Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane warned his Real Madrid players that they can expect to suffer in the return leg of their Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain despite seeing Cristiano Ronaldo inspire a 3-1 comeback victory on Wednesday. The reigning European champions stunned the PSG of Neymar in the last 16, first-leg showdown with […]

Madrid (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo was delighted at the manner in which Real Madrid kept going to beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 with two late goals in Wednesday's Champions League showdown. "It was a very important victory. We started the match well but then conceded the goal. But this is the Champions League and Real Madrid […]

Porto (Portugal) (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp praised hat-trick hero Sadio Mane and his side's "perfect" performance after they all but booked their place in the Champions League last eight on Wednesday by thumping Porto. The five-time champions romped to a 5-0 victory at the Portuguese league leaders, and when asked if Liverpool had […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane felt his side were worthy winners after the title-holders came from behind to beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in their Champions League last 16, first leg on Wednesday. "We can be happy with the way we played. We kept going to the end. It is a good result […]

Doha (AFP) – The English Football Association, once a vocal critic of the decision to let Qatar host the 2022 World Cup, on Wednesday signed a cooperation agreement with tournament organisers in Doha. Chairman Greg Clarke was in the Gulf to sign "memorandum of understandings" with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the body […]

Madrid (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid came from behind to stun Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the first leg of their heavyweight Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday. Ronaldo scored his 100th Champions League goal for title-holders Real from the penalty spot late in the first half to cancel out Adrien Rabiot's […]

Porto (Portugal) (AFP) – Sadio Mane scored a brilliant treble as Liverpool romped to a 5-0 thrashing of Porto at the Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday to put one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals. Mane fired the away side ahead in the first leg of the last-16 clash, before Mohamed Salah's audacious finish quickly […]

Rotterdam (Netherlands) (AFP) – Roger Federer moved to within two victories of becoming the oldest world number one of all time on Wednesday when he eased past Belgium's Ruben Bemelmans 6-1, 6-2 at the Rotterdam ATP event. The 36-year-old needed just over 45 minutes to clinch victory and next faces Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in the […]

London (AFP) – Leicester City boss Claude Puel believes Riyad Mahrez is in "better" shape than before his self-imposed Foxes exile. The Algerian looks set to return to Puel's starting line-up for Friday's fifth-round FA Cup tie against Sheffield United after a three-game absence. Mahrez missed training for 10 days following Leicester's refusal to entertain […]

London (AFP) – The Premier League could be set for a pay cut after eye-watering back-to-back domestic TV deals but experts say the boom times are far from over for English football. Sky held on to its position as the main broadcaster of live matches, claiming four of the seven available packages for 2019-2022, with […]

Madrid (AFP) – Title-holders Real Madrid face Neymar's Paris Saint-Germain in a blockbuster Champions League clash on Wednesday with the French club needing to erase the painful memory of their collapse last time they came to Spain. Propelled by the riches of their Qatari owners, PSG dream of following in Real's footsteps and becoming kings […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – Fabio Cannavaro's return to Guangzhou Evergrande as head coach got off to a frustrating start on Wednesday when his team was held to a 1-1 draw by Thailand's Buriram United in the opening round of the AFC Champions League. The Italian 2006 World Cup-winning captain was selected to succeed Luiz Felipe […]

Paris (AFP) – The referee who booked Mario Balotelli while the Nice striker was complaining of racist abuse has said he "didn't hear insults or shouts from the stand" during Saturday's match at Dijon. "If I had heard 'monkey chants' as indicated in the query by Nice, I would at no point have given Mario […]

Madrid (AFP) – Troubled Chinese conglomerate Wanda has decided to sell its 17 percent stake in Spain's Atletico Madrid to Israeli group Quantum Pacific but will remain a sponsor, the football club announced Wednesday. "The decision to divest is part of the global strategy of Dalian Wanda Group," the top-flight club where French star Antoine […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri insisted he would not be getting depressed despite criticism at failing to land the killer blow against Tottenham in their Champions League last 16, first leg clash in Turin. "If anyone thought that Juventus would win 4-0 this evening he was way off track," blasted Allegri, after […]