Fiumicino (Italy) (AFP) – The Italian football federation (FIGC) sank further into crisis on Monday after failing to elect a new president on Monday, two-and-a-half months after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup. After four rounds of voting at a general meeting held in Fiumicino near Rome, none of the three […]

Paris (AFP) – Lassana Diarra could make his debut for Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday's French League Cup semi-final at Rennes after being included in their squad for the first time. The 32-year-old midfielder, who has been capped 34 times by France, joined PSG last week on a deal until June 2019. He was a free […]

Miami (AFP) – English football superstar David Beckham was officially awarded a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami on Monday, but there was no immediate word on when the long-awaited team will kick off. "It is with tremendous pride that we welcome Miami to Major League Soccer," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. […]

Madrid (AFP) – Aymeric Laporte on Monday announced he was leaving Athletic Bilbao with Premier League leaders Manchester City primed to break their transfer record to sign the French defender. Bilbao posted a leaving message from Laporte on their Twitter feed, saying his 65 million euros ($80 million) release clause had been paid. It means […]

Berlin (AFP) – VfB Stuttgart appointed Turkey's Tayfun Korkut as new coach on Monday, who was previously in charge at three other Bundesliga clubs where his track record was only modest. The 43-year-old Korkut takes over from Hannes Wolf, who was fired on Sunday after a home defeat to Schalke 04 left the newly promoted […]

Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – German authorities criticised Borussia Dortmund player Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for failing to testify Monday in a trial over the bomb attack targeting the team last year. Aubameyang, who is reportedly closing in on a lucrative switch to Arsenal, was due to speak at the trial of the alleged attacker, German-Russian man Sergei […]

Paris (AFP) – African stars were involved in the good, bad and ugly across the major leagues of Europe at the weekend. Naturalised Malian Fousseni Diabate bagged a brace on his debut for Leicester in a 5-1 FA Cup rout of lower league Peterborough. Want-away Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Gabon was booed by Borussia Dortmund fans […]

Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – Spanish defender Marc Bartra told a German court Monday of his mortal fear when bombs hit the bus of his Borussia Dortmund football team last year in an attack which he said "changed my life". Bartra, 27, was testifying in the trial of German-Russian man Sergei Wenergold, who has admitted to […]

London (AFP) – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is closing on a switch from Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal as Arsene Wenger looks to boost his forward options, reports in Germany and Britain said on Monday. German magazine Kicker reported the clubs had agreed on a 63-million-euro ($78 million, £55 million) fee for the player and that as part […]

Sydney (AFP) – Former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou said Monday he was at "the other end of the scale" to his defence-minded successor Bert van Marwijk who will take Australia to the World Cup. The 65-year-old Dutchman's appointment was announced last week after Postecoglou quit suddenly in November, despite guiding the team to Russia […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – The US national team continued rebuilding after their World Cup failure by drawing 0-0 with Bosnia-Herzegovina in their opening game of 2018 on Sunday night. Just 11 weeks after a humiliating qualifying round defeat to last place Trinidad and Tobago, the Americans fielded a young inexperienced squad for the exhibition match […]

Miami (AFP) – Five facts about Major League Soccer as David Beckham is expected to announce the launch of his Miami franchise on Monday: – A STORY OF GROWTH – Founded in 1993 as part of US Soccer's successful hosting of the 1994 World Cup, Major League Soccer kicked off its first season in 1996 […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Joel Matip accepts Liverpool must quickly resolve the defensive problems that sparked their FA Cup exit ahead of a Premier League visit to Huddersfield Town on Tuesday. Reds manager Jurgen Klopp acknowledged his side were guilty of making mistakes for each of West Browmich Albion's goals in the visitors' 3-2 cup win […]

London (AFP) – Henrikh Mkhitaryan is poised to make his Arsenal debut when Arsene Wenger's side resume their Premier League campaign at bottom club Swansea City on Tuesday. The Gunners head to South Wales boosted by their League Cup semi-final triumph over Chelsea and rested following a free weekend, a consequence of the holders' early […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Carlos Tevez said he felt "alive again" after marking the start of his third spell with Boca Juniors by setting-up a goal in his team's 2-0 win over Colon de Santa Fe. The former Manchester United and Juventus striker — who turns 34 next week — is back at his childhood […]