Doha (AFP) – Qatar giants Al Duhail stormed to the top of Group B in the AFC Champions League with a thrilling 3-2 victory over the UAE's Al Wahda at the Sheikh Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday. Moroccan striker Youssef El Arabi, the leading scorer in the Qatar Stars League with […]

Berlin (AFP) – Wolfsburg have parted company with head coach Martin Schmidt by mutual consent after just five wins in 22 matches in charge, the Bundesliga club announced Monday. The 50-year-old Swiss had only been at the helm for five months. Schmidt told Wolfsburg he was stepping down "to improve the current situation with new […]

Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Thousands of Palestinian football fans took photographs with the World Cup trophy Monday as it tours the globe ahead of this summer's tournament in Russia. More than 10,000 people queued to see the trophy during three days it was displayed near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, organisers said. It […]

Berlin (AFP) – Defending champions Germany will play Saudi Arabia in a World Cup warm-up match on June 8, the German Football Association (DFB) confirmed on Monday. The World Cup in Russia kicks off in Moscow on June 14 and holders Germany will play two friendlies before flying out to the tournament. After facing Austria […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich head coach Jupp Heynckes admits he has some tough decisions to make with his side at near full-strength for their Champions League last 16, first-leg, clash against Besiktas on Tuesday. For the first time in five years, Bayern have every outfield player fit and available for the match at the […]

London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp says his current Liverpool squad is the strongest he has ever worked with as the players prepare for a return to action after a warm-weather training camp in Spain. Despite the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for £142 million ($192 million) last month, the former Mainz and Borussia Dortmund […]

Madrid (AFP) – La Liga strugglers Las Palmas on Monday confirmed that Spanish international attacking midfielder Jonathan Viera is leaving the club to join Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League. Las Palmas did not reveal the transfer fee for the 28-year-old Gran Canaria native, although club president Miguel Angel Ramirez admitted that they could […]

Milan (AFP) – Napoli matched Juventus with a 1-0 win over SPAL on Sunday to regain top spot in Italy from the champions who won the Turin derby by the same score. The two Serie A pacesetters both bounced back from European setbacks to claim their ninth consecutive league wins. Here are five talking points […]

London (AFP) – VAR technology is back in the spotlight after Manchester United's Juan Mata was controversially denied a goal in a confusing incident that raises questions over whether it is ready for a Premier League rollout. The video assistant referee system has been trialled in hundreds of matches around the world to review key […]

Berlin (AFP) – Unloved at Real Madrid, yet declared a "godsend" by Bayern Munich, James Rodriguez has rebooted his stuttering career in Bavaria and is set to shine again in the Champions League. In his preferred attacking midfield role, Rodriguez is set to face Besiktas on Tuesday in the first leg of the last-16 tie […]

Paris (AFP) – Former English Premier League strikers Diafra Sakho and Brown Ideye scored their first goals for new clubs on a mainly low-key weekend for Africans across Europe. Senegalese Sakho, who joined French Ligue 1 outfit Rennes from West Ham United, equalised and then put the visitors ahead in a 2-2 draw at […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal announced the club's biggest-ever sponsorship deal on Monday, extending their shirt partnership with Dubai-based airline Emirates by five years. The Gunners confirmed the branding of Emirates, which began its sponsorship agreement with the north London club in 2006, would continue to feature on the shirts and training kit of all of […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Galatasaray striker Bafetimbi Gomis collapsed during a Turkish Super Lig game late Sunday, but insisted after the match that he would continue to play "like a lion". The 32-year-old former Swansea City and Lyon player fainted early in the first half of the 2-1 defeat against Istanbul team Kasimpasa but returned to […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea and Barcelona renew hostilities in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday in what has become a European classic in five tempestuous meetings shrouded in controversy. Here, AFP Sports takes a look back at the five previous knockout ties between the English champions and Catalan giants in the Champions League. Rivaldo […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich host Besiktas in the last 16, first leg of the Champions League riding a 13-match winning streak under Jupp Heynckes, the architect behind the revival of his 2013 treble-winning heroes. Since Heynckes replaced Carlo Ancelotti as head coach at the start of October, Bayern have won 22 of 23 matches […]