London (AFP) – Arsene Wenger will be praying for an unexpected slip from Liverpool or Manchester City as Arsenal try to salvage their traumatic Premier League campaign by snatching a Champions League berth in Sunday's season finale. Rocked by Arsenal's failure to live up to his expectations and battered by mounting criticism from furious fans, […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hopes the thorny issue of his future will not prove a distraction when his side attempt to squeeze into the Champions League against Everton on Sunday. Wenger's future remains unresolved and he said on Friday he expects a decision to be announced after a board meeting that will […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he felt "sad" that his former captain Tony Adams claimed the Frenchman "couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag". Wenger has come under fire from many quarters as his team struggle to make the Champions League next season with even a win over Everton on […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Brazil coach Tite on Friday recalled Chelsea defender David Luiz to his squad for two upcoming friendlies despite his team having secured nine wins in nine games without him. The former PSG defender last played for Brazil in March 2016 when Dunga was still at the helm and he was […]

Doha (AFP) – A dramatic last minute winner gave Al Sadd, skippered by Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez, victory in the Emir Cup final on Friday, Qatar's biggest domestic cup competition. The match was played in the newly refurbished Khalifa International Stadium, the first 2022 World Cup venue to be completed. Among those watching on in […]

Miami (AFP) – David Beckham is set to learn next month whether his long-gestating plans for a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami will come to fruition, it was reported on Friday. The Miami Herald said the Miami-Dade County Commission would rule on June 6 whether or not to approve the transfer of a three-acre […]

London (AFP) – Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has made a $1.3 billion (£998 million, 1.1 billion euros) bid to take control of Arsenal from rival majority shareholder Stan Kroenke, according to a Financial Times report on Friday. Uzbekistan-born Usmanov owns 30 percent of the Premier League club and is said to have recently made the […]

Rome (AFP) – Francesco Totti's 25th and final season at Roma could finish with a whimper after coach Luciano Spalletti hinted the club "legend" could be benched for the final two games of his storied career. One-club man Totti, 40, is scheduled to take a management role alongside sporting director Monchi at the Serie A […]

Berlin (AFP) – A 38-year-old German policewoman will next season become the first female referee in Europe's top leagues after she was promoted to officiate in the Bundesliga on Friday. Bibiana Steinhaus has previously been a fourth official for Bundesliga matches and although a German FA (DFB) referee since 1999, she knows the spotlight will […]

Berlin (AFP) – A 38-year-old German policewoman will next season become the first female referee in Europe's top leagues after she was promoted to officiate in the Bundesliga on Friday. Bibiana Steinhaus has been a fourth official for Bundesliga matches and although a German FA (DFB) referee since 1999, knows the spotlight will be on […]

London (AFP) – Antonio Conte is planning a fitting farewell for John Terry as the Chelsea legend prepares for his Stamford Bridge send-off against Sunderland on Sunday. Terry will leave Chelsea at the end of this season and his last appearance at Stamford Bridge, in a blue shirt at least, promises to be an emotional […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has questioned the need to ban players for diving, suggesting instead that it would be better to concentrate on giving Premier League referees help by using more video technology. Guardiola believes referees need more assistance from television because they find it difficult to keep up with play because […]

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho admits Manchester United's youngsters are not ready for their sudden introduction to the Premier League against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Mourinho intends to play a weakened side against Palace in a bid to keep his senior stars fit and fresh ahead of the Europa League final against Ajax in Stockholm […]

London (AFP) – Former Newcastle youth team coach George Ormond has been charged with 29 counts of historical sexual offences, English prosecutors said on Friday. Ormond, who was a coach at the Montagu and North Fenham boys' club which fed players to Newcastle United, is facing allegations ranging over two decades from 17 complainants, all […]

Madrid (AFP) – Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli said Friday it had been a childhood dream to coach his native Argentina, but acknowledged any move from the La Liga club was "not in my hands". The 57-year-old has had an impressive debut season in Europe with Sevilla sitting fourth in La Liga and he is perceived […]