Berlin (AFP) – Julian Nagelsmann will take over as Bayern Munich coach from next season to replace Hansi Flick, the reigning German and European champions announced on Tuesday. Nagelsmann, 33, will move from RB Leipzig on a five-year contract after Flick, whose relationship with the club's powerful sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has deteriorated, asked to […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Nigerian club Enyimba will be without suspended captain and leading scorer Augustine Oladapo when they host South African outfit Orlando Pirates on Wednesday in a crucial CAF Confederation Cup group game. Only a final-round victory against the unbeaten Buccaneers will give the twice African champions a chance of a top-two finish and […]

Sarcelles (France) (AFP) – Born and brought up in a gritty Paris suburb, Riyad Mahrez has gone on to become one of the leading players of his generation and returns to the French capital with Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals this week. Yet his route to the top, sidestepping the usual youth academy […]

Rome (AFP) – Joaquin Correa ensured Lazio kept their hopes of Champions League qualification alive on Monday with a double in a 3-0 win over AC Milan while Napoli jumped up to third thanks to a 2-0 triumph at Torino. Correa opened the scoring for Lazio with only a minute on the clock at the […]

Leicester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Leicester strengthened their grip on third place in the Premier League as Kelechi Iheanacho's superb strike capped a spirited fightback in Monday's 2-1 win against Crystal Palace. Brendan Rogers' side trailed to Wilfried Zaha's first half goal at the King Power Stadium. But Timothy Castagne equalised soon after the interval […]

Rosario (Argentina) (AFP) – Stefano may be just a kid, but he feels like a champion when he dribbles and scores like his beloved Lionel Messi. The boy is one of nine children who just enrolled at the brand new football school for kids with learning disabilities, created by the Argentine great's childhood club Newell's […]

Copenhagen (AFP) – The Danish football association (DBU) has written to FIFA calling on the global governing body to put pressure on 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar to improve their human rights record. Last month Denmark, as well as Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway staged protests before qualifying matches for the tournament, such as […]

Bordeaux (AFP) – French billionaire Francois Pinault called on his fellow vineyard owners to save Bordeaux football club on Monday. The Ligue 1 outfit based in the world famous grape-growing region which produces wines such as Saint-Emilion and Medoc, has been put under the financial control of the city's mayor after its US owners withdrew […]

Lausanne (AFP) – UEFA announced on Monday it investigate Zlatan Ibrahimovic's alleged involvement in a betting company. The 39-year-old Sweden forward, who signed a new one-year deal with AC Milan last week, has invested in Malta-based site Bethard according to newspaper Aftonbladet. "In accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary […]

London (AFP) – Fara Williams, England's most capped female player, on Monday revealed she will retire at the end of this season. Reading midfielder Williams has made 172 England appearances and played at three Women's World Cups. The 37-year-old helped the Lionesses finish in third place at the 2015 World Cup and as runners-up at […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United defender Eric Bailly has signed a new three-year contract that ties him to the Premier League club until 2024 with the option of a further 12 months. The Ivory Coast international was due to be out of contract at the end of next season and there had been speculation he […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bundesliga side Hoffenheim said on Monday they would be joining English clubs in boycotting social networks for three days next weekend as a protest against online racist abuse. From April 30 to May 3, Hoffenheim, who are currently 11th in the table, will freeze their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. "Social networks […]

Rome (AFP) – The Italian football federation (FIGC) said on Monday that clubs who join a breakaway league would be banned from all domestic competitions including Serie A. Three Serie A clubs — Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan — were among 12 major European sides who were involved in the plans to launch a […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has launched a scathing attack on the new Champions League format, saying coaches and players had not been consulted on plans to add more games to an already packed schedule. UEFA last week approved changes to its flagship club competition, which will take effect from 2024, but the […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bundesliga side Augsburg sacked coach Heiko Herrlich on Monday and replaced him with former boss Markus Weinzierl in an attempt to avoid relegation. A four-match winless run has seen Augsburg slip to just four points above the relegation play-off spot with three games remaining in the season. "During our detailed analysis, we […]