London (AFP) – Pep Guardiola admitted on Tuesday that he still feels responsible for the manner of Manchester City's Champions league exit last season, saying they have to "close these gaps" as they chase European glory. City, who host Porto in their opening group match on Wednesday, have never gone beyond the semi-finals of the […]

Montpellier (France) (AFP) – Bruno Martini, who became "one of France's greatest goalkeepers" only after a failed exam blocked the path to his chosen career as a sports instructor, has died at the age of 58, his last club Montpellier announced on Tuesday. Martini, who spent much of his playing days with Auxerre, suffered a […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Captain Mohamed Aziz converted two spot-kicks to give Renaissance Berkane a 2-1 victory over Hassania Agadir Monday after an all-Moroccan CAF Confederation Cup semi-final in Rabat. Berkane, who are based in the citrus-producing northeast of the kingdom, also reached the final last year before losing on penalties to Zamalek of Egypt. Midfielder […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson says the loss of Virgil van Dijk is a "big blow" but he wants the Premier League champions to use his absence as an added incentive to stay in the trophy hunt. Defensive talisman Van Dijk requires surgery after suffering knee ligament damage during Saturday’s Merseyside derby with […]

London (AFP) – West Brom manager Slaven Bilic fears fans could be priced out of football after being forced to spend extra on pay-per-view matches. Premier League games in October that have not been earmarked for regular coverage can only be watched live via Sky Sports or BT Sport for a fee of £14.95 ($19). […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bundesliga side Schalke said Tuesday they are investigating alleged death threats and racist abuse aimed at Borussia Dortmund's 15-year-old prodigy Youssoufa Moukoko during an Under-19 match. "Schalke 04 has evaluated the audio and video material of the match and is now working intensively on identifying the persons responsible," the club said in […]

Amsterdam (AFP) – Ajax host Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday, 18 months after being denied the chance to play the Anfield club in the final by a stunning Tottenham Hotspur comeback in the semi-final in Amsterdam. The Dutch side wowed Europe on that run to the last four, before many of their best […]

Berlin (AFP) – Thomas Mueller can further fuel appeals for him to be recalled by Germany when Bayern Munich launch their Champions League defence at home to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday behind closed doors. Having managed a record 21 assists in the Bundesliga last season, Mueller has continued his sparkling form by scoring five goals […]

London (AFP) – Pep Guardiola starts his latest bid to lead Manchester City to Champions League glory with the shadows of past failures casting doubt on his ability to secure that elusive title. City host Porto in their opening Champions League group match on Wednesday with Guardiola's failing in the tournament weighing heavily on both […]

London (AFP) – Wolves climbed to sixth place in the Premier League on Monday as Raul Jimenez sealed a 1-0 win at Leeds on a night West Bromwich Albion and Burnley played out the first goalless draw in the English top-flight this season. Nuno Espirito Santo's Wolves clinched their third league win of the campaign […]

London (AFP) – West Bromwich Albion and Burnley played out the Premier League's first goalless draw this season as the struggling teams remained without a top-flight win after Monday's stalemate. After a glut of goals across the Premier League since the new season started in September, the entertainment dried up at the Hawthorns. Between them […]

Paris (AFP) – Harry Maguire did not travel with the Manchester United squad for Tuesday's Champions League Group H opener away to Paris Saint-Germain as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed Bruno Fernandes will captain the visitors in the French capital. "We're a little bit depleted but we've got more than enough players," said Solskjaer, who […]

Les Ulis (France) (AFP) – Anthony Martial became the world's most expensive teenager when he joined Manchester United from Monaco in 2015, but as the forward returns to his native France for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain, the residents of his hometown speak not of an international star but of a young man […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said supporting Virgil van Dijk is his priority after the talismanic Dutch defender suffered cruciate knee ligament damage that will likely end his season. Van Dijk was on the end of a shocking challenge from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in Saturday's 2-2 draw in the Merseyside derby that […]

Berlin (AFP) – Lucien Favre admitted on Monday that Borussia Dortmund are heading to Rome reluctantly as he looks to deploy a makeshift defence against Lazio in the Champions League. Dortmund coach Favre expressed his concerns about travelling to the Italian capital as numbers of coronavirus cases rise across Europe. "We must be very careful. […]