Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich landed in China on Monday for their pre-season tour with the German giants already tipped to win a sixth straight Bundesliga title — five weeks before the new season starts. Bayern touched down in Shanghai to start their tour of China and Singapore with the new German league season to […]

London (AFP) – England international goalkeeper Joe Hart is set to have a medical with West Ham on Monday as he looks to finalise a loan move from Manchester City, according to media reports. The 30-year-old had been told by City boss Pep Guardiola that he could find another club, and he appears set for […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Alexandre Pato is rediscovering his love for football in China after a turbulent few years saw his career nosedive before he had even reached his prime. The 27-year-old forward hit a cracker from long distance in Tianjin Quanjian's 3-0 weekend win over Shanghai Shenhua, for whom Carlos Tevez now has just two […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Japan's Tokyo Verdy have called off their bid to sign Italian superstar Francesco Totti after his wife turned her nose up at a move to the Far East, local media said Monday. "Ultimately he was unable to get his family's blessing," Verdy president Hideaki Hanyu told Japan's Nikkan Sports newspaper, claiming Totti's […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Jamaica and El Salvador both punched their tickets to the quarter-finals after playing to a 1-1 draw in a Group C match at the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament on Sunday. Jamaica now have one win and two draws which moves them into first place in the group standings with five […]

Utrecht (Netherlands) (AFP) – Shanice van de Sanden's bullet header lifted hosts the Netherlands past Norway while Denmark beat Belgium as the women's Euro tournament kicked off with two Group A games on Sunday. Liverpool winger Van de Sanden's 66th-minute goal gave the Dutch a deserved win over the 2013 runners-up in the competition opener […]

Moscow (AFP) – Italian manager Roberto Mancini chalked up a confident 2-0 win in his first Russian Premier League match as his new club Zenit St Petersburg beat promoted SKA Khabarovsk on Sunday. Goals by halftime substitute midfielder Daler Kuzyaev and forward Alexander Kokorin set the four-time former Russian champions on their way to a […]

Madrid (AFP) – Sevilla signed Spanish international winger Nolito from Manchester City, the La Liga club announced on Sunday. The 30-year-old, who only joined City from Celta Vigo a year ago, moved for a reported fee of nine million euros ($10.3m) and has signed a three-year contract. "Nolito is with Sevilla for the next three […]

Chicago (AFP) – Striker Clint Dempsey, chasing Landon Donovan's US goals record, and goalkeeper Tim Howard were among six players added Sunday to the American squad for the Gold Cup knockout stage. Rules for the North American (CONCACAF) regional championship tournament allow up to six changes after the group stage, which the Americans completed Saturday […]

Utrecht (Netherlands) (AFP) – Shanice van de Sanden's bullet header handed hosts the Netherlands a 1-0 win against Norway in the women's European Championship opener on Sunday. The Liverpool winger capitalised on a superb cross from Lieke Martens from the left wing that found her face to face with helpless Norway keeper Ingrid Hjelmseth. Pleasing […]

London (AFP) – Cameroon international striker Clinton Njie has joined Marseille on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur after spending last season on loan in France, the Premier League club said Sunday. The 23-year-old joined Spurs from Lyon in 2015 but featured sparingly at White Hart Lane before he was shipped out to Marseille, where […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Jose Mourinho ruled out any attempt to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford after Manchester United opened their US tour here Saturday with a 5-2 rout of the Los Angeles Galaxy. United manager Mourinho is keen to bolster his ranks further after already strengthening his squad with the additions of […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Marcus Rashford scored twice as Manchester United kicked off their pre-season tour of the United States with a 5-2 rout of the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. With new signing Romelu Lukaku starting on the bench, England striker Rashford reminded manager Jose Mourinho of his eye for goal with an energetic […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Wayne Rooney led the big names linked with a move to China but in the end the only arrivals were striker Anthony Modeste and a cast mostly of freebies, loanees and has-beens. Experts and insiders say a 100 percent tax on foreign imports and befuddling last-minute changes to Chinese transfer rules ensured […]

Sydney (AFP) – Arsene Wenger says he expects Olivier Giroud to stay at Arsenal this season despite speculation over how he will fit in following the record signing of fellow French striker Alexandre Lacazette. Giroud, the reported off-season target of Premier League rivals Everton and Germany's Borussia Dortmund, was among the goalscorers in the Gunners' […]