London (AFP) – Manchester United have set up an online system encouraging supporters to report incidents of racism and other hate crimes. United's "See Red" campaign follows Arsenal's launch earlier this week of an action plan called #StopOnlineAbuse. United stars Antony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Fred have all been subjected to racist abuse this season. […]

London (AFP) – Former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe is favoured to replace Neil Lennon as manager of deposed Scottish champions Celtic with talks at an advanced stage, according to media reports on Friday. The 43-year-old Englishman has held discussions with members of the club's board, including major shareholder Irish financier Dermot Desmond. Howe left Bournemouth […]

Shanghai (AFP) – China's top football official urged teams to make the Communist Party proud and said that the sport in the country is at "a historical turning point", days after champions Jiangsu FC were kicked out. Chinese Football Association president Chen Xuyuan attempted to turn the page on a chapter that has been hugely […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City already have one hand on the Premier League trophy but the battle for the top four is likely to go down to the wire as a clutch of clubs seek to join Europe's elite next season. AFP Sport takes a look at the contenders as the 2020/21 campaign enters its […]

Paris (AFP) – RB Leipzig hope to capitalise on the absence of Robert Lewandowski in a top-of-the-table clash against Bayern Munich, while title rivals Paris Saint-Germain and Lille face off in France and there's an all-Basque Copa del Rey final... almost a year later than planned. AFP Sport selects some of the standout action in […]

Milan (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Serie A on Saturday with Juventus looking to reboot their title defence against struggling city rivals Torino. Hopes of a 10th consecutive league title were rocked when Juventus fell 1-0 at home to lowly Benevento before the international break. Juventus are third, 10 points adrift of leaders Inter […]

Berlin (AFP) – Thomas Mueller admits Robert Lewandowski's knee injury could not have come at a worse time for Bayern Munich ahead of Saturday's Bundesliga showdown at RB Leipzig and their Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain. The Poland striker was sidelined for four weeks after damaging ligaments in his right knee last Sunday during […]

Paris (AFP) – Neymar and Paris Saint-Germain are heading into a potentially decisive week in their season, with Mauricio Pochettino's side facing Ligue 1 title rivals Lille on Saturday before a trip to Germany for a rematch of last season's Champions League final against Bayern Munich. The quarter-final first leg away to a Bayern side […]

Madrid (AFP) – It could only have happened during the Covid-19 pandemic: On Saturday Athletic Bilbao will play the first of two Copa del Rey finals in two weeks as their eagerly awaited meeting with Basque rivals Real Sociedad goes ahead at last in Seville. The 2019/20 final was supposed to be played on April […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Arsenal's Uruguay international midfielder Lucas Torreira, who is on loan at Atletico Madrid, says he wants to leave Europe and play for Boca Juniors. The 25-year-old said he came to the decision after his mother died of Covid-19 earlier this week. "The night my mother died, I told my representative that […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus forward Paulo Dybala on Thursday apologised for breaking Covid-19 rules by attending a house party with teammates Weston McKennie and Arthur Melo. The Juventus trio were reported to have been fined by police who were called by neighbours to the lockdown get-together at US midfielder McKennie's Turin home. "I know that […]

Milan (AFP) – Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku's fines for squaring off in a row during an Italian Cup match will be donated to charity, their rival Milan clubs said on Thursday. AC Milan striker Ibrahimovic went head-to-head with his Inter Milan counterpart during the Cup quarter-final in the San Siro on January 26. The […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus forward Paulo Dybala on Thursday apologised for breaking Covid-19 rules by attending a house party with teammates Weston McKennie and Arthur Melo. The Juventus trio were reported to have been fined by police who were called by neighbours to the lockdown get-together at US midfielder McKennie's Turin home. "I know that […]

Barcelona (AFP) – The agent and father of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland visited Barcelona on Thursday to meet with the Spanish club's newly elected president Joan Laporta, local media reported. "Barca's interest in the player has been confirmed in this meeting and they will enter the bidding," wrote Catalan daily Sport, alongside pictures […]

Skopje (Republic of North Macedonia) (AFP) – North Macedonians on Thursday were revelling in their football team's remarkable victory over Germany, dubbed "the Miracle of Duisburg", in World Cup qualifying. Goals from veteran striker Goran Pandev and Napoli's Eljif Elmas helped North Macedonia inflict only a third ever World Cup qualifying loss on Germany, and […]