New York (AFP) – Costas Takkas, a British-Greek accountant and former Cayman Islands Football Federation official, on Tuesday became the second defendant sentenced to jail in the FIFA corruption scandal in the United States. Judge Pamela Chen sentenced the 61-year-old accountant to 15 months in prison, 10 months of which Takkas already served in Switzerland […]

Rome (AFP) – Pep Guardiola takes his swaggering Manchester City side to the home of Italian league leaders Napoli on Wednesday knowing a win will guarantee qualification for the Champions League knockout stages with two games to spare. City, unbeaten this season, notched an eighth straight Premier League win on Saturday that keeps them five […]

Paris (AFP) – Didier Deschamps has agreed to extend his contract as coach of France until 2020, the president of the French Football Federation announced on Tuesday. "Didier for me is the best, there is no contest," said Noel Le Graet at a press conference in Paris. "Everyone on the executive committee of the FFF […]

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho urged Manchester United fans to enjoy Tuesday's Champions League match against Benfica more than the weekend clash at Old Trafford in an apparent dig at sections of the home support. "I hope that you enjoy the game more than some of you did against Tottenham," Mourinho in his programme notes, […]

London (AFP) – England teenage star Phil Foden believes every member of the Under-17 World Cup-winning squad has what it takes to succeed in the professional game. England came from two goals down to beat Spain 5-2 on Saturday in Kolkata and win their first-ever World Cup at this level as Manchester City youngster Foden […]

London (AFP) – Leicester winger Demarai Gray says he is ready to sign a new contract at the club to end lingering speculation over his future after an eye-catching performance against Everton. The 21-year-old has been in contract talks and former boss Craig Shakespeare said he was close to a deal almost two months ago. […]

Sydney (AFP) – Australia will conduct a world-first trial of red and yellow cards for coaches and other football team officials aimed at improving their behaviour on the touchlines, it was announced on Tuesday. The new measures will be introduced this weekend in the domestic A-League and the women's W-League. Approval for the move was […]

London (AFP) – At a time when England have been pilloried by their own fans after a laboured World Cup qualifying campaign, the country's promising prodigies offer hope of a brighter future. England's starlets enjoyed a 5-2 win over Spain in the under-17 World Cup final in Kolkata on Saturday, capping a remarkable period in […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund lost their status as Bundesliga leaders and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has stopped scoring, but coach Peter Bosz denies talk of a crisis before Wednesday's Champions League tie against APOEL. Dortmund face an uphill fight to reach the knockout stages of Europe, as they trail both Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur by […]

London (AFP) – Assailed by mounting criticism from frustrated fans, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp needs to mastermind a sustained challenge in the Champions League to keep the doubters at bay. With Liverpool lagging 12 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City despite Saturday's 3-0 win over Huddersfield, Klopp could be forgiven for breathing a sigh […]

London (AFP) – When Tottenham clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League at Wembley on Wednesday, the glamour tie will provide the backdrop for a fascinating touchline duel between Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane. Tottenham boss Pochettino and Madrid coach Zidane are both highly regarded managers who have assembled teams capable of winning Europe's […]

Paris (AFP) – Champions League holders Real Madrid take on Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Wednesday with both teams looking to secure a place in the last 16. Manchester City and Besiktas can also book their spots in the knockout stages, while Liverpool bid to put another hatful of goals past Maribor. Here AFP Sport […]

Rome (AFP) – Inter Milan kept in touch with leaders Napoli thanks to a 2-1 win at struggling Verona on Monday as they reclaimed second place in Serie A. Luciano Spalletti's unbeaten side have 29 points from 11 games — a new club record — and are two points adrift of Napoli. Champions Juventus and […]

Burnley (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Irish international Jeff Hendrick's second-half goal gave Burnley only their second home win of the season on Monday, edging Newcastle United 1-0 in their Premier League clash. The 25-year-old's goal lifted Burnley up to the heady heights of seventh, but may have heightened Everton's interest in their manager Sean Dyche […]

Berlin (AFP) – Celtic were handed a boost ahead of Tuesday's Champions League match at home to Bayern Munich as the Germans' star striker Robert Lewandowski was ruled out by injury. The 29-year-old hot-shot injured his left thigh in the first half of Bayern's 2-0 win over RB Leipzig on Saturday and stayed in Munich […]