Madrid (AFP) – A reborn Valencia make the most daunting trip in European football at the moment to face Real Madrid on Sunday enthused with a swagger and confidence lost over two disastrous seasons. Still one of Spain's biggest clubs based on budget and support, Valencia have finished 12th in the past two campaigns as […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will hope to cap a successful week, on and off the field, by making it three wins in as many games when Leicester visit Old Trafford on Saturday. United have won their opening two league games, each by 4-0 scorelines, at home to West Ham […]

Bournemouth (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling travels to Bournemouth on Saturday aiming to help his team find a much-needed lethal touch in front of goal. Pep Guardiola's side dominated their opening two games of the season, but in both their 2-0 win at Brighton and the 1-1 draw with Everton, City […]

Monaco (AFP) – Holders Real Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League group stage while five-time winners Barcelona were drawn with last season's runners-up Juventus on Thursday. Zinedine Zidane's side are chasing a third successive European title and fourth in five seasons after demolishing Italian champions Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff […]

Paris (AFP) – Club-record signing Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a stunning long-range volley just after half-time to secure Everton's place in the Europa League group stage following a 3-1 aggregate victory over Hajduk Split on Thursday. The Iceland midfielder fired home from 40 yards within seconds of the restart in Croatia as Everton held on for […]

Madrid (AFP) – Ousmane Dembele could soon become the second most expensive player in history as reports claim Barcelona have finally agreed a deal that could rise to 150 million euros ($177 million) for the wantaway 20-year-old. According to media outlets in Spain, France and Germany, Barca are prepared to break their own transfer record […]

Paris (AFP) – Footballers union FIFPro blasted "transfer market madness" Thursday, claiming Neymar's world record 222 million euro ($261 million) move from Barcelona to PSG illustrated how the sport has become "the domain of a select group of rich, mostly European-based clubs". "FIFPro is calling on the European Commission to investigate the flow of money […]

Milan (AFP) – Unwanted striker M'Baye Niang has issued AC Milan with a medical certificate citing "psychological problems" to justify missing training after rejecting an offer to join Spartak Moscow. Niang is surplus to requirements at the Serie A giants following their signing of Andre Silva from Porto and Franck Kessie from Atalanta earlier this […]

Monaco (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo was named UEFA Player of the Season for 2016-2017 on Thursday after a campaign which saw the Portuguese superstar help Real Madrid to the La Liga and Champions League double. It was the third time that Ronaldo had won the award which was presented on the sidelines of the Champions […]

Milan (AFP) – Permanent concrete barriers have been built around the San Siro stadium, which is shared by football giants AC and Inter Milan, in the aftermath of the terror attacks which struck Barcelona, city officials announced. A new "anti-traffic" zone was established in the area around the landmark Giuseppe Meazza stadium — the San Siro's […]

Monaco (AFP) – Holders Real Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League group stage while five-time winners Barcelona were drawn with last season's runners-up Juventus on Thursday. Zinedine Zidane's side are chasing a third successive European title and fourth in five seasons after demolishing Italian champions Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff […]

Yaoundé (AFP) – FIFA has appointed a committee to run crisis-hit Cameroonian football as doubts grow over the country's ability to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Cameroon is struggling to complete the necessary infrastructure projects to host the three-week event. The organisation of the tournament has been complicated by a power struggle at […]

London (AFP) – England manager Gareth Southgate has handed first call-ups to uncapped duo Harry Maguire and Nathaniel Chalobah for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia. In the first England squad since Wayne Rooney's international retirement, Southgate named Leicester defender Maguire and Watford midfielder Chalobah in a 28-man group to face Malta […]

London (AFP) – Leicester's Leonardo Ulloa completed his return to favour with the Premier League club as the Argentine striker signed a contract extension on Thursday. Less than a year after appearing destined to leave Leicester after falling out with then boss Claudio Ranieri, Ulloa's new deal will keep him at the King Power Stadium […]

Abuja (AFP) – Chelsea defender Ola Aina is waiting for FIFA clearance to play for Nigeria in World Cup qualifiers against Cameroon, officials said Thursday. Aina, who is on a season-long loan at English Championship side Hull City, needs world football's governing body to approve his decision to play for Nigeria after he represented England […]