Milan (AFP) – Atalanta midfielder Matteo Pessina and AC Milan defender Davide Calabria have been called up for the first time in Italy coach Roberto Mancini's extended 41-man squad for a friendly against Estonia and two Nations League fixtures against Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Calabria, 23, had already trained with the Azzurri in April 2017, but […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi came on at half-time to rescue Barcelona by scoring twice, including his first goal from open play this season, in a 5-2 victory over Real Betis on Saturday. Messi had been rested by Ronald Koeman but was thrown on with the game in the balance after Antoine Griezmann missed a […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Any team that cannot fulfil an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture between November 11 and 17 will be handed a 2-0 defeat, the Confederation of African Football confirmed Saturday. African football's governing body CAF says matchday squads must consist of at least 15 players — 11 starters plus four substitutes — […]

Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – RB Leipzig went back to the top of the Bundesliga table on Saturday with a 3-0 home win over Freiburg before Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund clash in the evening showdown. Defender Ibrahima Konate fired home Leipzig's opener before midfielder Marcel Sabitzer added the second goal with a 70th-minute penalty. Manchester City […]

London (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lashed out at the Premier League's scheduling after Manchester United fought back to beat Everton 3-1 on Saturday, saying his struggling team were "set up to fail". Man-of-the-match Bruno Fernandes scored twice after Bernard had given Everton the lead, before Edinson Cavani opened his account for United, easing the […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi started on the bench for Barcelona's La Liga game against Real Betis on Saturday, the first time the Argentinian has been rested by new coach Ronald Koeman. Koeman's assistant Alfred Schreuder said before the match: "We're not talking about an injury, he's just not fresh. "He has played a lot […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – South Africa and Sao Tome e Principe have agreed to play both Africa Cup of Nations Group C qualifying matches behind closed doors in Indian Ocean port city Durban on November 13 and 16. Referring to the coronavirus pandemic, CAF said they had no objection to one country hosting both matches or […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Bruno Fernandes inspired a Manchester United fightback against Everton on Saturday, scoring twice in a 3-1 win to ease the pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and deny the Merseysiders a return to the top of the Premier League. United came into the match at Goodison Park in the miserable position of 15th […]

Berlin (AFP) – Enzo Zidane, the eldest son of Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, is on the verge of signing for German second division club Erzgebirge Aue according to media reports Saturday. The 25-year-old attacking midfielder, a product of the Real Madrid academy, is currently without a club having played for Spanish second tier side […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid's Belgian forward Eden Hazard and his Brazilian teammate Casemiro have both tested positive for coronavirus, the La Liga club announced on Saturday. "Real Madrid informs that our players, Casemiro and Eden Hazard, have tested positive in the Covid-19 tests undertaken yesterday, Friday, in the morning," the club said in a […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – New York City FC says it is making changes to its work climate after an internal investigation revealed that a group of players, including former Spanish star striker David Villa, acted inappropriately towards a female employee. The MLS club launched the probe after allegations of sexual harassment made against ex-Barcelona standout […]

London (AFP) – For the past three years Manchester City and Liverpool have dominated the Premier League to an extent never seen before in English football. But after three seasons in which the title winner has averaged 99 points, neither side carries the same fear factor in an unpredictable campaign that offers a series of […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes former Reds' defender Mamadou Sakho had to wait too long for an apology and substantial damages from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for being wrongly suspended for an alleged doping violation. Sakho was briefly banned after he tested positive for a fat-burning substance called higenamine after a […]

London (AFP) – Ralph Hasenhuttl admitted Southampton's "amazing" rise to the top of the Premier League was "a little scary" after they earned pole position for the first time since 1988 with a 2-0 win against Newcastle on Friday. Goals from Che Adams and Stuart Armstrong ensured Southampton finished the day at the summit of […]

Paris (AFP) – A rejigged Marseille line-up was forced to dig deep for a narrow 1-0 win over Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Friday as a thunderous strike from Morgan Sanson sealed three precious points against the run of play. The result gives Marseille coach Andre Villas-Boas a little breathing space after his team lost […]