Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic striker Moussa Dembele says his side's focus remains on winning with Hamilton due to visit on Wednesday despite dropping points in two of their past three Scottish Premiership outings. The champions extended their record-breaking domestic unbeaten run to 68 games with a 2-2 draw with Hibernian on Sunday but came close […]

London (AFP) – Olivier Giroud came to Arsenal's rescue against Southampton but it remains to be seen whether the striker has done enough to earn his first Premier League start of the season at West Ham United. The 31-year-old French international came off the bench for the 13th time in the league to head a […]

Rome (AFP) – Ciro Immobile was sent off as 10-man Lazio crashed to a 3-1 Serie A defeat against Torino in Rome on Monday. Italian international Immobile saw red just before the break for a headbutt aimed at Torino defender Nicolas Burdisso. The defeat ended Lazio's hopes of joining city rivals Roma in fourth. "I […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain are hoping Neymar will return from Brazil in three or four days after he travelled home for personal reasons, coach Unai Emery said on Monday. "We gave him permission to make this journey. I hope he will come back in three or four days' time," Emery said. The […]

London (AFP) – Egypt star Mohamed Salah won the prestigious BBC African Player of the Year award on Monday, rewarded for a 2017 packed with sparkling displays for Liverpool, Roma and his national team. The 25-year-old topped a poll that saw a record number of votes cast after firing Egypt to the final of the […]

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan coach Luciano Spalletti admitted Monday that he was embarrassed by constant comparisons with the Serie A club's former treble-winning coach Jose Mourinho. Spalletti's side are the only unbeaten team in Serie A this season and sit top of the league a point ahead of Napoli with six-time defending champions Juventus […]

Berlin (AFP) – Peter Stoeger starts his colossal task of arresting Borussia Dortmund's freefall down the Bundesliga table on Tuesday while former employers Cologne face a daunting trip to leaders Bayern Munich. Stoeger has had little time to assess Dortmund's problems ahead of his first match in charge, away to strugglers Mainz. "In this phase, […]

Milan (AFP) – Italian Serie A giants Inter Milan on Monday officially announced the issuing of secured bonds worth 300 million euros ($353 million), maturing in 2022. The former three-time European champions released a statement via its media administrator, Inter Media and Communication (IMC), confirming the bond offer. IMC said that the proceeds will be […]

London (AFP) – Antonio Conte says Chelsea are battling to secure their Champions League future and warned of a "bad surprise" after weekend results left them 14 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City. After a fourth loss in 16 games against West Ham on Saturday, the Chelsea boss thinks a title challenge is now […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery is confident his side have what it takes to get the better of title holders Real Madrid after the teams were drawn together in the Champions League on Monday. The sides will meet in the last 16, surely not the tie PSG would have wanted after winning […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayer Leverkusen's director of sport Rudi Voeller denounced as "gibberish" media reports on Monday that their Germany international goalkeeper Bernd Leno is set to join Bayern Munich in January. "That is gibberish," said Voeller of any move for Leno, who has more than two years left on his Bayer contract. Bayern, who […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea's mouthwatering tie with five-time European champions Barcelona is the standout fixture for English clubs in the Champions League last 16 as the Premier League sides scent blood. Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea all progressed from the group stage, making England the first country to have so many […]

Nyon (Switzerland) (AFP) – Arsenal's hopes of Europa League glory will be tested in the last 32 by Swedish minnows Ostersunds, ironically coached by the only English manager left in European competition and founded in the same month Arsene Wenger took over the Gunners. In the draw made Monday, the Gunners were pitched against the […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid's first foray into the January transfer market will be to snap up Athletic Bilbao's promising goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, Madrid-based sports daily Marca reported on Monday. Arrizabalaga's contract expires in June meaning he could leave Bilbao for free at the end of the season. However, Real plan on beating any competition […]

Nyon (Switzerland) (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid will continue their bid for a first European Cup treble in 40 years against Neymar's Paris Saint-Germain after the big-spending duo were on Monday drawn together in a mouth-watering Champions League last 16 clash. No club has won the European title three years running since Bayern Munich […]