London (AFP) – Newcastle's visit to Aston Villa, scheduled for Friday, became the first Premier League match to be postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak since play resumed in June, the league confirmed on Tuesday. Several Newcastle players and staff have tested positive for coronavirus, leading the club to shut their training ground. "Newcastle lodged […]

London (AFP) – Former England midfielder Steve Hodge has insisted the shirt worn by Diego Maradona in scoring two iconic goals against the Three Lions in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final is not for sale. Hodge swapped shirts with Maradona, who died last week at the age of 60, at the end of the match […]

Doha (AFP) – Yokohama F Marinos cruised into the knockout phase of the Asian Champions League for the first time in their history on Tuesday, hammering two-time champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 4-1 in their Group H clash. Yokohama's Thai defender Theerathon Bunmathan thundered in a shot from the edge of the box in the 17th […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi will be given a timely rest by coach Ronald Koeman as Barcelona travel to Hungary for a Champions League match at Ferencvaros on Wednesday with their tickets already booked for the next round. Barcelona top Group G on 12 points from four games, but are wallowing in seventh in the […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Edinson Cavani will be ready to face his old club Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday despite the distraction of a Football Association investigation into a social media post by the Uruguayan. Cavani's joy at coming off the bench to turn a 2-0 deficit […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund are without right-back Thomas Meunier for Wednesday's crunch Champions League tie at home to Lazio while a question mark hangs over the fitness of midfielder Emre Can. Dortmund top their group, a point ahead of second-placed Lazio, and victory at Signal Iduna Park would guarantee either club a place in […]

London (AFP) – Newcastle's Premier League game with Aston Villa on Friday is under threat due to an outbreak of coronavirus cases, according to British media reports. Newcastle have closed their training ground and it is not expected to re-open until Wednesday at the earliest, The Guardian said. Magpies manager Steve Bruce had already cancelled training […]

London (AFP) – Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez says he hopes to be back playing football soon despite suffering a fractured skull in a horrific clash of heads with Arsenal defender David Luiz. The 29-year-old Mexican international tweeted from his hospital bed where he is under observation following an operation. Jimenez received 10 minutes of […]

London (AFP) – Edinson Cavani showed why Manchester United handed the veteran Uruguayan the bumper two-year contract others balked at as he turned defeat into victory at Southampton on Sunday. The 33-year-old came off the bench with United trailing 2-0 to score twice and set up Bruno Fernandes for the other goal in a thrilling […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain will be playing for their Champions League lives against Manchester United on Wednesday, with last season's runners-up knowing the costs of group-stage elimination could be enormous on and off the field. Anything less than victory at Old Trafford and the French champions could see their destiny slip out of their […]

Milan (AFP) – Ciro Immobile returns to the scene of one of his unhappiest spells as a player when Lazio take on the goal ace's former club Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday. Dortmund were Italy forward Immobile's first club outside of his home country and that disappointing time in the Bundesliga was […]

London (AFP) – Fulham climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone on Monday after finally solving their penalty woes in a shock 2-1 win at Leicester, while West Ham rode their luck to move into fifth place with a dramatic 2-1 victory against Aston Villa. Scott Parker's side won for just the second time […]

Madrid (AFP) – Diego Simeone said Monday he is awaiting news on Luis Suarez's recovery from Covid-19 as Atletico Madrid prepare for the Champions League visit of already-qualified Bayern Munich. The European champions thrashed Atletico 4-0 in Munich in October, but travel to Madrid for Tuesday's game without a host of stars including Robert Lewandowski. […]

London (AFP) – Premier League leaders Tottenham were handed a trip to eighth-tier Marine in Monday's draw for the FA Cup third round. Top-flight teams enter the competition at the third round stage and Tottenham were given a tie sure to capture the attention of football romantics. Northern Premier League Division One side Marine became […]

New York (AFP) – Major League Soccer on Monday moved a quarter-final playoff match between Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United from Wednesday to Thursday and pushed back a subsequent semi-final to next Monday. The league said the shift was not made as a result of Covid-19 issues. The other Western Conference playoff matchup, Dallas […]