Milan (AFP) – AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has tested positive for coronavirus, the Italian club said on Thursday. Ibrahimovic, who turns 39 on October 3, has been placed in quarantine at home following the test carried out ahead of the team's Europa League tie against Norwegian side Bodo-Glimt. "Ibrahimovic has tested positive for the […]

Budapest (AFP) – UEFA will allow up to five substitutions to be made by teams in all European club and international matches this season, it announced on Thursday, although a decision has yet to be reached for next year's European Championship. The decision, announced following UEFA's Executive Committee meeting in Budapest, applies to this season's […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund's head of player department Sebastian Kehl said on Thursday they could stop their players from featuring for Germany in the Nations League next month due to coronavirus worries. Joachim Loew's side travel to Ukraine on October 10, a country which is classed as a Covid-19 red zone due to its […]

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho stuck to his promise to pose for a picture with Macedonian journalist Igor Aleksandrovic after a touching exchange during an online press conference. Freelance reporter Aleksandrovic asked to have his picture taken with the Tottenham Hotspur boss so he could frame it and put it on the grave of his […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard hailed Thiago Silva's "perfect 60 minutes" after the veteran Brazil defender made his debut for Chelsea in the League Cup on Wednesday. The former Paris Saint-Germain centre-back made an immediate impression as Lampard's men overwhelmed Barnsley 6-0 in the third round of the League Cup at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. […]

Madrid (AFP) – Luis Suarez cried as he bid farewell to Barcelona on Thursday but said he wants to prove he can still deliver at the highest level after joining La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid. With Lionel Messi at Camp Nou for his best friend's final press conference, Suarez said an emotional goodbye after scoring […]

London (AFP) – Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds would be welcome at lower-tier football club Wrexham... especially if he can play centre-forward, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford joked on Thursday. The National League club revealed on Wednesday Deadpool star Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney were interested in investing. The move has been overwhelmingly backed by […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Asia's football body Thursday defended safety measures for the AFC Champions League after coronavirus-hit title-holders Al Hilal were kicked out of the tournament for failing to field enough players. The Saudi giants had accused the Asian Football Confederation of showing insufficient "flexibility" after the club was axed for being unable to […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea on Thursday announced the signing of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy from Rennes on a five-year deal. The Senegalese international will compete with Kepa Arrizabalaga and Willy Caballero for a starting spot at Stamford Bridge. "I am so excited to be joining Chelsea," said Mendy. "It's a dream for me to be a […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Japan's 53-year-old footballing golden oldie Kazuyoshi Miura, better known as King Kazu, won plaudits Thursday for his latest record-setting appearance, but said he was disappointed he didn't score. Miura made history on Wednesday night in Yokohama FC's game against Kawasaki Frontale, when he became the oldest J-League first division starter in history. […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Saudi giants Al Hilal accused Asia's football body of inflexibility Thursday after the coronavirus-hit title-holders were kicked out of the AFC Champions League for failing to field enough players. Al Hilal managed to send a squad for the restart last week of Asia's showpiece club tournament following a six-month hiatus, but […]

Damascus (AFP) – Professional football clubs in war-battered Syria are struggling to sign new players, who are demanding raises to counter the decline in the value of their pay packets. Nine years into a grinding civil war, Syria's economy is in tatters, life is increasingly expensive, and the national currency is in freefall on the […]

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid announced the signing of Barcelona forward Luis Suarez late on Wednesday, confirming the Uruguayan striker is set to continue playing in La Liga rather than joining Juventus in Italy. Barcelona said that Atletico had agreed to pay six million euros for Suarez, who left his last training session in tears […]

Doha (AFP) – The coronavirus-hit holders Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia were kicked out of the Asian Champions League on Wednesday after being unable to field a sufficient number of players against Shabab Al Ahli of the UAE. Al Hilal were "deemed to have withdrawn from the competition" after failing to name the required 13 […]

London (AFP) – Kai Havertz scored his first goals for Chelsea with a hat-trick in a 6-0 thrashing of Barnsley as Arsenal also booked their place in the League Cup fourth round with a more hard-fought 2-0 win at Leicester. Havertz had struggled to make an impact in his first two Premier League games since […]