Johannesburg (AFP) – Full-back Aubrey Modiba starred as Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Pretoria neighbours SuperSport United 3-1 on Wednesday to win the South African Premiership a record fourth consecutive time with three games to spare. He created the first goal for Lebohang Maboe, scored the second and orchestrated the third for Themba Zwane as the hosts […]

Berlin (AFP) – Holstein Kiel took a huge step closer to a first promotion to the German Bundesliga on Wednesday with a 1-0 play-off victory over Cologne. Defender and substitute Simon Lorenz headed the only goal of the first leg from a corner just before the hour mark. Janni Serra was unlucky not to grab […]

Lausanne (AFP) – Czech defender Ondrej Kudela's appeal against a 10-match racism ban has been rejected and he will miss Euro 2020, UEFA announced on Wednesday. The Slavia Prague centre-back was handed the suspension by European football's governing body for racially abusing Rangers player Glen Kamara in a Europa League match on March 18. "The appeal lodged […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea were given a Champions League final fitness boost on Wednesday as France midfielder N'Golo Kante and Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy returned to training. The Blues posted photographs of Kante and Mendy working with their team-mates at their Cobham headquarters ahead of Saturday's final against Manchester City in Porto. Mendy was replaced […]

Milan (AFP) – Antonio Conte has parted company with newly-crowned Serie A champions Inter Milan after leading them to a first title in 11 years, the Italian club confirmed on Wednesday. "FC Internazionale Milano can confirm that an agreement has been reached with Antonio Conte for the termination of his contract by mutual consent," the […]

Milan (AFP) – Super League trio Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus insisted on Wednesday they "remain committed to modernising football" despite UEFA's threats of disciplinary action. UEFA on Tuesday opened formal disciplinary proceedings against the three clubs which are still refusing to give up the aborted Super League project. In a joint statement, Italian's Juventus […]

Milan (AFP) – Gianluigi Donnarumma will leave AC Milan this summer, club director Paolo Maldini announced on Wednesday, with the Italy goalkeeper set to pick his new club as a free agent. Donnarumma's Milan contract expires at the end of the month and he has been linked with moves to La Liga giants Barcelona and […]

London (AFP) – Bernardo Silva says Pep Guardiola's "amazing" wealth of experience played the key role in Manchester City's run to their first Champions League final. City face Chelsea in Saturday's final in Porto after years of Champions League heartache. City boss Guardiola won the Champions League as a player with Barcelona and guided the […]

Paris (AFP) – Didier Deschamps tried on Wednesday to play down the shock return of Karim Benzema to the France squad as his team begins its preparations for Euro 2020, classing it as a "non-event". Real Madrid forward Benzema's near six-year exile from the national team over his alleged role in a blackmail plot came to […]

The Hague (AFP) – Dutch coach Frank de Boer announced his squad for Euro 2020 on Wednesday with injured Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk forced to sit out the delayed championships. The influential centre-back, who captains his national side, ruled himself out of contention this month to focus on recovering from the ruptured cruciate ligament […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus chief football officer Fabio Paratici is leaving the dethroned Serie A champions after 11 years, the Turin club confirmed on Wednesday. Paratici's contract will not be renewed when it expires on June 30. The nine-time reigning champions finished fourth in Serie A this season, exiting the Champions League in the last-16, […]

London (AFP) – England and Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope has undergone "successful" surgery on the knee injury that ended his hopes of selection in Gareth Southgate's Euro 2020 squad, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday. Jordan Pickford has been recognised as England's number one for the past few years but Pope, 29, started all […]

Rueil-Malmaison (France) (AFP) – He may shy away from the limelight, but there were few more popular members of France's 2018 World Cup-winning side than N'Golo Kante, who on Saturday will aim to get his hands on one of the few trophies that has so far evaded him when Chelsea face Manchester City in the […]

Berlin (AFP) – Outgoing Wolfsburg coach Oliver Glasner will take over Bundesliga rivals Eintracht Frankfurt on a three-year contract from next season, the two clubs said Wednesday. "Oliver Glasner has shown in the last two years at Wolfsburg that he is able to work at the absolute top level and develop young players," said Frankfurt […]

London (AFP) – World Cup-winning Japan forward Mana Iwabuchi signed for the Arsenal Women's team on Wednesday. Iwabuchi joined Arsenal after playing in the Women's Super League for Aston Villa for the second half of the 2020-21 season. The 28-year-old has scored 31 goals in 74 appearances for Japan. She was part of the Japan […]