Bergamo (Italy) (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane said Tuesday that Real Madrid were preparing for a "different game" against an Atalanta side the Spanish giants meet for the first time in the Champions League in Italy midweek. "For us it's a different game, we don't know our opponent. We have to adapt to this type of […]

Milan (AFP) – Roma's Italy international Nicolo Zaniolo has returned to individual training six months after rupturing knee ligaments for a second time. "Restart. How I missed you," the 21-year-old midfielder wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday alongside a photo of himself training. Zaniolo was sidelined for seven months in the first half of […]

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho is confident he will be remembered for the right reasons at Tottenham despite overseeing a collapse in Spurs' form during his first full season in charge. Mourinho's men were top of the Premier League in early December but have taken just 12 points in 13 games since to slip to […]

London (AFP) – Everton have secured planning permission for a £500 million ($705 million) 53,000-capacity stadium in Liverpool's docklands as they seek to compete with the Premier League's "Big Six". The club, who currently play at Goodison Park, have been English champions nine times in their illustrious history but have not won any silverware since […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentina's public prosecutor's office will convene a medical board on March 8 to decide whether or not late football legend Diego Maradona was given proper treatment before his death, legal sources said on Tuesday. Maradona died of a heart attack on November 25, weeks after undergoing brain surgery on a blood […]

Sao Paulo (AFP) – Jorge Sampaoli is in "advanced talks" about becoming the next coach of Marseille, a source told AFP on Tuesday, after the former Argentina boss earlier confirmed his departure from Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro. "Talks are advanced but nothing is at all finalised," a source close to Sampaoli told AFP. "There are […]

Bergamo (Italy) (AFP) – Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini brushed aside talk of injuries at Real Madrid, insisting instead that the record Champions League winners "transform" on the elite European competition's stage. The Italian club, who have never won a title apart from the Coppa Italia nearly six decades ago, are playing their biggest match […]

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho says "nobody is happy but nobody is depressed" at struggling Tottenham, stating his determination to pull the club out of their spiral of decline. Spurs have lost five of their past six Premier League games to fall out of Champions League contention and Mourinho finds himself in an unprecedented situation […]

Mönchengladbach (Germany) (AFP) – Borussia Moenchengladbach coach Marco Rose insists his side has nothing to lose against a high-flying Manchester City team on an 18-match winning streak going into Wednesday's Champions League last 16, first leg tie. City's 1-0 win over Arsenal on Sunday extended their record run in all competitions, while Gladbach are struggling […]

Marcoussis (France) (AFP) – France's coronavirus-hit Six Nations squad reported no new cases from the latest batch of tests conducted late Monday ahead of this weekend's clash with Scotland, the French Rugby Federation announced on Tuesday. France are waiting to hear on Wednesday if the fixture will go ahead after captain Charles Ollivon was among […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Japan's Peter Pan striker Kazuyoshi Miura is preparing to play another season despite turning 54 this week, but he is far from his country's only footballing golden oldie. Miura, better known as King Kazu, will be looking to extend his record as the oldest J-League first-division starter when his club Yokohama FC […]

London (AFP) – Ilkay Gundogan's free-scoring form has played a major role in Manchester City surging 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League as they close in on a third title in four seasons. However, City's latest quest for the trophy they most desire restarts this week with the first leg of […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Moenchengladbach take on high-flying Manchester City in the Champions League Wednesday with the German club's coach Marco Rose struggling to deal with the fall-out from the announcement he will join Dortmund next season. Pep Guardiola's buoyant City come into the last 16, first leg, tie in Budapest on the back of […]

Bergamo (Italy) (AFP) – Luis Muriel has moved beyond his 'super-sub' role with a rich vein of form to boost Atalanta's hopes against Real Madrid in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie in Bergamo on Wednesday. Colombian ace Muriel scored and set up countryman Duvan Zapata for another as Atalanta warmed […]

Madrid (AFP) – "Sign him up Florentino," Real Madrid's fans wrote on Twitter before Zinedine Zidane was asked if he sent a message to the club's president Florentino Perez. Kylian Mbappe had just destroyed Barcelona at Camp Nou and 24 hours later Erling Haaland did the same to Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. By […]