Los Angeles (AFP) – North American countries bidding for the 2026 World Cup have asked FIFA to choose the hosts for the tournament next year, two years ahead of a scheduled 2020 vote, a source confirmed to AFP on Tuesday. The United States, Canada and Mexico on Monday announced a historic joint bid to host […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini and Bosnia midfielder Miralem Pjanic returned to Juventus's Champions League starting line-up for Tuesday's quarter-final first-leg clash with Barcelona in Turin. Chiellini, who was famously bitten by Barcelona striker Luis Suarez at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, missed Juve's last Champions League outing at home to […]

Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – The Borussia Dortmund team bus was damaged and a passenger injured after three explosions went off near the vehicle on the way to Tuesday's Champions League home game against Monaco, police confirmed. "The bus set off" from the team's hotel to the stadium when "three explosive charges have detonated," said a […]

Madrid (AFP) – Leicester City manager Craig Shakespeare refuted suggestions he was the background figure working against sacked Foxes' boss Claudio Ranieri. Ranieri led Leicester to the Premier League title at 5,000-1 odds last season, but was sacked in February after a disastrous run of results left Leicester tumbling towards the relegation zone. In his […]

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Bayern Munich coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted star striker Robert Lewandowski is a doubt for the Champions League clash with Real Madrid after he only trained for 20 minutes on Tuesday because of a bruised shoulder. Lewandowski has scored 38 goals for Bayern this season, including seven in the Champions League, and […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona's Brazilian superstar Neymar will miss a huge La Liga clash at Real Madrid on April 23 after being handed a three-game suspension, the Spanish federation said on Tuesday. The 25-year-old forward was shown the first red card of his Barcelona career for two bookable offences as Barca's title defence suffered a […]

Saitama (Japan) (AFP) – Big-money midfielder Oscar missed a second-half penalty as Andre Villas-Boas's Shanghai SIPG lost 1-0 to Urawa Red Diamonds in their first defeat of this year's AFC Champions League on Tuesday. After SIPG went behind to Rafael Silva's 44th-minute strike, 60-million-euro signing Oscar looked set to maintain SIPG's unbeaten record in Group […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Barcelona must try to stop prolific Juventus pair Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala when the sides meet in a mouthwatering Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday, admits defender Javier Mascherano. Juventus meet Barcelona for the first time since the 2015 final, when an early Ivan Rakitic strike left Massimiliano Allegri's […]

Madrid (AFP) – Tony Adams vowed Tuesday to give struggling Spanish side Granada's players a "kick up the arse" a day after being named interim coach until the end of the season. Adams was appointed on Monday after the sacking of Lucas Alcaraz with Granada second bottom of La Liga and seven points off safety […]

London (AFP) – Besieged Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger faced fury from supporters and mounting exasperation from pundits following his side's latest capitulation against Crystal Palace. Arsenal's players were branded "cowards" after Monday's 3-0 loss at Selhurst Park, which left them seven points off the Champions League places in sixth place. With Wenger refusing to address […]

London (AFP) – Newspapers, pundits and former players poured fresh scorn on Arsenal and their besieged manager Arsene Wenger on Tuesday following Monday's dismal 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace. "They bottle it, they're cowards, they duck out of challenges," was the scathing verdict of former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports. "The best description […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentina's football association fired Edgardo Bauza as coach of the crisis-hit national team as it struggles to qualify for next year's World Cup, the head of the body said Monday. It was the first big move by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) since it last month picked new executives tasked with ending […]

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Bayern Munich host Real Madrid in Wednesday's mouthwatering Champions League quarter-final, first-leg, with Carlo Ancelotti's Bavarians looking once again to be the Spaniards' 'bete noire'. And the subplots to the Allianz Arena clash are fascinating. Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti coached Real to the 2014 Champions League crown and is up against […]

London (AFP) – Arsene Wenger faces renewed calls to resign after Arsenal's miserable season spiralled out of control with furious fans turning on his flops during their humiliating 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace. Wenger's side hit a new low on a chastening evening in south London as struggling Palace condemned the shambolic Gunners to their […]

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Bayern Munich host Real Madrid in Wednesday's blockbuster Champions League quarter-final first leg. Here are five key battles to look out for in the Allianz Arena clash: Robert Lewandowski v Cristiano Ronaldo Lewandowski netted twice in Bayern's 4-1 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund to take his goals tally for the season to 38, […]