Madrid (AFP) – Villarreal's Portuguese defender Ruben Semedo was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of holding somebody against their will and causing injury, a source close to the investigation told AFP. Semedo, 23, was taken into custody after being arrested at his home in the early hours of Tuesday, the source said. Valencia newspaper Las […]

London (AFP) – Wigan announced a full investigation on Tuesday into crowd disturbances that marred the club's dramatic FA Cup victory over Premier League leaders Manchester City. City striker Sergio Aguero became involved in a physical exchange with a Wigan supporter as thousands of fans spilled onto the pitch following the League One side's 1-0 […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City's quest for a historic quadruple is over after a shock FA Cup defeat to Wigan but there is little time to lick their wounds with the League Cup final against Arsenal looming. Pep Guardiola's City face Arsene Wenger's Gunners in Sunday's Wembley showpiece, trying to win the first trophy of […]

Bangkok (AFP) – On Sunday evening an ageing Thai rock star with hooped earrings, signature bandana and a wispy moustache will be at the home of English football to present the Carabao Cup to either Arsenal or Manchester City. His prominence will baffle many football fans, not to mention some of the players celebrating the […]

Kiev (AFP) – War refugees Shakhtar Donetsk head into Wednesday's Champions League clash with Italian side AS Roma in high spirits despite a lack of signings and sparse match practice. The war in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russian-backed separatists has forced Shakhtar to play their home games far from their state-of-the-art Donbass Arena stadium […]

Seville (Spain) (AFP) – It is difficult to think of a clearer indicator of the ruthless nature of modern football than Sevilla's apparently callous decision to sack Eduardo 'Toto' Berizzo in December. The 48-year-old Argentine, appointed in the last close season, was dismissed just before Spain's winter break, only a month after it was announced […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United's Champions League trip to Sevilla on Wednesday night is the type of occasion for which the English giants swallowed their pride to pay £89 million ($125 million) for Paul Pogba, four years after he left Old Trafford for Juventus as a free agent. Yet, it remains to be seen whether […]

Wigan (United Kingdom) (AFP) – The Football Association are likely to launch an investigation into Wigan and Manchester City after Sergio Aguero was forced to defend himself at the end of a turbulent fifth round FA Cup tie at the DW Stadium. Will Grigg's late winning goal saw League One Wigan defeat Pep Guardiola's Premier […]

Rome (AFP) – Ciro Immobile scored twice in a five-minute blitz to end Lazio's three-match Serie A losing streak and lift the Roman side up to fourth with a 2-0 victory over Verona on Monday. Immobile grabbed his first after 55 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico and doubled his account five minutes later to bring […]

Wigan (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola's quest to win an unprecedented quadruple with Manchester City came to a stunning and controversial end when they fell to a 1-0 defeat at third-tier Wigan in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Monday. In an uncanny repeat of the 2013 FA Cup final, in which […]

Rome (AFP) – Ciro Immobile scored twice in a five-minute blitz to end Lazio's three-match losing streak and lift the Roman side up to fourth in Serie A with a 2-0 victory over Verona on Monday. Immobile grabbed his first after 55 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico and doubled his account five minutes later to […]

Berlin (AFP) – Kevin-Prince Boateng fired Eintracht Frankfurt to a 2-1 victory over RB Leipzig on Monday in a game overshadowed by protests against the introduction of Monday fixtures in the Bundesliga. Frankfurt turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead in the space of four minutes in the first half, securing victory over their […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain is expected to be fit to play against Tottenham in the Champions League next month despite suffering an ankle sprain in Serie A action at the weekend. Higuain was substituted in the 15th minute of Sunday's Turin derby, which the defending champions won 1-0 thanks to a […]

London (AFP) – Eden Hazard admitted he must show more on the Champions League stage for Chelsea if he is to justify comparisons to five-time Ballon d'Or winners Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Hazard goes head-to-head with Messi when Barcelona visit Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their last-16 clash on Tuesday. The Belgian […]

Rome (AFP) – Lazio have withdrawn their contract renewal offer to Dutch international centre-back Stefan de Vrij who will leave the Serie A side at the end of the season, club sporting director Igli Tare said Monday. The 26-year-old's current deal is due to expire at the end of the season but negotiations to extend […]