London (AFP) – Fulham have signed Spanish goalkeeper Fabri from Turkish club Besiktas for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal, the English Premier League club said Tuesday. London side Fulham also hold an option to keep the 30-year-old at Craven Cottage for an additional 12 months. "I'm delighted to be at an historic club […]

Las Rozas de Madrid (Spain) (AFP) – Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales dismissed allegations that he tried to finance work on his house through the union of players he chaired as "falsehoods". Radio Cadena SER, which first reported the story, said Monday that a court in Valencia opened a preliminary inquiry after a […]

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – After two underwhelming seasons, Euro 2016 winner Renato Sanches hopes to kick-start his Bayern Munich career on the German champions' US tour, which starts Thursday against Juventus. Sanches marked his Munich return, after an injury-hit loan spell at Swansea last season, with a stunning free-kick in a 3-1 friendly win over […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Spanish champions Barcelona announced on Tuesday they have signed Brazilian winger Malcom from French side Bordeaux on a five-year deal for 41 million euros ($48 million). The signing comes after Bordeaux blocked the transfer of the 21-year-old to Italian giants Roma following a last-minute bid from the Catalan side on Monday. "FC […]

Décines-Charpieu (France) (AFP) – Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said on Tuesday that it would be "difficult" for his club captain Nabil Fekir to find a better side, despite the persistent rumours over the midfielder's future. The 25-year-old came close to a move to Champions League runners-up Liverpool before the World Cup, but negotiations between the […]

London (AFP) – Manuel Pellegrini is still seeking to bolster West Ham's squad despite the London club having already signed seven players in pre-season. Pellegrini made his intentions clear on Tuesday in his first press conference since being appointed as manager of the Hammers last month. The 64-year-old Chilean was flanked by Brazilian playmaker Felipe […]

Ankara (AFP) – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said he had backed Mesut Ozil's decision to quit the German national team on racism grounds in a telephone call with the Turkish-origin football star, wading into a controversy that caused uproar in Germany. Ozil stunned football at the weekend by announcing he planned never to […]

Paris (AFP) – French World Cup winners Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Raphael Varane were included alongside perennial candidates Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on a 10-man shortlist for the FIFA best player award on Tuesday. Luka Modric was nominated for the prize as well after helping Croatia reach the final, with the Real Madrid […]

London (AFP) – Stoke City have completed the signing of Tom Ince from Huddersfield Town on a four-year contract for an initial £10 million ($13 million, 11 million euros), the Championship club announced Tuesday. But the fee for the 26-year-old winger, the son of former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince, could rise to […]

Las Rozas de Madrid (Spain) (AFP) – Defending Spanish champions Barcelona will host Real Madrid on October 28 in the first Clasico of the 2018/19 season, the Spanish football federation said Tuesday. Real Madrid, who finished third in the league, 17 points behind champions Barcelona, will host the second meeting of the two Spanish giants […]

Berlin (AFP) – Mesut Ozil's shock retirement from international football caught Germany head coach Joachim Loew by surprise, it emerged on Tuesday. Loew was on holiday in Sardinia when news of Ozil's retirement broke on Sunday and he only found out when the Arsenal midfielder posted statements on Twitter and Instagram. "Neither the national coach […]

New York (AFP) – Leroy Sane has thanked Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola for helping him overcome his World Cup heartbreak. The City forward, who was a key member of Guardiola's Premier League title-winning side last season, was left stunned by Germany coach Joachim Low's decision to omit him from the squad for the tournament […]

Bordeaux (AFP) – Bordeaux have blocked the transfer of Brazilian winger Malcom to Roma after a last-minute bid for the player from Barcelona, said a source from the French club on Monday. "There has been an approach from Barca," the source confirmed, after Bordeaux had reached an agreement earlier in the day to sell Malcom […]

Madrid (AFP) – A complaint has been lodged against the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales accusing him of trying to finance work on his house through the union of players he chaired, according to Spanish media reports on Monday. Radio Cadena SER, which first reported the story, said a court in Valencia opened […]

Berlin (AFP) – Once hailed as a prize-winning example of integration in Germany, Mesut Ozil has quit international duty amid bitter accusations of racism, levelled at German Football Association (DFB) chief Reinhard Grindel. "In the eyes of Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose," […]