London (AFP) – Joey Barton made light of his return from a 13 month betting ban to land his first job in management with third tier side Fleetwood Town by suggesting he contact bookmakers to see what the odds would have been for that to happen. The often controversial 35-year-old former midfielder — capped once […]

Sydney (AFP) – Australia's ageing talisman Tim Cahill has endured a rocky road to his fourth World Cup but insists "given the chance, I'll always produce when it counts". Cahill, 38, who has spent most of this season on the sidelines, will join exalted company if he can silence his doubters and find back of […]

Brussels (AFP) – Belgium coach Roberto Martinez delivered a 24-man World Cup squad on Monday with his iconic but often injured captain Vincent Kompany on the roster, accompanied by a potential replacement. The Manchester City central defender picked up an injury in a friendly with Portugal on Saturday and FIFA rules stipulate injured players can […]

Cairo (AFP) – Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah was included Monday in Egypt's 2018 World Cup squad despite still underdoing treatment for a shoulder injury he suffered in the Champions League final, the Egyptian Football Association said. Salah, who hit a stunning 44 goals for Liverpool last season in all competitions, was forced out of the […]

Lima (AFP) – Freed from his doping ban, Peru's captain and main goalscorer Paolo Guerrero was on Monday included in the country's pared-down World Cup squad at the expense of midfielder Sergio Pena. Pena signalled that he had been omitted with a post of his Instagram account on Sunday after playing as a second-half substitute […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany have included 2014 World Cup-winning captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in their final squad for the 2018 tournament, even though he has only just returned from a long-term absence through injury. But in a surprise omission, coach Joachim Loew left Manchester City striker Leroy Sane out of his 23-player list despite […]

Yamalo-Nenets (Russia) (AFP) – The cap's unmistakable Barcelona logo peeks out from under the reindeer herder's woolly hood. His smiling eyes tell the story: World Cup football is coming to the yurts set up in the permafrost high above Russia's Arctic Circle, where temperatures dip into uncharted territories. Yamalo-Nenets is one of Russia's richest regions, […]

Barcelona (AFP) – The contract extension to 2023 that France defender Samuel Umtiti signed with Barcelona on Monday contains 500m euro ($586m) buyout clause said club president Josep Maria Bartomeu. "We think that with this clause, no one will dream of coming here" for him, Bartomeu said at a press conference at the Nou Camp […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany have included 2014 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in their final squad for the 2018 tournament, even though he has only just returned from a long-term absence through injury. But coach Joachim Loew omitted Manchester City striker Leroy Sane from his 23-player list despite a strong season with the Premier League […]

Moscow (AFP) – Former Arsenal striker Nwankwo Kanu had $11,000 (9,300 euros) stolen from his suitcase at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on his way to playing in a friendly match organised by FIFA, TASS reported. Kanu, 41, who captained the Nigerian national team and played for Arsenal and Inter Milan, was robbed as he transferred to […]

Doha (AFP) – Qatar's World Cup organisers have ridden out the initial shock caused by the country's ongoing confrontation with its powerful neighbours, but experts warn bigger crises may lie ahead. FIFA is looking at a proposal to expand the 2022 football tournament from 32 to 48 teams, an increase that could pose the greatest […]

Vila-real (Spain) (AFP) – Ricardo Rodriguez equalised for Switzerland as World Cup contenders Spain were held to a 1-1 draw at home in their final friendly before jetting out to Russia next week. Real Sociedad right-back Alvaro Odriozola volleyed Spain ahead on 29 minutes in Vila-real with a fantastic strike from the edge of the […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Brazil star Neymar said he was "very happy" to have made a goal-scoring comeback in a 2-0 friendly victory over Croatia on Sunday, but insisted he was only firing at "80 percent". "It's been three months that I've been injured," said Neymar, with the World Cup to start in Russia in 10 […]

St. Gallen (Switzerland) (AFP) – Paolo Guerrero scored twice in a 3-0 friendly win over Saudi Arabia to cap an emotional week for the Peru captain who was cleared to play at the World Cup after his long legal battle against a 14-month drugs suspension. The 34-year-old striker won a last-ditch legal appeal on Thursday to […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Turkish football and multi-sports giant Fenerbahce on Sunday elected a scion of one of Turkey's wealthiest industrial dynasties as its new chairman, ending the two-decade reign of longstanding supremo Aziz Yildirim. Businessman Ali Koc was elected new Fenerbahce chairman in a landslide ballot win among members, winning 16,092 of their votes compared […]