London Colney (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Arsene Wenger says Arsenal have "taken the time to grieve" after their League Cup pummelling by Manchester City and are ready to face the pressure of a Europa League quarter-final against CSKA Moscow. The Gunners are sixth in the Premier League, a huge 13 points off fourth-placed arch-rivals Tottenham […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – A child abuse scandal involving several of Argentina's most famous football clubs continued to unfold with interviews and searches while rippling outwards to include the country's gymnastics federation. The lid was first lifted in March after a 17-year-old player with top Argentinian side Independiente told a club psychologist that he and another young player […]

London Colney (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Arsene Wenger says Arsenal have "taken the time to grieve" after their League Cup pummelling by Manchester City and are ready to face the pressure of a Europa League quarter-final against CSKA Moscow. The Gunners are sixth in the Premier League, a huge 13 points off fourth-placed arch-rivals Tottenham […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai FC powered into the knockout stages of the AFC Champions League Wednesday with a 6-2 demolition of Melbourne Victory, who crashed out. Ulsan will finish second in Group F behind Shanghai SIPG, who drew 1-1 at home to Kawasaki Frontale. And on a great night for South […]

Madrid (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted his stunning bicycle kick in Real Madrid's win over Juventus on Tuesday was probably the best goal of his whole career. Ronaldo earned a standing ovation even from the home fans at the Juventus Stadium after his acrobatic volley beat Gianluigi Buffon in the Champions League quarter-final first […]

London (AFP) – Ray Wilkins, who has died aged 61, achieved every English youngster's dream of captaining his country. He did that and more in a playing career which saw him grace the colours of boyhood club Chelsea, who he skippered at just 18, and Manchester United, where the midfielder displayed skills that few of […]

Moscow (AFP) – Russia World Cup organisers are more worried about Moscow's latest diplomatic standoff with the West than stadiums being completed on time, a report said Wednesday. Alexei Sorokin, the organising committee chief for Russia 2018, told the Kommersant newspaper Wednesday the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal was "not helping" preparations. […]

London (AFP) – Former England, Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder Ray Wilkins died on Wednesday at the age of 61, days after suffering a cardiac arrest. Wilkins, who won 84 England caps and was one of the most technically gifted players of his generation, had been treated in a London hospital since Friday. The hospital […]

London Colney (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said Wednesday he hoped "complicated" political relations between Britain and Russia would not spill onto the football field when his side face CSKA Moscow in a European tie in London. Britain has suspended high-level diplomatic contact with the Russian government after a former Russian spy […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai FC powered into the knockout stages of the AFC Champions League Wednesday with a 6-2 demolition of Melbourne Victory, who crashed out. Ulsan joined the already qualified Shanghai SIPG in the knockout stages from Group F after the Australian side conceded a comical goal to open the […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo has thanked Juventus fans for their generous applause for his overhead bicycle kick which helped Real Madrid gain a three-goal advantage over the Italians in the Champions League. "For me it was an unbelievable moment," said Ronaldo, who scored two goals in the two-time holders' 3-0 Champions League quarter-final, […]

London (AFP) – Mark Hughes revealed that he apologised to his daughter after he abandoned plans to watch her play hockey for Wales at the Commonwealth Games when Premier League club Southampton came calling. Xenna Hughes is in the Wales hockey squad for the Games, which open later Wednesday on Australia's Gold Coast, and her […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo scored a record-breaking goal and a stunning overhead bicycle kick to bury Juventus 3-0 on Tuesday in a rematch of last year's Champions League final. Ronaldo became the first player to score in 10 consecutive Champions League games after just as Real Madrid beat Juventus 3-0 in the first […]

Seville (Spain) (AFP) – Sevilla ended their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich wondering what might have been, just as they had against Barcelona three days earlier. They had chances and were the better side for large spells of their 2-1 defeat at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, but Bayern, like Barcelona, needed […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne admitted his rival for the Premier League player of the year award Mohamed Salah has surprised him with his stunning goalscoring form this season. The two go head-to-head on Wednesday when Salah's Liverpool host City at Anfield for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. […]