London (AFP) – Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez could be worth even more than £100 million (112 million euros) if he leaves Leicester City at the end of the season, Foxes manager Claude Puel said on Monday. "It is speculation and we cannot respond to all the speculation with information," Puel told a press conference. "Perhaps, […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Footballing legend Pele said on Monday that Brazil are favourites to win the World Cup in Russia, four years on from their humiliation on home soil. Five-time winners Brazil were thrashed 7-1 in the 2014 semi-finals by eventual champions Germany at the Maracana, but Pele, considered one of the best […]

Bordeaux (AFP) – Bordeaux star Malcom is "thinking over" a potential move to Arsenal amid interest from the Premier League club, the French side's coach Jocelyn Gourvennec admitted on Monday. According to Brazilian media, the chances of the 20-year-old moving to London are good, and would bring the Ligue 1 club around 50 million euros […]

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – French international winger Paul-Georges Ntep is set to join Saint-Etienne on loan from German side Wolfsburg, a spokesman for the Ligue 1 outfit said on Monday. The 25-year-old, who made two international appearances in 2015, is due in the French city later on Monday for a medical ahead of his loan […]

Paris (AFP) – France's Ligue 1 launches into a midweek round of games after a weekend marred by referee Tony Chapron's bizarre kick at a Nantes player and goal-line technology glitches. Chapron has been suspended by the French Football Federation "until further notice" after kicking the Nantes defender Diego Carlos and then sending him off […]

London (AFP) – Brighton pledged their "full support" for defender Gaetan Bong who said he was racially abused by Jay Rodriguez during Saturday's 2-0 Premier League loss to West Brom. Television footage of the second-half incident showed the pair arguing and colliding with each other. Rodriguez then held his nose and waved his hand at […]

Doha (AFP) – Tunisia's national coach said Monday he will fear England's Raheem Sterling more than Harry Kane, when the two countries play against each other in the World Cup finals this year. Nabil Maaloul was speaking in Doha, where the Tunisian national team are preparing for Russia with a 14-day winter training camp at […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele has been ruled out for "three to four weeks" in a new blow for the French forward, his club announced on Monday. Dembele hurt himself after coming off the bench in the second half of Sunday's 4-2 win away to Real Sociedad in La Liga. The injury is different […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United appeared to be closing in on Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez on Monday, leading the chase to sign the Chile international ahead of long-time suitors and local rivals Manchester City. If the transfer goes ahead it r move of the January transfer window invwould be the second blockbuster move of the […]

Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Former Manchester United great Ryan Giggs said Monday he was "itching" to get back into football after being unveiled as the new Wales boss — his first permanent managerial post. Giggs, who replaces Chris Coleman, revealed he had sought advice from his former United manager Alex Ferguson over the job. […]

Paris (AFP) – The referee who kicked a player during a French Ligue 1 game and then sent him off has been suspended "until further notice", the French Football Federation (FFF) said on Monday. Tony Chapron kicked Diego Carlos of Nantes towards the end of Sunday's match against Paris Saint-Germain after being knocked over when […]

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho says Manchester United are prepared to do business in the January transfer window should a "fantastic opportunity" arise as speculation intensifies that Alexis Sanchez is on his way to Old Trafford. Two weeks ago Mourinho thought it was unlikely there would be any arrivals at this month but Sanchez's apparent […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United great Ryan Giggs is set to be named Wales boss on Monday — his first permanent job as a manager. The Football Association of Wales (FAW) said it would announce the identity of Chris Coleman's replacement on Twitter ahead of a 1400 GMT press conference. Giggs, 44, has been the […]

New Delhi (AFP) – A push by the Indian Super League to develop home-grown referees has got off to an uneasy start, with a string of angry exchanges triggering sanctions against nearly half of the league's coaches. Over six weeks, four of the ISL's 10 coaches have been punished for their treatment of referees, forcing […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese FA Cup winners Shanghai Shenhua shrugged off their disappointment over Carlos Tevez's disappointing stint to pluck a doctor from Real Madrid and a German assistant coach formerly with Bayern Munich. Argentine striker Tevez quit Shenhua earlier this month for a return to Boca Juniors following a turbulent year, but the Chinese […]