Belfast (AFP) – Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth scored twice as Norway thrashed Northern Ireland 5-1 in the Nations League on Monday to hand Ian Baraclough a humbling home debut as manager. Three goals came inside the first eight minutes as Mohamed Elyounoussi's fine finish was cancelled out by Paddy McNair's equaliser before Borussia Dortmund's […]

Amsterdam (AFP) – Italy moved top of their UEFA Nations League group on Monday after an impressive 1-0 win over the Netherlands that showcased why hopes were high for a strong showing at the postponed Euro 2020. Nicolo Barella's bullet header in first half stoppage time was enough for Roberto Mancini's side to take all three […]

London (AFP) – Everton completed the signing of James Rodriguez from Real Madrid on Monday, reuniting the Colombian playmaker with manager Carlo Ancelotti for a third time. The Premier League club are reported to have paid £22 million ($29 million) for the 29-year-old, who was top scorer at the 2014 World Cup. James's performances on […]

London (AFP) – Premier League clubs returned three positive tests for coronavirus as they returned for pre-season training ahead of the start of the new campaign on Saturday. "The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday 31 August and Sunday 6 September, 1,605 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19. Of these, there […]

Paris (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe has been ruled out of France's Nations League game against World Cup runners-up Croatia on Tuesday after testing positive for Covid-19, national team management said Monday. Mbappe, who took part in Monday evening's training session before learning the result of his test, is the seventh Paris Saint-Germain player to contract […]

London (AFP) – Gareth Southgate branded Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood "naive" after the England pair were sent home and fined by Icelandic police for a "serious" breach of coronavirus protocols. Although England manager Southgate refused to comment on the nature of the virus protocol breach, widespread media reports said the England pair left the […]

Madrid (AFP) – La Liga president Javier Tebas has said he was never seriously worried about the impact on the league if Lionel Messi had left Barcelona this summer. Messi admitted defeat on Friday in his attempt to find a way out of Barca, insisting the club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu had "broken his word" […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi returned to Barcelona training for the first time on Monday since his failed attempt to leave the club this summer. Barca confirmed Messi has started by training alone, in line with La Liga protocol. "The 2020/2021 preseason is under way for Leo Messi," the statement read. "The Barca number 10 trained on […]

Rome (AFP) – Josip Ilicic returned to Atalanta on Monday after nearly two months away from the Serie A team for unspecified personal reasons, Italian media reported. Slovene Ilicic, 32, didn't finish the last Serie A campaign following its post-lockdown restart, and returned to his home country in July. The forward, a key player in […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi returned to Barcelona training for the first time on Monday since his failed attempt to leave the club this summer. Messi was seen driving into the Ciutat Esportiva and Barca posted a photo on social media just before 6:30 pm (1630 GMT) of him training in kit and working with […]

London (AFP) – Newcastle reunited former Bournemouth duo Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser on Monday to add some much-needed firepower to the Magpies' attack ahead of the new Premier League season. England international Wilson signed a four-year deal after a £20 million ($26 million) fee was agreed with the Cherries, while Fraser penned a five-year […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi arrived at Barcelona's training ground on Monday as he begins to reintegrate with the team following his failed attempt to leave the club this summer. Messi was seen driving into the Ciutat Esportiva in Sant Joan Despi at just after 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) on Monday, where he is expected […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Tanzania again became the first African League to kick off during the coronavirus cris when they opened the 2020/2021 league season on Sunday. The championship was also the first to resume last season after a Covid-19 shutdown, playing from June with spectators permitted. While Tanzanian clubs have started their new season, South […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi arrived at Barcelona's training ground on Monday as he begins to reintegrate with the team following his failed attempt to leave the club this summer. Messi was seen driving into the Ciutat Esportiva in Sant Joan Despi at just after 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) on Monday, where he is expected […]

London (AFP) – Gareth Southgate branded Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood "naive" after the England pair were sent home for a "serious" breach of coronavirus protocols in Iceland. England manager Southgate responded to the breach by removing Manchester City midfielder Foden and Manchester United forward Greenwood from his squad for Tuesday's Nations League clash in […]