Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain were poor on Lionel Messi's first start, while Barcelona's troubles were there for all to see in their loss to Bayern Munich, Liverpool were exposed by AC Milan and Jack Grealish had a great night for Manchester City. AFP Sport looks at the talking points from the first round of […]

Berlin (AFP) – Leon Goretzka has penned a new deal to stay at Bayern Munich until 2026, it was announced Thurdsday, following on from his Germany team-mate Joshua Kimmich who has also committed to the defending Bundesliga champions. Goretzka was out of contract at the end of the season, but the midfield enforcer has committed […]

London (AFP) – English Championship club Nottingham Forest on Thursday announced they had sacked manager Chris Hughton after a dismal start to the season. Forest are bottom of the second tier and Wednesday's home defeat by Middlesbrough left them without a win from any of their first seven league matches. "Nottingham Forest can confirm that […]

Madrid (AFP) – Antoine Griezmann was whistled by Atletico Madrid fans on his return to the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday as his team were fortunate to escape with a 0-0 draw with Porto in the Champions League. Griezmann was left out of the starting line-up by Diego Simeone and was then whistled by a large […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Ajax Amsterdam's Ivory Coast striker Sebastien Haller marked his Champions League debut with four goals in a 5-1 romp at Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday. Haller, who moved from West Ham for 22.5 million euros in January after netting 14 times in 54 outings for the Londoners, scored in the second, ninth, 53rd […]

Madrid (AFP) – Antoine Griezmann was whistled by Atletico Madrid fans on his return to the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday as his team were fortunate to escape with a 0-0 draw with Porto in the Champions League. Griezmann was left out of the starting line-up by Diego Simeone and was then whistled by a large […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Jack Grealish scored a superb first Champions League goal as Manchester City survived Christopher Nkunku's hat-trick to beat RB Leipzig 6-3 in a pulsating Group A opener on Wednesday. Grealish admits the lure of playing on the Champions League stage convinced him to leave his boyhood club Aston Villa to […]

Bruges (Belgium) (AFP) – Lionel Messi finally made his first start for Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday but the French giants had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Club Brugge in Belgium to start their Champions League campaign. Ander Herrera gave PSG an early lead at the Jan Breydel Stadium only for Hans Vanaken to […]

Milan (AFP) – Rodrygo sank wasteful Inter Milan with the last-gasp winner in a 1-0 triumph at the San Siro which gives Real Madrid the perfect start to their Champions League campaign. The Italian champions are trying to make the competition's knockout rounds for the first time since 2011/12 but they were punished for letting […]

Nairobi (AFP) – Jacob 'Ghost' Mulee became the third coach to lose his job during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Africa after Kenya fired him late Wednesday. The 53-year-old was named coach of the Harambee Stars for a fifth time last October following the surprise sacking of Francis Kimanzi. Under his stewardship, Kenya registered […]

Istanbul (AFP) – England midfielder Jude Bellingham shone with a goal, then an assist and a kiss for Erling Haaland as Borussia Dortmund kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win at Besiktas. Bellingham silenced the boisterous crowd in Istanbul with the opening goal and then unpicked the home defence to serve up […]

Istanbul (AFP) – England midfielder Jude Bellingham shone with a goal and an assist for Erling Braut Haaland as Borussia Dortmund kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win at Besiktas. Bellingham silenced the boisterous crowd in Istanbul with the opening goal and then unpicked the home defence to serve up a simple […]

Bruges (Belgium) (AFP) – Lionel Messi has been handed his first start for Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League opener away to Club Brugge in Belgium on Wednesday. The Argentine teams up with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino lines up all three members of his all-star attack together for the first […]

Paris (AFP) – To its detractors it is a third-rate tournament, far from the glamorous elite level of European football, but the inaugural Europa Conference League which kicks off this week has plenty going for it. Tottenham Hotspur and Jose Mourinho's Roma are the star attractions in what is the brand new third tier of […]

Vila-real (Spain) (AFP) – Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said he was "satisfied" after Germany's Robin Gosens claimed a late equaliser in Tuesday's 2-2 draw at 10-man Villarreal in the Champions League. Gosens' effort in the final 10 minutes kept the Italians above Manchester United in Group F after the English club lost to Young […]