Madrid (AFP) – Veteran midfielder Luka Modric has signed a contract extension which will keep him at Real Madrid until the end of next season, the La Liga giants announced on Tuesday. The 35-year-old Croatian international, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2018, has played 391 times for Madrid since joining from Tottenham in 2012. […]

Prague (AFP) – Czech Republic coach Jaroslav Silhavy left a spot open for defender Ondrej Kudela pending UEFA's verdict on his appeal against a ban for racism, as he named a 25-man squad for Euro 2020 on Tuesday. UEFA banned the Slavia Prague defender from international competitions for 10 matches in April, following his alleged […]

Berlin (AFP) – Having long played second fiddle to Joachim Loew in the national team dugout, new Germany coach Hansi Flick will crown a meteoric rise to touchline stardom when he takes over from his former boss after Euro 2020. Flick helped mastermind a golden era as Loew's assistant coach for eight years up until […]

Berlin (AFP) – Outgoing Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick will succeed his former boss Joachim Loew in the Germany dugout after Euro 2020, the German Football Association (DFB) announced on Tuesday. "It's all gone surprisingly quickly, but I am very happy to be Germany coach from the autumn," said Flick, 56, after signing a three-year […]

Paris (AFP) – Real Madrid's Karim Benzema said he's targeting a trophy with France after he was recalled to their provisional Euro 2020 squad following a controversial, six-year international exile. The prolific star, sidelined by Les Bleus since 2015 over his alleged role in a blackmail plot, missed out on France's 2018 World Cup win […]

Madrid (AFP) – Unai Emery will add to his already sparkling Europa League record if Villarreal beat Manchester United on Wednesday but victory would also turn an otherwise mediocre first season in charge into a great one. Villarreal had just finished fifth in La Liga when they appointed Emery as coach last summer, with the […]

London (AFP) – Champions League finalists Manchester City and Chelsea were once the brash newcomers who upset the established European powers but they are now part of the continental elite. Pep Guardiola's City are seeking their first Champions League title on Saturday while Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea are aiming to become European champions for the second […]

Montevideo (AFP) – Manchester City have at last reached the Champions League final after a decade of Abu Dhabi investment, but the global ambitions of the club's owners stretch far beyond England's northwest. The English champions are the jewel in the crown of the City Football Group (CFG), a network of 10 clubs across five […]

Gdansk (Poland) (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will attempt to win his first trophy as Manchester United manager in Wednesday's Europa League final against Villarreal, confident that victory could ignite another sustained run of success at Old Trafford. The Norwegian, now 48, will forever be remembered for his late winner against Bayern Munich in the […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City's Pep Guardiola has been named manager of the year by England's League Managers' Association, it was announced on Monday. Guardiola steered City to the Premier League title and League Cup this season and this Saturday the Spaniard's side will bid to be crowned kings of Europe for the first time […]

London (AFP) – The two clubs contesting the richest game in English football have pleaded with authorities to let more fans in for Saturday's Championship play-off final at London's Wembley Stadium. Brentford and Swansea will meet to decide which club claims the remaining place in next season's lucrative Premier League, with the showpiece match worth […]

Prague (AFP) – Ondrej Kudela was voted the Czech league's best defender of the season ahead of a verdict on his appeal to UEFA over a racism ban, the Football League Association (LFA) said Monday. UEFA banned the Slavia Prague defender from international competitions for 10 games in April, following his alleged racist slur to […]

Milan (AFP) – Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic confirmed Monday he was leaving AC Milan at the end of his six-month contract. The 35-year-old former Juventus and Bayern Munich player joined the club last January as cover for Zlatan Ibrahimovic but made just 11 appearances because of muscular problems and scored no goals. "It was a […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said on Monday his side can approach this weekend's Champions League final against Manchester City with confidence after recent victories against Pep Guardiola's Premier League winners. The Blues will face City in Porto on Saturday after securing a top-four finish in the English top-flight despite a 2-1 defeat […]

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan powered to their first Serie A title in 11 years, but dethroned Juventus who will be eager next term to reclaim the trophy they had made their own for nine consecutive seasons. AC Milan and Atalanta have the capacity to challenge, while Jose Mourinho's return to Italy with Roma could […]