Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich will begin life after Carlo Ancelotti this weekend, as interim coach Willy Sagnol takes the reins ahead of Sunday's visit to Hertha Berlin. The Bundesliga champions were humiliated in a 3-0 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday, and the club reacted immediately by sacking Ancelotti on […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona's Camp Nou will attract worldwide attention for politics rather than football on a day of huge significance for Catalonia's future on Sunday. Las Palmas are the visitors as Barca seek to stretch their perfect record in La Liga and Champions League this season to nine games. However, the action on the […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has no plans to rest Harry Kane as the striker seeks to plunder more goals to put pressure on the Manchester clubs at the top of the Premier League. The England forward, in a rich vein of form in domestic and European competition, has scored nine goals […]

London (AFP) – Eden Hazard says Chelsea will carry the momentum from their superb Champions League win over Atletico Madrid into Saturday's Stamford Bridge showdown with free-scoring Premier League leaders Manchester City. Having fallen behind to Atletico in Madrid on Wednesday, Chelsea levelled when Hazard teed up Alvaro Morata and snatched a 2-1 victory with […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Anthony Martial is likely to be fit for Manchester United's Premier League home game against Crystal Palace on Saturday despite appearing to pick up a minor injury in midweek. Martial was outstanding as United won 4-1 away to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday, scoring a penalty and […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City's defensive resilience in the absence of the injured Benjamin Mendy faces its first and arguably toughest test when the Premier League leaders travel to champions Chelsea on Saturday. The 23-year-old France full-back has been in fine form for City since his £50 million ($67 million, 57 million euros) pre-season move […]

Paris (AFP) – Olivier Giroud scored his 100th Arsenal goal as a youthful Gunners side beat BATE Borisov 4-2 in Belarus in the Europa League on Thursday, as Everton were held to a shock 2-2 draw by 10-man Apollon Limassol at Goodison Park. Theo Walcott netted twice for the Gunners and Rob Holding was also […]

Abidjan (AFP) – Wilfried Bony has been recalled to the Ivory Coast squad for next week's crucial 2018 World Cup qualifier away to Mali. Bony, who returned to Swansea City last month after a disappointing two years at Manchester City, had not featured for his country since the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon at […]

Paris (AFP) – Former Ireland international striker Kevin Doyle announced his immediate retirement from football on Thursday after suffering two concussions and a series of debilitating headaches this season. Doyle, 34, who had been playing for Colorado Rapids in the MLS in the United States, enjoyed a 16-year career which also included spells at Reading, […]

Paris (AFP) – Olivier Giroud got his 100th Arsenal goal as a youthful Gunners side beat BATE Borisov 4-2 in Belarus in the Europa League on Thursday. Theo Walcott netted twice for the Premier League side and Rob Holding was also on target as they eased to a second victory in as many matches in […]

London (AFP) – The Football Association fined West Ham and Tottenham £20,000 ($27,000, 23,000 euros) each on Thursday after both Premier League clubs admitted failing to control their players during last Saturday's derby at London Stadium. Spurs won 3-2 but the Hammers were pressing for an equaliser in stoppage time when tempers frayed. "West Ham […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City full-back Benjamin Mendy faces a long injury lay-off after the Premier League leaders confirmed Thursday he has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The 23-year-old French international — signed for £50 million ($67 million) from Monaco in the summer — will undergo surgery in Barcelona on Friday […]

Madrid (AFP) – Marco Asensio has extended his contract with Real Madrid by one year, tying him to the Santiago Bernabeu until 2023, the club announced on Thursday. "Real Madrid C.F. and Asensio have agreed an extension to the player's contract, binding him to the club until the 30th of June 2023," read a statement […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich have sacked coach Carlo Ancelotti in the wake of their Champions League defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, the club announced on Thursday. "Following an internal analysis in Munich on Thursday 28 September 2017... the club is to part company with head coach Carlo Ancelotti with immediate effect," Bayern […]

London (AFP) – Dele Alli was named in England's squad on Thursday for their concluding World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Lithuania despite the threat of a ban by FIFA. Football's global governing body could rule the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder out of both matches as a result of a middle-finger gesture he gave in a […]