London (AFP) – The coronavirus pandemic could cost Europe's 20 highest earning football clubs over two billion euros ($2.4 billion, £1.4 billion), according to forecasts from financial experts Deloitte. Deloitte's latest Football Money League report shows that revenues of the 20 clubs analysed fell by 1.1 million euros in the 2019/20 season due to closed […]

London (AFP) – Gareth Bale's goalscoring performance was labelled as "good" by Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho after the Premier League club came from behind to beat Championship side Wycombe 3-1 in their FA Cup fourth round tie. Mourinho's assessment will boost the spirits of the 31-year-old Wales star, who has had an underwhelming second […]

London (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has challenged his Manchester United players to show the relentlessness of champions when they welcome bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United to Old Trafford on Wednesday. United will be confident of extending a 13-game unbeaten league run in the league that has taken them to the top of the table against the […]

Yaoundé (AFP) – Amadeu Masasi was the Democratic Republic of Congo hero again Monday in the African Nations Championship, scoring the stoppage-time goal that defeated Niger 2-1 in Cameroon and won Group B. The 91st-minute winner following a Nigerien blunder in Yaounde came four days after his added-time thunderbolt salvaged a draw against Libya. Although […]

High Wycombe (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Tottenham left it late to see off Championship strugglers Wycombe 4-1 with three goals in the final four minutes to reach the FA Cup fifth round on Monday. Jose Mourinho took the chance to leave Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Tanguy Ndombele on the bench with Spurs facing a […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Major League Soccer chiefs unveiled plans for the 2021 season on Monday, confirming the league will kick-off on April 3 before wrapping up with the MLS Cup in mid-December. A statement from MLS said 27 teams, including new expansion side Austin FC, would each play 34 games before the playoffs get […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard expressed his disappointment at not being given time to succeed after being sacked by Chelsea on Monday, with former Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel set to take over at Stamford Bridge. Lampard led Chelsea to a fourth-placed Premier League finish and the FA Cup final in his first season in […]

London (AFP) – Pep Guardiola believes West Bromwich Albion manager Sam Allardyce should be considered a football "genius" for saving so many teams from Premier League relegation. Former England boss Allardyce was given the job of rescuing the Baggies from the drop after the Midlands club sacked Slaven Bilic last month. Allardyce, previously in charge […]

Piraeus (Greece) (AFP) – Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who was released by Arsenal last week, has returned to Greece after signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with Olympiakos, the Greek champions announced on Monday. "The proposal was very good. It was easy to say yes," said the 32-year-old international defender. "I did not come to Greece to end my career […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard's status as Chelsea's all-time record goalscorer counted for little as he was unceremoniously sacked as the Blues' boss on Monday after just 18 months in charge. AFP Sports looks at the highs and lows of the former England midfielder's playing and coaching career. Highs Titan of the Russian revolution Although […]

London (AFP) – Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers hopes Jamie Vardy will heal quickly from groin surgery but is confident he has the cover to cope in the absence of his talisman. The England forward has had an operation on a long-standing hernia problem and last week Rodgers said he would be sidelined for "a few […]

London (AFP) – Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United suit his mentality because they are "a club who wants to win everything" as he marks his one-year anniversary at the Premier League leaders this week. The 26-year-old Portuguese international has transformed the fortunes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side since joining from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020. […]

Berlin (AFP) – Hungarian Pal Dardai has been named Hertha Berlin coach 19 months after leaving the position, the Bundesliga strugglers announced on Monday. Dardai stood down as Hertha boss in June 2019 but replaces the sacked Bruno Labbadia with the side two points away from the relegation play-off spot after just two wins since […]

London (AFP) – NFL franchise San Francisco 49ers have increased their stake in Leeds United to 37 percent, the Premier League club announced on Monday. Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani has overseen a resurgence in the club's fortunes since taking a controlling stake in 2017 — including a return to the Premier League this season after […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard returned to Chelsea as a club legend 18 months ago, but even the Blues' all-time record goalscorer failed to avoid the brutal realities of working under Roman Abramovich when results start to slip. Lampard was sacked on Monday after a run of five defeats in eight Premier League games to […]