Glasgow (AFP) – Malky Mackay has been appointed as Scotland's interim manager as the search for Gordon Strachan's successor starts after the team's failure to qualify for the World Cup. Mackay was working as Scottish Football Association's performance director and, following Strachan's exit on Thursday, he will now oversee the friendly against the Netherlands at […]

London (AFP) – Mauricio Pochettino accused Pep Guardiola of being disrespectful after the Manchester City manager claimed Harry Kane's prolific form is the only reason for Tottenham Hotspur's success. Kane has scored 11 goals in his last six appearances for Spurs to keep Pochettino's side in touch with Premier League leaders City. The 24-year-old also […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea manager Antonio Conte says that France midfielder N'Golo Kante will be sidelined for three weeks after suffering a hamstring injury on international duty. Kante was forced off in the first half of France's World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria last weekend and Conte expects him to be out for the rest of […]

Geneva (AFP) – Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal corruption probe targeting the head of Paris Saint-Germain football club Nasser Al-Khelaifi and disgraced former FIFA executive Jerome Valcke over the sale of media rights for upcoming World Cups. The Swiss attorney general's office (OAG) said the probe opened in March and centres on allegations including […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted that Spurs cannot compete with the two Manchester clubs, who are level on points at the top of the Premier League, in the transfer market. Pochettino's side face struggling Bournemouth at Wembley on Saturday, hoping to close the five-point gap to leaders Manchester City and second-placed Manchester […]

Moscow (AFP) – Russian Premier League leaders Zenit St Petersburg return from the international break looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign against Arsenal Tula on Sunday. Roberto Mancini's men unexpectedly dropped points in a 2-2 draw at bottom club Anzhi Makhachlala in their previous league match, but are two points clear of […]

Milan (AFP) – Vincenzo Montella will be in the firing line as AC Milan look to kick-start their season against city rivals Inter in the highly-anticipated derby of the Chinese-owned sides on Sunday. The clash takes on even more significance as both teams are now under Chinese ownership — Inter on the payroll of the […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich will play their first game under returning coach Jupp Heynckes when they host Freiburg this Saturday. The 72-year-old, who won the treble with the club in 2013, is tasked with reviving Bayern's stuttering season after his predecessor Carlo Ancelotti was dismissed two weeks ago. Bayern are five points behind leaders […]

Madrid (AFP) – The biggest game of the La Liga season so far is shrouded in political tension as Barcelona visit Atletico Madrid on Saturday in their first trip to the Spanish capital since a Catalan independence referendum marred by violence. Barca played their last match behind closed doors as the October 1 referendum, deemed […]

Paris (AFP) – Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has warned that the World Cup in Russia could be a "big mess" if the tournament is blighted by racism, but vowed to help tackle the problem. The 34-year-old Toure has personal experience of racial abuse in Russia after he was targeted by chants in 2013 when […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Veteran Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano said Thursday he will step down from international duty after the 2018 World Cup. The versatile Barcelona star, who turns 34 next June, is Argentina's second most-capped player with 139 appearances for his country and played in the 2014 World Cup final defeat to Germany. He […]

Doha (AFP) – Thursday's bombshell announcement that the Swiss are investigating Qatar's Nasser Al-Khelaifi and a disgraced former senior FIFA executive on corruption charges places the emirate and world football back under scrutiny. Investigators are examining allegations of bribery surrounding Khelaifi, head of the Doha-based beIN media group, and ex-FIFA secretary general, Jerome Valcke, over […]

New Delhi (AFP) – Forward Eric Ayiah scored twice as Ghana crushed India 4-0 to knock the hosts out of the Under-17 FIFA World Cup in New Delhi on Thursday. Ayiah scored a goal in each half — in the 43rd and 52nd minute — to lead the two-time champions into the last-16 stage of […]

Digne-les-Bains (France) (AFP) – Former Marseille defender Souleymane Diawara is expected to be tried in France for a case of extortion that saw him held in custody for two-and-a-half months in 2015, a judicial source said Thursday. The 38-year-old was arrested in April 2015 on suspicion of trying to take the law into his own […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Cameroonian international striker Vincent Aboubakar has signed a contract extension that will keep him at Porto until 2021, the Portuguese side announced on Thursday. The 25-year-old is Porto's top scorer so far this season with eight goals, two of which came in a 3-0 Champions League win at Monaco. Porto also acquired […]