Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was as delighted as the club's success-starved fans after his side's 3-0 win over Middlesbrough secured a top-four finish and a Champions League play-off spot on Sunday. Brilliant strikes from Georginio Wijnaldum, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana guaranteed a place in next season’s qualification play-off as Klopp’s men […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic manager Brendan Rodger hailed his side's "special" achievement after they became the first Scottish Premiership club to go unbeaten through a 38-game season. Celtic wrapped up their league campaign with a 2-0 victory over Hearts as second-half goals by Leigh Griffiths and Stuart Armstrong ensured Celtic ended up with a record […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri called on the Turin giants to complete a historic treble in the Champions League final after securing a third successive league and Cup double on Sunday. "This season was much different to last season. Now, we have the dream of the Champions League final, which you don't […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid's five-year wait to win La Liga came to an end on Sunday as they edged out rivals Barcelona by beating Malaga 2-0. Here, AFP Sports looks at five key fixtures that tilted the title race in the European champions' favour. Atletico Madrid 0 Real Madrid 3, November 19 Zinedine Zidane's […]

Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane's transformation of Real Madrid from crisis club to champions has been rooted not in the glamour of relying purely on 'Galactico' talent, but fostering a team spirit and never say die attitude. Madrid sealed a first La Liga title in five years on Sunday — and 33rd in total — […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid ended a five-year drought without a La Liga title by winning the Spanish top flight for a record 33rd time with a 2-0 win over Malaga on Sunday. Here, AFP Sports looks at five of the players central to the success of Zinedine Zidane's men over the course of the […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid won their 33rd La Liga title and first for five years as Cristiano Ronaldo's 40th goal of the season helped seal a 2-0 win at Malaga on Sunday. Ronaldo got Madrid off to the perfect start after just two minutes before Karim Benzema's close range finish sealed the title 10 […]

London (AFP) – Folowing the conclusion of the 2016-17 season on Sunday, AFP Sport selects the five best games of the Premier League campaign: Arsenal 3 Liverpool 4 (August 14) Kicking off the season in style, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool left Arsenal with what would become a familiar sinking feeling. Theo Walcott fired Arsenal ahead moments […]

Berlin (AFP) – Wolfsburg have one final chance to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga after the 2009 champions went from stunning Real Madrid to the brink of Germany's second division inside 13 months. In April 2016, Wolfsburg produced a superb display to shock Cristiano Ronaldo's Real 2-0 in their home leg of last season's Champions […]

Madrid (AFP) – Diego Simeone stressed on Sunday he will remain as Atletico Madrid coach next season after the Spanish giants waved goodbye to their Vicente Calderon stadium with a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao. Simeone has transformed Atletico's fortunes over the past five-and-a-half years and promised to stay to see the club move into […]

London (AFP) – Following the conclusion of the 2016-17 season on Sunday, AFP Sport selects the five best goals of the Premier League campaign: Dimitri Payet (West Ham United 1-1 Middlesbrough) Payet became a pariah at West Ham after forcing through a move to his former club Marseille in January, but he left the club's […]

London (AFP) – After the 2016-17 Premier League season concluded on Sunday, here are five offbeat moments that raised a smile during the campaign: Lineker honours underpants vow Former England striker Gary Lineker fulfilled his promise to mark Leicester City's fairytale Premier League triumph by wearing his underpants on national television. Midway through Leicester's 2015-16 […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri called on the Turin giants to complete a historic treble in the Champions League final after securing a third successive league and Cup double on Sunday. "This season was much different to last season. Now, we have the dream of the Champions League final, which you don't […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Five keys to Juventus's title success this season: Recruitment Juventus's path to a record sixth consecutive 'scudetto', and a possible treble of trophies, has been a steady work in progress but the Turin club's recruitment policy, particularly last summer, was key. Although coach Massimiliano Allegri picked his targets, most of the […]

Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Southampton manager Claude Puel was booed by his own fans as visitors Stoke City won 1-0 at St Mary's on Sunday's final day of the Premier League season. Officials at Southampton had already revealed plans to review the Frenchman's future at the end of the season and Puel's cause will […]