Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho defended his decision not to allow misfiring striker Romelu Lukaku to take a penalty during his side's 2-0 Champions League win over Benfica. Lukaku made a blistering start to his United career after joining from Everton, scoring 11 goals in his first 10 games, but […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is in line to face Borussia Dortmund in their top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash this weekend, after he watched his side clinch their place in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday. The Polish international missed the 2-1 Group B win over Celtic in Glasgow that saw the German […]

Paris (AFP) – Layvin Kurzawa enjoyed stealing the headlines from Neymar and co as he walked away with the match ball after scoring a second-half hat-trick in Paris Saint-Germain's 5-0 Champions League demolition of Anderlecht on Tuesday. Kurzawa, a left-back, scored three times in the space of 26 minutes after the break at the Parc […]

Paris (AFP) – French football federation president Noel Le Graet said he was adopting a "very careful" approach after a photoshopped image of national team coach Didier Deschamps emerged accompanied by threats from Islamic State sympathisers. France's Interior Minister Gerard Collomb "is taking care of it very directly and therefore I can't provide any more […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United closed to the brink of the Champions League knockout phase after more inadvertent generosity from Benfica goalkeeper Mile Svilar helped them to a 2-0 victory on Tuesday. Having carried a Marcus Rashford free-kick into his own net to gift United victory in the reverse fixture, 18-year-old Svilar scored […]

Rome (AFP) – Stephan El Shaarawy scored a brace as AS Roma mauled Chelsea 3-0 to claim top spot in Champions League Group C on Tuesday at the expense of the English champions. The rematch in Rome's Stadio Olympico after a 3-3 thriller in London two weeks ago did not disappoint the 55,000 crowd as […]

Paris (AFP) – Layvin Kurzawa scored an unlikely hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain powered into the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday with a 5-0 rout of Anderlecht, while Bayern Munich joined them in the knockout stage. Marco Verratti curled in a terrific opening goal — his first in Europe since September 2014 — […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Javi Martinez grabbed a late winner as Bayern Munich booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League for the 10th successive season on Tuesday with a 2-1 Group B win over Celtic in Glasgow. The German champions took advantage of a Halloween horror show in the Celtic defence to […]

Rome (AFP) – Stephan El Shaarawy scored a brace as AS Roma mauled Chelsea 3-0 to claim top spot in Champions League Group C on Tuesday at the expense of the English champions. The rematch in Rome's Stadio Olympico after a 3-3 thriller in London two weeks ago did not disappoint the 55,000 crowd in […]

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid were left staring an embarrassing early Champions League exit in the face after being held 1-1 at home by 10-man Azerbaijani champions Qarabag on Tuesday. The 2014 and 2016 finalists now need to beat Roma and Chelsea in their last two Group C games and hope other results go in […]

Paris (AFP) – Left-back Layvin Kurzawa was an unlikely hat-trick hero as Paris Saint-Germain destroyed Anderlecht 5-0 on Tuesday and sealed their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with two group games to spare. Marco Verratti and Neymar had scored brilliant first-half goals for the hosts at the Parc des Princes to […]

London (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane insists Real Madrid will shake off their recent struggles and deliver a performance worthy of their first ever appearance at Wembley when they face Tottenham in the Champions League on Wednesday. Zidane's side have endured stinging criticism after their spluttering start to the season hit a new low with a […]

New York (AFP) – A US judge sentenced a British-Greek accountant to jail for 15 months on Tuesday, condemning his "breathtaking" fraud in helping to launder $3 million in bribes in the FIFA corruption scandal. Costas Takkas, former general secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Federation, was the second defendant sentenced in connection with what […]

Nairobi (AFP) – The Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) will dedicate next month's Challenge Cup in Kenya to peace following the post-election violence witnessed in parts of the country. The 12-nation tournament, which runs from November 25 to December 9, will be played in Nakuru, Kakamega and Kisumu, the opposition stronghold […]

London (AFP) – Watford striker Troy Deeney will serve a three-match ban for violent conduct during last Saturday's fiery Premier League clash with Stoke, the Football Association announced on Tuesday. The 29-year-old — whose club and Stoke were charged by the FA on Tuesday for failing to control their players — admitted to the offence […]