London (AFP) – England defender Tyrone Mings says it would be a "huge step" for the Football Association to hire a black successor to Greg Clarke after the governing body's chairman was forced to resign over his offensive comments. Clarke stepped down from his role on Tuesday after referring to "coloured footballers" when talking about […]

London (AFP) – Greg Clarke resigned as chairman of the English Football Association on Tuesday after making a series of controversial statements to lawmakers that provoked outrage. Clarke was earlier forced to apologise after he used the word "coloured" when referencing black players as he addressed the Digital, Culture, Media, Sport Committee about diversity issues. […]

London (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham has been labelled a "fantastic talent" following the 17-year-old's first call-up to the England squad. Bellingham was promoted from the England Under-21 team after Gareth Southgate's squad was hit by injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Ward-Prowse. The talented teenager will be part of the England group […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal mascot Gunnersaurus has made his first public appearance since the man inside the costume was made redundant as part of cost-cutting measures. The London club's decision to dismiss Jerry Quy, who played the role for 27 years, inspired fundraisers and an offer from Gunners midfielder Mesut Ozil to pay his wages. […]

Paris (AFP) – A meeting of the Netherlands and Spain would normally be something to savour, a glamour match-up between two of the great names of European football, but it and this week's other international friendlies are a nuisance to coaches of Europe's top clubs concerned about the physical toll a packed calendar is taking […]

Leipzig (Germany) (AFP) – Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said on Tuesday suffering from Covid-19 has changed his attitude to the outbreak as he prepares to feature for Germany. The 30-year-old missed Premier League games in September after suffering with Covid-19, which he admits changed his thinking. "I didn't take the coronavirus seriously before my […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United defender Luke Shaw is facing several weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury he picked up in Saturday's Premier League win at Everton. The left-back limped off in the second half at Goodison Park, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitting at the time he looked "in a bad way". […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo is available to face Andorra in a friendly later this week despite suffering an ankle injury in the weekend's draw at Lazio, Portugal coach Fernando Santos said on Tuesday. Ronaldo, 35, who limped off with 15 minutes to play of Sunday's fixture in Rome, could also feature against France […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany captain Manuel Neuer said on Tuesday top players are at their physical "limits" due to this season's condensed fixture list resulting from the knock-on effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Neuer has already made 14 appearances for club and country in seven weeks since the campaign started. "There has never been a […]

London (AFP) – English Football Association (FA) chairman Greg Clarke was forced to apologise for using the term "coloured" in reference to black footballers on Tuesday — prompting a senior lawmaker to question the body's commitment to diversity. Clarke was giving evidence to the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee (DCMS) on […]

London (AFP) – Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said on Tuesday that the English top-flight was expected to stick to its three-substitutes rule after pressure from Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola to allow five changes. Liverpool manager Klopp and Manchester City boss Guardiola have been vociferous in their calls for the Premier League to […]

Berlin (AFP) – Joachim Loew must fix Germany's leaking defence for the last three games of 2020, yet experienced centre-backs Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng remain unwanted. Germany host Czech Republic in Leipzig on Wednesday in a friendly ahead of Saturday's home Nations League match against Ukraine, then Spain away next Tuesday. Switzerland held Germany […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has pleaded for national team unity as Egypt prepare to tackle Togo at home and away in crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The forward admitted in a BeIN Sport TV interview he was concerned about possible tension between CAF Champions League finalists Al Ahly and Zamalek, with […]

London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp said an emotional farewell to Liverpool's historic Melwood training ground on Tuesday as the Premier League champions prepare to move into a new headquarters. Melwood has been the club's base for more than 70 years, with generations of Anfield players honing their craft on the training pitches. But, unable to […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo said on Tuesday contract negotiations with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are underway. The deals of the attacking pair, who cost the French champions 402 million euros ($474 million) in two separate transfers, are up in 2022. Leonardo alo said talks with Angel Di Maria and Juan Bernat […]