Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid's season went from bad to worse on Wednesday as they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Real Sociedad. A comfortable 2-0 victory for La Real sent them through to the quarter-finals while Atletico are left needing to beat Manchester United in the Champions League last 16 to […]

Leicester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Antonio Conte said he saw the spirit he is trying to implement at Tottenham after Steven Bergwijn scored twice deep into stoppage time to stun Leicester with thrilling 3-2 win on Wednesday. The Foxes looked set to snatch victory against the run of play as Patson Daka and James Maddison […]

Yaoundé (AFP) – Seven-time champions Egypt clinched a place in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 on Wednesday by defeating neighbours Sudan 1-0, a result which sent five other countries including Ivory Coast through as well. Nigeria finished Group D with a third successive win as they beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0, leaving runners-up Egypt to […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United got back on track with a 3-1 win at Brentford on Wednesday, but Cristiano Ronaldo's petulant reaction to his substitution cast a shadow over their first victory in three Premier League games. Ralf Rangnick's side were indebted to David de Gea for a superb first-half display that kept Brentford at […]

Leicester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Steven Bergwijn scored twice deep into stoppage time to rescue a vital three points for Tottenham's bid for a top-four Premier League finish with a thrilling 3-2 win at Leicester on Wednesday. The Foxes looked set to snatch victory against the run of play as Patson Daka and James Maddison […]

Yaoundé (AFP) – Seven-time champions Egypt clinched a place in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 on Wednesday by defeating neighbours Sudan 1-0, a result which sent Cape Verde and Malawi through as well. Nigeria finished Group D with a third successive win as they beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0, leaving Egypt to face the winners […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi, who recently recovered from a Covid-19 infection, was on Wednesday left out of Argentina's squad for World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia, with the twice former winners already qualified for Qatar 2022. Argentina will play Chile in Santiago on January 27 and Colombia at home […]

Rome (AFP) – Italy's highest court has upheld former Brazil forward Robinho's nine-year sentence for the gang rape of a young woman, the victim's lawyer said on Wednesday. Judges at the Court of Cassation in Rome confirmed the sentence for the offence which dates back to January 2013, when the 37-year-old was playing for AC […]

London (AFP) – The Premier League could introduce new rules from February in a bid to halt the raft of postponements that threaten to cause a fixture pile-up in the final months of the season. A total of 22 matches have been called off in the past two months in the English top flight. Rules […]

London (AFP) – Mikel Arteta vowed to defend Arsenal's reputation with "teeth and nails" after criticism of the club's successful request to postpone the north London derby against Tottenham. The Gunners asked for last Sunday's game to be rescheduled, with a significant number of players unavailable due to a mixture of international duty, injuries, suspension […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe is being treated for a groin strain with their Champions League game against Real Madrid less than a month away. "Mbappe in is treatment for a pain in his left adductor and we will give a fitness update on Friday," PSG said Wednesday. The 23-year-old Mbappe, who […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has defended the club's decision to apply for Sunday's match with Tottenham to be postponed — a request that was granted by the Premier League but proved controversial. The Gunners, who will host Liverpool in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final on Thursday, asked for last […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has said he has no problems with Eden Hazard or Gareth Bale and believes the pair could play a bigger role in the second half of the season. Hazard has been on the fringes all season and did not play a single minute of either the semi-final […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – Former Newcastle and France midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa signed for reigning French champions Lille until the end of the season on Wednesday, the club said. The much-travelled 34-year-old has been a free agent since leaving Bordeaux last year. Lille will be his tenth club in 15 years as a professional. He […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has suggested Ousmane Dembele could be sold this month after saying the winger must sign a new contract or "we will look for an exit for the player". Barca are desperate to avoid Dembele leaving on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer and would […]