Shanghai (AFP) – Ten Chinese Super League clubs say they have paid off debts related to player wages, bonuses and transfers after 13 of them were threatened with expulsion. Shanghai Shenhua, who signed Argentine striker Carlos Tevez in January on what are believed to be among the highest wages in world football, and Oscar's Shanghai […]

Mumbai (AFP) – Asia's football governing body has dealt a major boost to the Indian Super League by ruling that its franchise-based teams will be eligible for the AFC Cup from next year. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said in a statement late Tuesday that the winners of the glitzy tournament, which is backed by […]

Singapore (AFP) – Inter Milan boss Luciano Spalletti on Wednesday gave the clearest indication yet that Ivan Perisic could leave, saying the Serie A club will listen to serious offers for the winger. The 28-year-old Croatian international has been strongly linked with a big-money move to Jose Mourinho's Manchester United, while Premier League champions Chelsea […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has confirmed Manchester City are "still looking" to add to their £200 million summer spending spree, although he refused to comment on the possibility of hijacking Real Madrid's move for Kylian Mbappe. City have been the major shoppers in the transfer market after splashing out a Premier League record […]

Harrison (United States) (AFP) – Roma withstood a dramatic, late Tottenham comeback to send the Premier League team to their first defeat of this pre-season in a bad tempered affair which ended 3-2 in remarkable fashion. Tackles were flying in all over the pitch and Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino was livid with match officials in […]

Washington (AFP) – Barcelona defender Gerard Pique remains convinced that Neymar will stay at Camp Nou, but said on Tuesday his opinion was based on "intuition" rather than inside knowledge. "It's a personal opinion from the conversation that I had with him and my intuition," Pique said at a press conference on the eve of […]

Zeist (Netherlands) (AFP) – After helping the Netherlands reach the women's Euro quarter-finals, Vivianne Miedema barely stretched during training the next day, but a crowd of orange-clad onlookers greeted her loudly all the same. The applause was much louder on Monday, when the 21-year-old striker was leaving the pitch 86 minutes into the Netherlands' 2-1 […]

London (AFP) – Premier League spending looks certain to shatter all previous records before the current transfer window closes as England's superpowers reload in an increasingly frenzied arms race. Fuelled by lucrative television contracts, currently worth around £8.3 billion ($10.8bn, 9.3bn euros) and unprecedented revenue streams at home and overseas, the 20 Premier League teams […]

New York (AFP) – France captain Hugo Lloris fears the uncertainty surrounding Moussa Sissoko's future at Tottenham Hotspur could impact Les Bleus' preparations for next summer's World Cup in Russia. Sissoko, who became Spurs' record signing when he moved from Newcastle United for £30 million ($39.1 million, 33.5 million euros) last August, voiced his unhappiness to […]

Doetinchem (Netherlands) (AFP) – Holders Germany beat Russia 2-0 to set up a women's Euro quarter-final clash with Denmark while Sweden also advanced to the knockout phase despite losing 3-2 to Italy on Tuesday. In Utrecht, Babett Peter scored from the spot on 10 minutes and captain Dzsenifer Marozsan converted another penalty in the 56th […]

Washington (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho expressed surprise Tuesday at the three-match ban that UEFA handed defender Eric Bailly on Monday. Ivorian Bailly was sent off for violent conduct in the second leg of United's Europa League semi-final victory over Celta Vigo in May for his part in a melee in the final […]

Madrid (AFP) – Spanish football federation president Angel Maria Villar, in custody following his arrest on corruption charges, was suspended for a year on Tuesday by the country's sports ministry (CSD), a spokesperson told AFP. The suspension was decided during a meeting of the CSD executive committee in Madrid, after the Spanish administrative sports tribunal […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – Lille continued their spending spree under new coach Marcelo Bielsa by making Brazilian midfielder Thiago Maia their 12th close-season signing on Tuesday. The Ligue 1 outfit confirmed Maia's arrival from Santos, with French newspaper La Voix du Nord reporting a club-record transfer fee of 14 million euros ($16.32m). The 20-year-old played […]

Heelsum (Netherlands) (AFP) – Four years ago Denmark goalkeeper Stina Lykke Petersen left the pitch devastated after the Euro 2013 semi-final loss to Norway in a penalty shoot-out, but she earned sweet revenge on Monday. Petersen saved a spot-kick by Norway's Caroline Graham Hansen to help Denmark win 1-0 in their final Group A game […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro refused to be drawn on speculation the European champions are set to smash the world transfer record for 18-year-old Monaco sensation Kylian Mbappe, but insisted the Frenchman's arrival wouldn't spell the end for Cristiano Ronaldo at Madrid. Madrid sports daily Marca reported on Tuesday that Real are […]