London (AFP) – Alexis Sanchez's long-running transfer saga finally ended on Monday when he left Arsenal for Manchester United in a deal that will reportedly make him the highest-paid player in the Premier League. Here AFP Sports picks out five facts on the 29-year-old Chile striker: Mother's pride Sanchez grew up in abject poverty — […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United on Monday confirmed the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan heading in the opposite direction. "I am thrilled to be joining the biggest club in the world," said 29-year-old Chile international forward Sanchez. "I have spent three-and-a-half wonderful years at Arsenal and I bring with me very […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain full-back Dani Alves insisted on Monday he has the broad shoulders and "well-placed" balls to live with criticism over his dismissal against Lyon on Sunday. Alves was sent off for dissent just before the hour mark of PSG's 2-1 defeat in Lyon after a furious reaction to a free-kick decision […]

Berlin (AFP) – Hamburg appointed former player Bernd Hollerbach as the man to revive their flagging fortunes on Monday after the Bundesliga strugglers fired the previous coach Markus Gisdol at the weekend. Hamburg are the only team never to have suffered relegation from the Bundesliga amongst its founding members, although the glory days of beating […]

Madrid (AFP) – Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on Monday signed a new long-term contract to keep him at San Mames and end the speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid. The Basque club announced in a statement that Kepa had agreed a new seven-year deal to run until June 2025. The 23-year-old […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Michael O'Neill is set to stay on as manager of Northern Ireland after turning down the chance to succeed Gordon Strachan as Scotland boss. The 48-year-old was believed to be close to taking over as Scotland boss following talks last week with the Scottish Football Association. The former Dundee United and Hibernian […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Gianluigi Buffon will be among the Juventus players to star in a fly-on-the-wall documentary series on Netflix from February 16, the reigning Serie A champions confirmed on Monday. 'First team: Juventus FC', the original docu-series about the Italian giants, with the first three episodes following the club's key players on and […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen will be out for a fortnight with the hamstring injury that forced him off in the first half in Sunday's win at Betis, the club said on Monday. Vermaelen pulled up having hurt his left hamstring and had to come off four minutes before half-time, with Samuel Umtiti […]

Paris (AFP) – France midfielder Lassana Diarra is on the verge of a move to Paris Saint-Germain, with footage of him leaving a hospital in the French capital following earlier reports that a deal was imminent. Le Parisien tweeted a short clip of Diarra, 32, leaving the city's American hospital while wearing a black hooded […]

Monrovia (AFP) – To the cheers of a crowd fired by his promise to bring them jobs and prosperity, former football star George Weah was sworn in as president of Liberia on Monday, completing the country's first transition between democratically-elected leaders since 1944. Weah, 51, took over from Nobel laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who over […]

Monrovia (AFP) – To the cheers of a crowd fired by his promise to bring them jobs and prosperity, former football star George Weah was sworn in as president of Liberia on Monday, completing the country's first transition between democratically-elected leaders since 1944. Weah, 51, took over from Nobel laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who over […]

Monrovia (AFP) – The inauguration of former football star George Weah as president of Liberia got underway on Monday to scenes of joy and giddy optimism on Monday, a moment marking the troubled country's first peaceful democratic transition since 1944. Weah, 51, takes over from Nobel laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who spent 12 years at […]

Monrovia (AFP) – George Weah emerged from Liberia's slums to become a superstar footballer in the 1990s, and has spent the last 13 years building political credibility to match his status as a sporting icon. Weah, 51, put education, job creation and infrastructure at the centre of his policy platform to beat outgoing Vice President […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid moved back into the top four of La Liga by thumping lowly Deportivo La Coruna 7-1 on Sunday, with Cristiano Ronaldo ending a miserable run of league form with a late double. But Barcelona still extended their lead to 11 points — and 19 ahead of Real — as Lionel […]

Paris (AFP) – Memphis Depay struck a dramatic late winner as Lyon beat 10-man Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 on Sunday to move within eight points of the Ligue 1 leaders. Nabil Fekir gave the hosts a shock second-minute lead at Groupama Stadium with a brilliant free-kick, but PSG snatched an equaliser on the stroke of half-time […]