Athens (AFP) – Greek media reported Tuesday that Olympiakos owner Vangelis Marinakis is among 28 people who are to be brought to trial for corruption in Greek football. The Athens News Agency, quoting reliable sources, said the Athens Court of Appeals will officially announce a referral order on Wednesday, ending an ongoing investigation into match-fixing […]

London (AFP) – Burnley midfielder Jack Cork was called up to the England squad for the first time on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming friendlies with Germany and Brazil after yet more withdrawals from Gareth Southgate's squad. Cork, formerly of Swansea and Southampton, was summoned by England manager Southgate after Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph and […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Los Angeles Galaxy defender Robbie Rogers, the first openly gay male athlete to play in a major North American sports league, announced his retirement on Tuesday. Rogers, 30, confirmed his retirement in a statement released through the Galaxy, ending a professional career that spanned 11 seasons and included stints in England, […]

Budapest (AFP) – Hungary's most popular club Ferencvaros was hit Tuesday with a fine and an order to close part of its stadium after a fan was stabbed in the country's first ever incident of football-related knife violence. Budapest-based Ferencvaros must pay a 3 million forints fine (9,600 euros, $11,000) and close four stadium sectors […]

Paris (AFP) – Brazil's Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos admitted he felt "very emotional" after training with his international teammates at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday ahead of their friendly against Japan. The Brazil squad are using the Paris club as their headquarters on Tuesday and Wednesday before heading off for Friday's international friendly at […]

London (AFP) – French rugby chief Bernard Laporte raised the stakes in a bitter war of words over the destiny of the 2023 World Cup on Tuesday by saying the sport risks being seen as weak over doping. Last week, the Rugby World Cup Board recommended the World Rugby Council award the tournament to South […]

Paris (AFP) – Laurent Koscielny will retire from the France team after the 2018 World Cup, making way for a new generation of players, the Arsenal centre-back said on Tuesday. "I'm starting to get a bit old at 32. With Sam (Umtiti of Barcelona) and the others in their twenties and on the lookout, the […]

Berlin (AFP) – German football chiefs want to reorganise refereeing in the Bundesliga after the head of their fledgeling video refereeing (VAR) system was sacked amidst accusations of bias. The VAR system is being trialled this season in Italy and Germany, generating much debate in both countries with fans complaining it slows games down. FIFA […]

London (AFP) – West Ham named former Everton and Manchester United boss David Moyes as their new manager on Tuesday after sacking Slaven Bilic following a string of poor results that left the club mired in the Premier League relegation zone. The Hammers parted company with Bilic on Monday, two days after a chastening 4-1 […]

London (AFP) – West Ham have appointed former Everton and Manchester United boss David Moyes as their new manager, the struggling Premier League club announced on Tuesday. "We believe David is the right man to turn things around and get the best out of the players at the club," joint chairman David Sullivan said. The […]

Moscow (AFP) – Opponents of Russia's national side can be forgiven for confusion as they face two identical players: twin brothers Anton and Alexei Miranchuk. The 22-year-old Miranchuk siblings appeared together in the national squad for the first time last month after manager Stanislav Cherchesov rewarded their solid performances for Russian league leaders Lokomotiv Moscow. […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Former Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Kyle Martino on Monday joined the crowded field vying for the presidency of the United States Soccer Federation in the wake of the country's 2018 World Cup debacle. Martino, best known in the US as an analyst for NBC television, said he had decided to challenge […]

Burton-on-Trent (United Kingdom) (AFP) – New England call-up Tammy Abraham says he never considered playing for Nigeria at international level despite repeated overtures from the Nigerian Football Federation. Abraham's father is Nigerian and a childhood friend of Nigerian federation president Amaju Pinnick, who claimed in September that Abraham had decided to play for the west […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur's prolific striker Harry Kane withdrew from the England squad for prestigious friendlies with World Cup holders Germany and five-time winners Brazil on Monday due to a knee injury. His Spurs team-mate, midfielder Harry Winks, also limped out with an ankle problem, bringing the absentees from the club to three as […]

Athens (AFP) – Greece coach Michael Skibbe blasted FIFA's decision to ban Roma defender Kostas Manolas from Thursday’s World Cup play-off first leg away to Croatia for "intentionally seeking a yellow card". "What FIFA did was not right. FIFA sometimes takes some 'special' decisions. And this is "special'," Skibbe told reporters on Monday. FIFA’s disciplinary […]