Brussels (AFP) – Belgian international defender Vincent Kompany has hung up his boots at the age of 34 to become manager of Anderlecht on a four-year contract, the club announced Monday. Kompany joined Anderlecht from Manchester City in 2019 as player-manager, and now takes over from Franky Vercauteren, who had been handling coaching duties, in […]

London (AFP) – David Silva is to be honoured by Manchester City, as former captain Vincent Kompany was, with a statue celebrating his 10 years with the club and his contribution to 14 trophies, the club announced on Monday. The 34-year-old former Spanish international attacking midfielder saw the curtain come down on his career at […]

London (AFP) – The Hong Kong owner of English football club Wigan enquired about placing the team into administration the day before he informed the English Football League he had acquired a majority stake an independent panel said in a report. Au Yeung Wai Kay bought Stanley Choi's 51% stake in Next Leader Fund the […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe is fit to start for Paris Saint-Germain against RB Leipzig in Tuesday's Champions League semi-final in Lisbon, coach Thomas Tuchel has confirmed. "He played for 30 minutes against Atalanta and had no reaction. He has had six days since then to work on his fitness, so of course he can […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick is hoping for a rendezvous with compatriots Julian Nagelsmann or Thomas Tuchel in Sunday's Champions League final as three German coaches contest the last four for the first time. Having demolished Barcelona 8-2 in Friday's jaw-dropping quarter-final, Bayern now face French side Lyon on Wednesday for a […]

London (AFP) – England international James Ward-Prowse, who played every minute of last season's Premier League campaign, signed a new five year contract with Southampton on Monday. The 25-year-old midfielder and former England Under-21 captain has been with the Saints since he was eight. Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was so impressed last season that he gave […]

London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp says he might turn his back on football once his present contract with Premier League champions Liverpool ends in 2024. The 53-year-old German had wanted to take a year off after he left Borussia Dortmund in 2015 but Liverpool came calling that October asking him to replace Brendan Rodgers. Since […]

Cologne (Germany) (AFP) – Manchester United have little time to dwell on a third semi-final defeat of a 13-month season after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted they let Sevilla "off the hook" to miss out on Friday's Europa League final. Solskjaer was desperate for a trophy, United's first since 2017, as tangible reward for the improvement […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona insisted they had not heard from Lionel Messi that he wants to leave the club, as an emergency board meeting was being held at Camp Nou on Monday. Barca officials, including under-fire president Josep Maria Bartomeu, were due to discuss wholesale changes following the team's humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final defeat […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – More than 20 positive tests for coronavirus at several clubs led to the postponement or cancellation of league matches in Morocco and Egypt at the weekend. Three matchday 22 fixtures were called off in the Moroccan Botola Pro 1 with Ittihad Tangier worst affected as 23 of the staff tested positive. […]

Singapore (AFP) – Three Singaporean entrepreneurs behind a Paris-based congolomerate are in "advanced" talks to buy English Premier League football club Newcastle United, the company said Monday, just weeks after a Saudi-backed bid was withdrawn. Bellagraph Nova Group, which operates across 100 countries in fields ranging from finance to sport, healthcare and luxury goods, said […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Either Paris Saint-Germain or RB Leipzig will reach the Champions League final for the first time this midweek but the prospect of these hugely ambitious clubs clashing in the last four in Lisbon may be a turn-off for many football fans. When UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin spoke to AFP last week about […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Having already outwitted Jose Mourinho and Diego Simeone in the Champions League, RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann now faces Paris Saint-Germain and Thomas Tuchel, who helped spark his coaching career 12 years ago, in Tuesday's semi-final. The 33-year-old Nagelsmann is the youngest coach to reach the last four of the Champions League, […]

Cologne (Germany) (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted Manchester United face a busy few weeks in the transfer market after losing a third semi-final this season as Sevilla reached the Europa League final by coming from behind to win 2-1 in Cologne. United were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal after […]

Cologne (Germany) (AFP) – Manchester United defender Harry Maguire insisted the "best side lost" after the English giants were beaten 2-1 by Sevilla in the Europa League semi-finals on Sunday. "The boys are devastated. We created numerous chances. The best team lost. They punished us for missing chances. They didn't make many chances to be […]