London (AFP) – Chris Smalling says securing the Premier League runners-up spot must be the "bare minimum" for Manchester United, whose win against Chelsea gave them a major confidence boost in the race for Champions League places. United never ended the season lower than third in the Premier League era under Alex Ferguson but have […]

Paris (AFP) – Multiple Olympic champion Usain Bolt will line up opposite British pop star Robbie Williams in a charity football match at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium, the Jamaican revealed on Tuesday. Now retired, Bolt had given a teaser of what was to come on Twitter on Monday, claiming that he had signed for […]

Milan (AFP) – Snow permitting, holders Juventus will take on Atalanta in the Italian Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday with AC Milan looking to complete their Roman conquest against Lazio. Italy has been gripped by snow and icy weather in recent days. Juventus and Atalanta's Serie A game in Turin on Sunday was postponed […]

Milan (AFP) – Napoli pulled four points clear at the top of Serie A on Monday with a 5-0 hammering of Cagliari a day after champions Juventus' game in Turin was snowed off. Maurizo Sarri's side have 69 points from 26 matches, four points ahead of Juventus, who have a game in hand, with Lazio […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suffered a sprained ankle and a fractured metatarsal when he was stretchered off in Sunday's win over Marseille, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday. The Brazilian, who signed for PSG in a world-record move from Barcelona last year, is now a serious injury doubt for the Champions […]

Berlin (AFP) – Marco Reus continued his fairytale comeback with a goal, but Borussia Dortmund were held to a 1-1 draw by Augsburg while fans protested against Monday football in the Bundesliga. Sub-zero temperatures at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park did little to lift the match played in an eerie atmosphere, although Peter Stoeger's hosts did […]

Milan (AFP) – Napoli pulled four points clear at the top of Serie A on Monday with a 5-0 hammering of Cagliari a day after champions Juventus' game in Turin was snowed off. Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens gave Maurizio Sarri's side a comfortable two-goal lead at the break with a goal from captain Marek […]

Berlin (AFP) – Marco Reus continued his fairytale comeback with a goal, but Borussia Dortmund were held to a 1-1 draw by Augsburg while fans protested against Monday football in the Bundesliga. Sub-zero temperatures at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park did little to lift the match played in an eerie atmosphere, although Peter Stoeger's hosts did […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich's iron-grip on the Bundesliga shows no signs of weakening, but in Germany there is fear the lack of strong domestic rivals is hurting their Champions League chances. Despite Saturday's goalless draw at home to Hertha Berlin, Bayern finished the weekend 20 points clear. Bayern are steaming towards a sixth straight […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has undergone ankle surgery and is expected to be out for "several weeks", the runaway Bundesliga leaders confirmed on Monday. The French international ruptured a ligament in his left ankle in Saturday's goalless draw at home to Hertha Berlin. Bayern have only said Coman will be out […]

Athens (AFP) – Greek Deputy Minister for Sports and Culture Giorgos Vasiliadis on Monday branded a PAOK fan who was arrested after throwing an object in the face of a rival team's coach "an idiot". But Vasiliadis's ire seemed more related to the possible sporting sanctions PAOK will face than the potential injury suffered by […]

Miami (AFP) – The 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup will expand to 16 teams and could be hosted in multiple countries for the first time, the region's governing body said on Monday. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) said in a statement that the 15th edition of the tournament could feature […]

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid have sold Belgian winger Yannick Carrasco and Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan to Chinese club Dalian Yifang, the Spanish club confirmed on Monday. Carrasco had started just three times in La Liga since the turn of the year and Gaitan only once this entire season under coach Diego Simeone. "Our club […]

Madrid (AFP) – Gareth Bale and Real Madrid may each have enjoyed a recent revival but their challenge now is to maintain momentum ahead of next week's crunch Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain. Real travel to Espanyol in La Liga on Tuesday, looking to reduce the gap behind leaders Barcelona, who visit Las Palmas […]

Paris (AFP) – European football's governing body UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Atalanta on Monday over monkey chants directed at Borussia Dortmund's Michy Batshuayi. Belgian international forward Batshuayi accused some Atalanta fans of targeting him with racist abuse during Dortmund's Europa League clash against the Italians last week. The 24-year-old, on loan from Chelsea, wrote […]