London (AFP) – Arsene Wenger's decision to step down as Arsenal manager after 22 years in charge marks the end of an era, but also a huge opportunity for the Gunners to reestablish themselves among the elite of English and European football. Tributes poured in from players past and present on Friday, as well as […]

London (AFP) – Australia batsman Matt Renshaw marked his debut in English first-class cricket's County Championship with a remarkable hundred for Somerset against Worcestershire at Taunton on Friday. Renshaw is only playing for Somerset as a replacement for Cameron Bancroft after his Australia team-mate was banned for nine months by Cricket Australia for ball tampering […]

Paris (AFP) – Captain Nabil Fekir scored a superb goal as Lyon stayed on course for a return to the Champions League by romping to a 5-2 win at Dijon in Ligue 1 on Friday. Memphis Depay, Houssem Aouar, Bertrand Traore and Maxwel Cornet were also on target for the visitors in Burgundy, as a […]

Austin (AFP) – Italy's Andrea Iannone posted the fastest time Friday on his final lap to edge world champion Marc Marquez in practice for Sunday's MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas. Iannone rode his Suzuki around the course in 2mins 4.599secs, knocking Spanish Honda-rider Marquez off the top spot by .056 of a second. Spanish […]

Paris (AFP) – Reims clinched promotion back to Ligue 1 on Friday, ending a two-year absence from the top tier of French football. A 1-0 win at home to fellow promotion hopefuls Ajaccio, while second-placed Nimes dropped points, confirmed the club from Champagne country as Ligue 2 champions. Six times French champions in a glorious […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis believes he is now faced with an impossible task in finding a fitting replacement for outgoing manager Arsene Wenger. Wenger, 67, announced he will step down from his role at the end of the season on Friday after 22 years in charge. Despite winning three Premier League […]

London (AFP) – Arsene Wenger's decision to finally step aside as Arsenal manager after 22 years in charge has sparked fevered speculation over who the Gunners will turn to next to succeed the Frenchman. Arsenal are struggling to qualify for next season's Champions League with victory in the Europa League their only realistic route back […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde knows victory in Saturday's Copa del Rey final against Sevilla would go some small way towards making up for the disappointment of their recent Champions League exit. "After a big defeat we want a big victory. We have the opportunity to put that little disappointment behind us," Valverde […]

London (AFP) – Argentina international striker Sergio Aguero faces a race against time to be fit for the World Cup in Russia after Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said Friday his club season was over. Guardiola, whose side secured the Premier League title last Sunday, said the 29-year-old would be sidelined for four to five […]

Paris (AFP) – There can be no release clause in Neymar's Paris Saint-Germain contract, the French league (LFP) insisted on Friday, in response to an earlier report in Spanish daily El Pais. The article in El Pais claimed that a release clause — worth no less than 300 million euros ($368 million) but whose exact […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is aiming to extend his love affair with the FA Cup as Antonio Conte's men prepare to face Southampton in Sunday's semi-final. Giroud lifted the trophy with Arsenal in 2014, 2015 and 2017 before his Stamford Bridge switch earlier this season and is hungry for more Wembley success […]

Paris (AFP) – France is set to back Morocco in the north African country's bid to host the 2026 World Cup, the president of the French Football Association said on Friday. "FIFA are visiting Morocco this week to check if the pitches are ready and whether, on a technical level, Morocco can be a candidate. […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal great Thierry Henry hailed Arsene Wenger's legacy as "untouchable" despite struggles in recent years as the manager announced Friday he was stepping down after 22 years at the helm of the Premier League club. The 68-year-old arrived at Arsenal in 1996 a relative unknown but leaves widely hailed as the greatest […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Arsene Wenger's long reign at Arsenal is unlikely ever to be repeated, said Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Friday. Wenger announced earlier on Friday he would bring the curtain down on his 22 year tenure at the end of the season — a spell that saw the London club […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola says his "energy and strength" will dictate whether he signs a contract extension with Premier League champions Manchester City at the end of the season. The 47-year-old Spaniard has another season to run on the three-year contract he agreed when taking over at City in 2016, and is […]