Rome (AFP) – Roma were handed a 3-0 Italian Cup defeat to Spezia on Friday after they made six substitutions during a chaotic last 16 clash they had already lost earlier in the week. Paulo Fonseca's side were eliminated on Tuesday after a 4-2 extra-time defeat at the Stadio Olimpico, which they finished with nine-men […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick said on Friday their record thrashing of Schalke last September will play no role when the Bundesliga leaders travel to the league's bottom club this weekend. Bayern's 8-0 hammering of Schalke in Munich four months ago was the highest score for the opening game of a German […]

London (AFP) – England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will return to action for Everton in Sunday's FA Cup fourth round tie with Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, said the Premier League club's manager Carlo Ancelotti. A hamstring injury has sidelined the 23-year-old for Everton's last three matches. However, his return could not be better timed as Ancelotti's […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur coach Jose Mourinho said on Friday Dele Alli missed last weekend's win at Sheffield United through injury rather than an impending transfer. The 24-year-old has been linked with a move away from the north London side after falling out of favour under Mourinho. But the Portuguese boss said Alli had […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard said on Friday he takes no notice of the talk about his future as Chelsea coach after a poor run that has seen their Premier League title chances slip away. A limp 2-0 defeat to Leicester on Tuesday capped a run of two wins in eight games and leaves them […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said whether any new players come in the January transfer window will not be up to him as he does not hold the purse strings. The German may be keen for fresh blood as the champions have suffered an alarming loss of form going five league games without […]

London (AFP) – Leicester's Premier League title hopes suffered a blow on Friday as manager Brendan Rodgers said talismanic striker Jamie Vardy will be out "for a few weeks" to have a hernia operation. The 34-year-old former England international's 11 league goals this season have been pivotal in Foxes fans dreaming of a repeat of […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona's appeal against Lionel Messi's two-match ban following his sending-off in the Spanish Super Cup final was rejected on Friday, sources from the Spanish Football Federation told AFP. It means the Argentine will not be able to play for Barcelona in Sunday's game away at Elche in La Liga. Messi served the […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne could be out of action for up to six weeks, manager Pep Guardiola said Friday. The Belgium star limped off just before the hour in the midweek victory over Aston Villa with a muscular complaint. A scan revealed the extent of the injury, with De Bruyne […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will hope his side can emulate his own performance when they face Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday. A week on from their goalless draw in the Premier League at Anfield, the arch-rivals face each other in the Cup at Old […]

London (AFP) – Aston Villa manager Dean Smith will serve a touchline ban against Newcastle after "reluctantly" accepting a Football Association charge for an outburst at a referee. The 49-year-old was sent off during Wednesday's 2-0 loss at Premier League rivals Manchester City and then charged after allegedly using abusive and/or insulting language towards referee […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has tested positive for Covid-19, the Spanish club announced Friday. The positive test comes a day before Madrid travel to Alaves in La Liga seeking to bounce back from an embarrassing midweek Copa del Rey exit. "Real Madrid C.F. report that our coach Zinedine Zidane has tested […]

London (AFP) – Australian international goalkeeper Mat Ryan has moved on loan to Arsenal for the rest of the season from Premier League rivals Brighton after losing his number one spot. The 28-year-old said he was overjoyed at joining the "first club I ever loved." Ryan was Brighton's first choice for almost three and a […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid's trust in Zinedine Zidane is being tested again after embarrassment in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday sparked fresh concerns about the club's present and future. Humiliated in the cup by Segunda B's Alcoyano, a week after being outfought and largely outplayed in the Spanish Super Cup by Athletic Bilbao, […]

Paris (AFP) – Real Madrid hope to put an embarrassing midweek cup exit behind them, while Andre Villas-Boas's future is under scrutiny at Marseille and AC Milan look to keep their rivals in the rearview mirror with Zlatan Ibrahimovic back from injury. AFP Sport selects some of the standout football action in Europe this weekend: Pressure […]