Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom) (AFP) – There is nothing Arsene Wenger relishes more than confounding his doubters and the Arsenal manager will know on Saturday whether he has a strong chance of doing so once again. Wenger's side travel to Stoke having boosted their chances of qualifying for the Champions League – a task that looked […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – David Silva’s comeback from injury helped inspire Manchester City’s return to form last weekend, and his fitness is likely to prove crucial to their Champions League qualification prospects. Silva, back from a fortnight out with a knee injury, was superb as City beat an inept Crystal Palace 5-0, for only […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Jose Mourinho will unapologetically seek to preserve the freshness of his Manchester United players over their final three Premier League games, he said after they reached the Europa League final. United will play Ajax in Stockholm on May 24 after a nervy 1-1 draw at home to Celta Vigo on […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United survived a sizeable scare to reach their first Europa League final after a nervy 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo on Thursday completed a 2-1 aggregate victory. Jose Mourinho's side will play a youthful Ajax team in the final at Stockholm's Friends Arena on May 24, when they can […]

Terme Luigiane (Italy) (AFP) – Retirement-bound Francesco Totti said he remains focused on helping Roma secure a top-two finish despite the prospect of watching from the bench when they bid to stop Juventus securing the Serie A title on Sunday. The 40-year-old Totti ended months of speculation over his future by confirming this week he […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United survived a sizeable scare to reach their first Europa League final after a nervy 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo on Thursday completed a 2-1 aggregate victory. Marouane Fellaini's 17th-minute header put United 2-0 up on aggregate, but Celta hit back late on through Facundo Roncaglia, who was then […]

Manama (AFP) – FIFA will rule on the issue of Israeli clubs playing in the West Bank in October, president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday, once again delaying a decision on the contentious issue. FIFA's annual Congress voted to back — by a majority of 73 to 27 percent – a proposal that pushed football's […]

Manama (AFP) – Gianni Infantino slammed "fake news" and "alternative facts" surrounding FIFA and insisted football's scandal-ridden governing body had changed in an impassioned speech to its annual congress in Bahrain on Thursday. Fifteen months after being elected as president to bring forward wholesale change to a disgraced organisation, Infantino also claimed FIFA's corruption crisis […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – Zlatan Ibrahimovic will continue playing for "many years", the surgeon who operated on the 35-year-old Manchester United striker's knee has said. Swede Ibrahimovic underwent surgery last week in the United States after suffering major knee ligament damage. "Fixed, done and stronger", he declared after the operation carried out by Hong Kong-born […]

Berlin (AFP) – Marc Bartra says he has a renewed passion for football as he prepares to play again after fracturing his wrist in a bomb attack on the Borussia Dortmund team bus. The centre-back returned to training on Wednesday — 29 days after surgery on his right wrist having been hit by flying glass […]

London (AFP) – Shkodran Mustafi hopes Arsenal have not left it too late to book a place in next season's Champions League. The Gunners won 2-0 away to Southampton in the Premier League on Wednesday to move to within three points of fourth-placed Manchester City. Only the top four teams at the end of the […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea boss Antonio Conte dismissed persistent rumours linking him with a move to Inter Milan as his side prepared for a match at West Bromwich Albion on Friday that could give the Blues the Premier League title. Victory at The Hawthorns will see Chelsea crowned champions in former Italy manager Conte's first […]

Madrid (AFP) – Fallen La Liga giants Valencia named Marcelino Garcia Toral as the man charged with turning around their fortunes next season on Thursday. The former Villarreal boss has signed a two-year deal at the Mestalla to become the sixth coach hired by Singaporean owner Peter Lim in the past two years. "Valencia CF […]

Manama (AFP) – FIFA will rule on the issue of Israeli clubs playing in the West Bank by October, president Gianni Infantino said Thursday, once again delaying a decision on the contentious issue. FIFA's annual Congress voted to back — by a majority of 73 to 27 percent – a proposal that pushed football's governing […]

London (AFP) – English football's top administrator has defended the world record transfer of Paul Pogba to Manchester United that is now the subject of an investigation by FIFA, the global game's governing body. The France midfielder's £89.3 million ($111 million, 105.2 million euros) from Italian club Juventus to the English giants in August 2016 […]