London (AFP) – Premier League strugglers Southampton have appointed Mark Hughes as their new manager following the sacking of Mauricio Pellegrino, the club announced on Wednesday. Southampton dismissed Pellegrino on Monday after a run of just one win in 17 matches left the side only a point and one place above the relegation zone with […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona hailed Lionel Messi as 'The King' and he handed Chelsea the royal punishment by scoring twice to reach 100 Champions League goals and end their quarter-final hopes. After unfurling a banner showing the words 'God Save The King' before kick-off, Barca's fans were celebrating after just 129 seconds at the Camp […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Neymar, the world's most expensive footballer, took an online kicking Wednesday for tweeting a picture of himself grinning in a wheelchair and wearing a bathing suit to pay homage to Stephen Hawking. A brilliant British astrophysicist, Hawking died earlier Wednesday after spending most of his life confined to a wheelchair […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal in the Champions League on Wednesday after hitting a brace for Barcelona against Chelsea. The Argentinian follows Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo as only the second player in the competition's history to reach the milestone. Ronaldo has scored 117 goals but Messi is well clear of Raul […]

Istanbul (AFP) – The second leg of the last 16 UEFA Champions League football match between Besiktas and Bayern Munich was in full flow in Istanbul when the referee brought a halt to proceedings due to an unexpected pitch invader. An overly impassioned Turkish fan carried away by the deafening atmosphere in the Vodafone Park? […]

Milan (AFP) – Gonzalo Higuain scored one goal and created another as Juventus pulled four points clear of Napoli at the top of Serie A following Wednesday's 2-0 win at home to Atalanta. Argentina striker Higuain fired Juve ahead on 29 minutes in Turin in a fixture that was rearranged from last month when heavy […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Bayern Munich are waiting on Thiago Alcantara after the Spain midfielder picked up a new injury in their Champions League last 16 win at Besiktas. The 26-year-old went off on 35 minutes after scoring Bayern's opening goal in the 3-1 second-leg win as the German giants sealed an 8-1 aggregate victory and […]

Istanbul (AFP) – A Thiago Alcantara strike and Sandro Wagner's first Champions League goal capped Bayern Munich's 3-1 win at Besiktas on Wednesday as the German giants cruised into the quarter-finals for the seventh year in a row. Bayern completed a comprehensive 8-1 aggregate victory in Istanbul, having effectively clinched the last-16 tie following a […]

Istanbul (AFP) – A Thiago Alcantara strike and Sandro Wagner's first Champions League goal capped Bayern Munich's 3-1 win at Besiktas on Wednesday as the German giants cruised into the quarter-finals for the seventh year in a row. Bayern completed a comprehensive 8-1 aggregate victory in Istanbul, having effectively clinched the last-16 tie following a […]

Paris (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe grabbed both goals as runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain defeated Angers 2-1 in Ligue 1 on Wednesday despite losing veteran midfielder Thiago Motta to an early red card. The 19-year-old France international struck either side of Motta's 16th-minute dismissal for a crude stamp on Angers defender Romain Thomas at the Parc […]

Tehran (AFP) – Iran's football federation are negotiating with national team manager Carlos Queiroz to extend his contract beyond this summer's World Cup, IRNA, the official news agency, reported on Wednesday. Under the 65-year-old Portuguese head coach, who has been in charge since 2011, Iran qualified unbeaten for Russia despite financial difficulties linked to international […]

London (AFP) – Harry Kane is targeting a quick return to action after Tottenham allayed England's World Cup fears by confirming the striker should return from an ankle injury next month. Kane limped off in the first half with his side trailing 1-0 at Bournemouth on Sunday, before Mauricio Pochettino's men bounced back to win […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger conceded Jack Wilshere is no closer to agreeing a new deal with the Gunners on Wednesday, with the England international's contract set to expire at the end of the season. Wilshere has re-established himself in the Arsenal first team this season after years of injury torment and spending […]

London (AFP) – Harry Kane's injury casts a shadow over England manager Gareth Southgate's squad announcement on Thursday for friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy just three months from the World Cup kick-off. But the Tottenham forward's ankle ligament damage suffered in his side's 4-1 win at Bournemouth on Sunday is just one of many […]

Berlin (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has been slammed in a scathing attack by Bayern Munich's high-profile team doctor, who said the Catalan took the German club "backwards" in some aspects of their training. In his autobiography, which is being serialised this week in newspaper Bild, Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt described current Manchester City boss Guardiola as someone […]