Marseille (AFP) – Marseille on Monday completed the signing of Japanese international left-back Yuto Nagatomo on a free transfer from Galatasaray. The 33-year-old is Marseille's third signing of the transfer window and comes in as understudy to Jordan Amavi. "Nagatomo is an Olympian," OM announced in a video it posted on social media, listing the […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi boycotted Barcelona's first pre-season training session on Monday, club sources have confirmed to AFP, as the striker upped the stakes in his battle to leave this summer. After skipping coronavirus tests on Sunday, Messi was absent again from the Ciutat Esportiva, where Ronald Koeman held a session at 5.30pm, his […]

London (AFP) – Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish was called up to the England squad for the first time on Monday after Marcus Rashford and Harry Winks withdrew from the Nations League matches against Iceland and Denmark. Villa captain Grealish was a surprise absence from Gareth Southgate's initial squad for the Nations League matches after […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Four-time African champions Esperance won a fourth straight Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 title at the weekend despite only drawing 1-1 at home to mid-table Chebba. The 'Blood and Gold' are nine points ahead of closest rivals CS Sfaxien with three rounds remaining and clinched first place on head-to-head records. Esperance secured […]

Rome (AFP) – Ciro Immobile, who won the Golden Shoe as top scorer in Europe's top divisions last season, has extended his contract with Lazio until 2025, the club said on Monday. Immobile, who is 30, had the best league scoring season of his career, hitting 36 goals, 14 of them penalties, to lift Lazio […]

Paris (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur will face a trip to Bulgaria in the Europa League second qualifying round in September after being paired with Lokomotiv Plovdiv in Monday's draw. The tie will be played on Thursday, September 17, five days after Jose Mourinho's side kick off their Premier League campaign at home to Everton. They […]

Berlin (AFP) – Kai Havertz is probably going to Chelsea while Kevin Volland is almost certainly about to sign for Monaco, Bayer Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz said on Monday. Bosz said he "does not expect" either to return after the international break before adding: "in soccer, it can always fail in the end". Havertz, a […]

Bern (Switzerland) (AFP) – Former European football chief Michel Platini arrived for a meeting with the Swiss public prosecutor on Monday as part of proceedings investigating a two million Swiss franc ($2.2 million) payment he received in 2011. Platini was summoned to the Swiss capital Bern by prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand. Sepp Blatter, the former president of […]

Paris (AFP) – Florian Thauvin marked his first start in 15 months with a goal and two assists as Marseille beat Brest 3-2 on Sunday in their opening game of the Ligue 1 season. World Cup winner Thauvin missed all but 20 minutes of the coronavirus-shortened 2019-20 season with an ankle injury as Marseille came […]

San Sebastian (Spain) (AFP) – Japan star Saki Kumagai's strike proved crucial as Lyon continued their reign as Europe's dominant women's club side on Sunday, beating Wolfsburg 3-1 in the Champions League final to win the trophy for the fifth year running. Kumagai scored after Eugenie Le Sommer had handed the French outfit the lead […]

Soweto (South Africa) (AFP) – Kaizer Chiefs clung to first place in the South African Premiership Sunday despite a heartbreaking loss after closest rivals Mamelodi Sundowns later suffered a stunning defeat. A stoppage-time goal from Cameroonian Bienvenu Eva Nga gave Bidvest Wits a 1-0 victory over Chiefs at Soccer City stadium in Soweto. The result […]

New York (AFP) – Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen, under investigation by Major League Soccer for racist remarks, will sell the team and two related clubs, MLS commissioner Don Garber said Sunday. MLS was informed that Hansen will sell Utah Soccer Holdings, which owns Real Salt Lake, the Utah Royals of the National […]

Paris (AFP) – Niko Kovac earned his first Ligue 1 victory as Monaco coach on Sunday as his side beat Metz 1-0, while Jonathan Bamba continued to rediscover his scoring touch with Lille winning by the same score at Reims. Teenage centre-back Benoit Badiashile scored for the second game in a row at the Stade […]

London (AFP) – Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has hailed a test event for the partial return of supporters as a success, after 2,500 fans attended Brighton's friendly with Chelsea. Strict social-distancing measures were in place for Saturday's 1-1 draw in the pre-season friendly at the Amex Stadium. It was the first time fans […]

Sydney (AFP) – Socceroo Rhyan Grant was the hero Sunday as Sydney FC beat Melbourne City 1-0 in extra-time to win the A-League Grand Final and etch their name in the history books. The tireless defender timed his run perfectly to meet a cross from Luke Brattan and chest the ball home after the sides […]