Swiss Federal Tribunal put a provisional stay on a suspension given […]

Berlin (AFP) – Hertha Berlin have a mole in their camp, literally, and it is causing havoc with training head of their first Bundesliga game of the new season on Saturday. Molehills and burrowing lines keep appearing on Hertha's training pitches. Hertha coach Pal Dardai suspects a family of moles are digging under the training […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Unai Emery insists he has the upmost respect for Jack Wilshere's ability and expects the midfielder will receive a warm welcome when he returns with West Ham on Saturday. Wilshere, 26, spent 17 years with the Gunners, 10 with the first team. But despite prolonged negotiations, the England international couldn't […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool's perfect Premier League start has heightened hopes of ending a 29-year wait to win the title, but for once it is Jurgen Klopp's defence rather than his glittering forward line that is attracting widespread praise. Most of the acclaim has been reserved for Virgil van Dijk after two commanding displays from […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich kick-off the Bundesliga season on Friday at home against Hoffenheim with the spotlight on new coach Niko Kovac and whether he has what it takes to lead the club to a seventh straight league title. "Tomorrow is D-Day – I'm convinced that my team will have a great day, technically […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo step aside — the hottest striker in world football at the moment is China's "Nine-Goal Diva" Wang Shanshan. Wang earned that nickname from Chinese fans and media when she plundered a scarcely believable nine goals in a dizzying 29 minutes after coming off the bench in a […]

Berlin (AFP) – The 2018/19 Bundesliga kicks off on Friday when champions Bayern Munich host Hoffenheim. AFP Sport looks at six key signings: AXEL WITSEL (BEL/Borussia Dortmund, 29 years old) Having finished third at the World Cup with Belgium, the central midfielder is expected to take up a key role at Dortmund since his 20 […]

Berlin (AFP) – The Bundesliga returns Friday with German football shaken by the shambolic early World Cup exit while Bayern Munich hope new coach Niko Kovac can maintain the relentless success the club expect. Germany's embarrassing failure to defend their title in Russia, crashing out after finishing bottom of their group, leaves several Bundesliga stars […]

London (AFP) – Jonathan Kodjia struck deep into stoppage time to salvage Aston Villa's unbeaten start to the Championship season and deny Brentford the chance to go joint top in a 2-2 draw at Villa Park. Bolton do move level with Leeds and Middlesbrough at the top of table on 10 points from their opening […]

London (AFP) – Goalkeeper Arijanet Muric will return to Manchester City to deputise for Ederson after his loan spell at Dutch club NAC Breda was cut short on Wednesday. Premier League champions City were in need of cover for the Brazilian international as Claudio Bravo is expected to miss the rest of the season after […]

Paris (AFP) – Dutch giants Ajax edged closer to a return to the Champions League group stages for the first time in four years with a 3-1 win over Dinamo Kiev in the first leg of their play-off on Wednesday. Ajax, four-time European champions, scored all their goals in the opening period and were denied […]

Jerusalem (AFP) – The new owner of Beitar Jerusalem says "religion" will no longer be used as a criteria for signing players, evoking the possibility of Arabs joining the multiple former Israeli champions. "Beitar are not a racist club. From today religion will no longer be a factor in the choice of the club's players," […]

Madrid (AFP) – Spain's footballers union threatened on Wednesday to strike over controversial plans to play a La Liga match in the United States, blasting a decision based only on "money and business". "We are tired of these unilateral decisions that directly affect the players like this plan of playing outside Spain," said David Aganzo, […]

Bordeaux (AFP) – France's leading international goalscorer Thierry Henry was Wednesday being touted as the next coach of Bordeaux who suspended Gustavo Poyet after just one league game of the season. Henry, a member of the 1998 World Cup winning team and who was part of Roberto Martinez's coaching staff with Belgium at the World […]