Madrid (AFP) – Spain's La Liga will use the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system next season, the country's football federation (RFEF) confirmed on Wednesday. "The president of the referee's technical commission, Victoriano Sanchez Arminio, has informed all first division referees and assistant referees that video refereeing will be introduced to next season's championship," the RFEF […]

Madrid (AFP) – Despite a seven match scoring drought, Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann insisted on Wednesday he is unconcerned ahead of Saturday's big derby against Real Madrid. The France international had averaged more than a goal every two games in his previous three seasons for Atletico but has managed just three in 13 matches […]

Milan (AFP) – Gian Piero Ventura was sacked as Italy coach on Wednesday after the four-time champions failed to reach the World Cup finals. The veteran coach's fate was sealed after a crisis meeting of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in Rome. The 69-year-old had refused to resign despite a 1-0 aggregate play-off defeat to […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano will be sidelined for a month with a thigh injury he suffered in Argentina's friendly international against Nigeria, the club said on Wednesday. Mascherano played the full 90 minutes in his country's surprise 4-2 loss to the Nigerians in the Russian city of Krasnodar on Tuesday. The absence […]

Berlin (AFP) – Poland hotshot Robert Lewandowski believes Bayern Munich will have their work cut out finding an adequate back-up striker to fill his boots when he is resting. Last month the 29-year-old said he wanted the German champions to find someone who can carry the striking load on occasions so last season's Bundesliga player […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was admitted to hospital on Wednesday following a health scare. Media reports said Klopp had told Liverpool's medical staff that he was feeling ill, and the 50-year-old German was urged to go to a hospital for further tests. "He is being assessed by doctors and will be absent […]

New York (AFP) – A former Argentine football official has reportedly committed suicide after he was accused of bribe-taking in testimony to a trial of top former FIFA figures in New York. Jorge Delhon threw himself under a train in a Buenos Aires suburb on Tuesday, Argentine newspapers Clarin and La Nacion reported on their […]

Sydney (AFP) – Captain Mile Jedinak's second-half hat-trick fired Australia into next year's World Cup in Russia on Wednesday as they swept past Honduras 3-1 in the second leg of their playoff in Sydney. The Aston Villa midfielder's free kick went in off Henry Figueroa on 54 minutes, and he then buried two penalties in […]

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – Oscar Garcia has quit as coach of French first division side Saint-Etienne after five months at the helm, the club said Wednesday. The Spanish coach led Saint-Etienne to a strong start to the season but they have won just one of their last seven games and were thrashed 5-0 in the […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – A former Argentine football official committed suicide Tuesday, the same day he was accused of bribe-taking in the FIFA corruption trial that opened in New York this week, Argentine media reported. Jorge Delhon threw himself under a train in a Buenos Aires suburb on Tuesday, the newspapers Clarin and La Nacion […]

New Delhi (AFP) – The Indian Super League has slashed the number of high-earning foreign stars for its new season starting Friday but foreign coaches, including ex-England heroes Teddy Sheringham and Steve Coppell, will be in charge of every team. Indian fans have been used to seeing the likes of Italy's Alessandro Del Piero, French […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Expensive flop Carlos Tevez could leave China soon, but other foreigners pining for a move in World Cup year may be disappointed by clubs desperate to retain their pricey stars. The unsettled Argentine, branded "very homesick boy" by fed-up Chinese fans, has endured a miserable 11 months in the Chinese Super League […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – The United States' humiliating failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup may have left millions of fans across the country in shock, but for Steve Gans, the debacle had been a long time coming. The 57-year-old Boston attorney's worst fears came to fruition last month when the USA were eliminated […]

New York (AFP) – A former executive who cut a plea deal with US prosecutors told the FIFA trial in New York Tuesday that media companies including Fox Sports paid bribes to secure television rights to soccer matches. Alejandro Burzaco, the former chairman of an Argentine sports marking company, pleaded guilty in November 2015 to […]

Paris (AFP) – Lars Stindl scored a last-gasp equaliser as world champions Germany played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with France in Cologne on Tuesday, while Spain were held by Russia in a 3-3 friendly thriller. France and Germany are among the favourites for next year's World Cup in Russia, and Stindl's injury-time effort extended […]