Olivos (Argentina) (AFP) – Argentine football legend Diego Maradona is expected to leave hospital on Wednesday, his doctor said, eight days after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot on his brain. Maradona "has a signed discharge," and could go home, Leopoldo Luque told reporters outside the Olivos clinic in Buenos Aires. "He's coming out […]

London (AFP) – England manager Gareth Southgate said Football Association chairman Greg Clarke had no option but to resign after making a series of inflammatory remarks when giving evidence to lawmakers on Tuesday. Clarke, 63, resigned just hours after he referred to black players as "coloured", claimed the lack of footballers of a South Asian […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Sadio Mane scored the first goal and created the second as Senegal stayed on course to reach the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals with a 2-0 home win over Guinea-Bissau Wednesday. Guinea edged dogged Chad 1-0, Burundi surprised Mauritania by forcing a late draw and Kenya could manage only a 1-1 […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool's injury crisis in defence deepened on Wednesday with the news Joe Gomez is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury in England training. The Premier League champions are expected to be without talismanic centre-back Virgil van Dijk for the rest of the season after the Dutchman […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona will sue Neymar for 10.2 million euros ($12 million) that they believe they overpaid the Brazilian during his time at the club, according to a report in El Mundo on Wednesday. Neymar enjoyed a successful spell at Barca between 2013 and 2017 before joining Paris Saint-Germain for 222 million euros, a […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bundesliga side Hoffenheim on Wednesday put their squad in quarantine after four players tested positive for the coronavirus in the previous 24 hours, while their goalkeeper Oliver Baumann has left the Germany camp as a precaution, the German FA announced. "We cannot explain the cluster," said Hoffenheim sporting director Alexander Rosen. "We […]

London (AFP) – A chorus of former players and football administrators urged the English Football Association to prove they are serious about diversity when they choose the successor to former chairman Greg Clarke. Clarke resigned on Tuesday after referring to "coloured footballers" when talking about diversity to British lawmakers on the Digital, Culture, Media and […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bundesliga side Hoffenheim on Wednesday became the first German top-flight club to put their squad in quarantine after four players tested positive for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours. Germany midfielder Sebastian Rudy and Algerian forward Ishak Belfodil, plus a member of the coaching staff, have tested positive for Covid-19, Hoffenheim […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany midfielder Toni Kroos feels that footballers are just "puppets" used by governing bodies FIFA and UEFA and are powerless in discussions about competitions such as the Nations League or a possible new European Super League. "At the end of the day, as players we're just puppets for all these new things […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United great Andy Cole has joined a growing chorus urging the Football Association (FA) to show they are serious about diversity when they choose the successor to former chairman Greg Clarke. Clarke resigned on Tuesday after referring to "coloured footballers" when talking about diversity to British lawmakers on the Digital, Culture, […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Jean Evrard Kouassi hit a late winner as Wuhan Zall, the football team from ground zero of the coronavirus pandemic, survived a do-or-die relegation scrap in the Chinese Super League on Wednesday. However, they are still in grave danger of going down and must now face a two-legged tie against Zhejiang Energy […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Rafa Benitez took aim at the revamped Chinese Super League, saying that it made "no sense", but the revered Spanish coach is already planning for another season with Dalian Pro. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid manager concluded a difficult campaign with a 4-0 defeat as Dalian finished 12th of 16 teams […]

London (AFP) – Scotland have the chance to qualify for a first major tournament in 22 years when they travel to Serbia for a Euro 2020 playoff final on Thursday. Not since the World Cup in 1998 when the Tartan Army descended on France have Scottish fans had the chance to see their nation on […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Brazil must confront a growing injury list that includes star forward Neymar as they resume World Cup qualifying this week, while Argentina are out to extend their perfect start at home to neighbours Paraguay. Copa America champions Brazil host Venezuela in Sao Paulo on Friday chasing a third win in […]

Paris (AFP) – Neither Georgia nor North Macedonia have come close to qualifying for a major tournament before but both stand just one game away — against each other — from securing a spot at the postponed Euro 2020. They meet in Tbilisi on Thursday in one of the qualifying play-off finals which will decide […]