Bordeaux (AFP) – Brazilian winger Malcom will join Italian giants Roma from Bordeaux in a five-year deal, the French Ligue 1 outfit announced on Monday. The 21-year-old had been a reported target for several European clubs including Premier League side Arsenal, but instead will sign for Eusebio Di Francesco's Roma. Bordeaux did not confirm the […]

Berlin (AFP) – "He did the right thing," said 63-year-old Abbas Haydin, as Turks in Berlin on Monday rallied around football star Mesut Ozil and praised his decision to quit the Germany team over perceived racism. "He has set an example. This was bound to happen when you insult someone because of their origin or […]

Tirana (AFP) – Two months ago Albania's top football club, Skenderbeu, was raising a trophy to the sky as confetti rained down on the team, gleeful after clinching their seventh national title in eight seasons. But that joy is now a distant memory after the side was suspended from all European competitions for a decade […]

Perth (Australia) (AFP) – Maurizio Sarri made a winning start as the new manager of Chelsea by defeating Perth Glory 1-0 in a friendly on Monday. The Italian, who replaced countryman Antonio Conte earlier this month, was without his team's World Cup stars in front of a sell-out crowd of 60,000 at the new Perth […]

Berlin (AFP) – The German Football Association (DFB) on Monday rejected claims of racism against their president Reinhard Grindel made by Mesut Ozil in his announcement that he has retired from international football. "We reject the notion that the DFB is associated with racism," read a statement. "The DFB stands for diversity, from the representatives […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Spanish public prosecutors said Monday they have asked that a probe into allegations FC Barcelona football club illegally bought a transplant liver for their cancer-stricken ex player Eric Abidal be reopened. Barcelona public prosecutors on Friday sent a written request asking that the investigation into "the Abidal case" be renewed, Spain's public […]

Berlin (AFP) – Here are the key moments that culminated in Mesut Ozil's bombshell announcement he was retiring from international football after a career including Germany's triumph at the 2014 World Cup: – Erdogan meeting – The fiasco started on May 13 when Ozil and fellow Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan met Turkey's President Recep Tayyip […]

Berlin (AFP) – Mesut Ozil's decision to quit playing for Germany unleashed a racism storm in Berlin on Monday, but earned the applause of Ankara with a Turkish minister hailing "a goal against the virus of fascism". After months of silence over a controversial photograph with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May, which sparked […]

Berlin (AFP) – Mesut Ozil on Monday was warmly applauded by Turkey but faced uproar at home in Germany after announcing he was quitting the German national football team, lambasting "racism" over criticism for the side's World Cup debacle. Ozil, who has Turkish roots but was born in Germany, had been under fire since posing […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Turkish ministers on Monday warmly applauded the decision of Turkish-origin German footballer Mesut Ozil to quit the national team on the grounds of racism, with one senior minister hailing "a goal against the virus of fascism." Ozil, who was born in Germany to a Turkish-origin family, had been under fire since posing […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Manchester United, buoyed by the arrival of Alexis Sanchez on Sunday, nevertheless remained without a win in their North American pre-season tour after a 0-0 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes. The match at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, pitted a United side playing its second match of the pre-season […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – American international Christian Pulisic scored two second-half goals to lift Borussia Dortmund to a 3-1 win over Liverpool in an International Champions Cup friendly in North Carolina on Saturday. Pulisic almost completed the hat trick in the 93rd minute but his blast from in close was stopped and the rebound went […]

New York (AFP) – Aymeric Laporte says he was "jealous"watching France win the World Cup as his international tug-of-war with Spain continues. The £57 million ($74.9 million)French-born Manchester City defender, who is of Basque descent and qualifies for Spanish residency having spent eight years at Athletic Bilbao, represented Les Bleus at youth level but failed […]

Berlin (AFP) – Mesut Ozil said Sunday he was quitting the German national football team, citing "racism" in the criticism of him in the side's World Cup debacle. "It is with a heavy heart and after much consideration that because of recent events, I will no longer be playing for Germany at international level whilst […]

Berlin (AFP) – Footballer Mesut Ozil said Sunday he had no regrets about his controversial photograph with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that sparked questions about his loyalty to Germany's national squad ahead of the World Cup. Breaking his silence over the snapshot that caused outrage during the tournament, the Arsenal midfielder said in a […]