Shanghai (AFP) – When Tobi Junior makes his debut in China's second division it will be the realisation of a life-long dream stretched across three continents — with coronavirus giving an unusual helping hand. The striker from the Ivory Coast earned his first professional football contract at the age of 25 when he joined Jiangxi […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City finally have a marquee victory in the knockout stages of the Champions League after seeing off Real Madrid to reach the last eight, but they want much more in Lisbon over the next week with Pep Guardiola insisting they cannot be satisfied by beating the 13-time winners. "We're here to […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Lyon's days as France's dominant team have become a distant memory with Paris Saint-Germain's emergence, but their European pedigree shows they should not be underestimated in Saturday's Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City. Really, just being at the 'Final Eight' in Lisbon is a bonus for Rudi Garcia's team. They produced one […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Diego Simeone said Atletico Madrid were weighed down by the pressure and intensity of a long season as they crashed out of the Champions League on Thursday against Leipzig. Leipzig will play Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals on Tuesday after Tyler Adams' deflected shot in the 88th minute earned them a shock […]

Lisbon (AFP) – United States midfielder Tyler Adams basked in the glory of scoring Leipzig's late winner against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals on Thursday and admitted: "I am not your typical goal scorer." Leipzig, who were only founded in 2009, reached the semi-finals for the first time with a 2-1 win over […]

Lisbon (AFP) – RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann says he is relishing facing former mentor and Paris Saint Germain coach Thomas Tuchel in the Champions League semi-finals following his side's stunning win over Atletico Madrid. Leipzig, who were only founded in 2009, booked a semi-final berth at their first attempt when US midfielder Tyler Adams […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Leipzig stunned Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Thursday to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time as Tyler Adams' 88th-minute winner earned them a showdown with Paris Saint-Germain. Atletico looked to have secured extra-time at the Estadio Jose Alvalade when Joao Felix won and then scored a penalty to cancel out […]

Zurich (AFP) – FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who is facing a criminal probe in Switzerland, "thinks he is untouchable," his deposed predecessor Sepp Blatter said on Thursday. In an interview with AFP, Blatter even called for the opening of an investigation by FIFA's Ethics Commission. "Mr Infantino is in a situation where he thinks he […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick stayed neutral in the debate whether his striker Robert Lewandowski is better than Barcelona star Lionel Messi ahead of Friday's Champions League quarter-final clash in Lisbon Barca face Bayern at the Estadio da Luz for a place in next Wednesday's semi-final. In the build-up, there has been […]

Madrid (AFP) – Arturo Vidal has warned Bayern Munich his Barcelona team are the best team in the world ahead of their Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon on Friday. And Barca coach Quique Setien was in confident mood too, insisting Bayern's in-form striker Robert Lewandowski is "clearly" not at the level of his captain Lionel […]

New York (AFP) – St. Louis City was unveiled Thursday as the identity for the Major League Soccer expansion club debuting in 2023 along with Sacramento as the league's 29th and 30th teams. The name was selected from more than 6,000 fan submissions while a group of more than 20 area designers came up with […]

Lisbon (AFP) – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin on Thursday promised to make sweeping changes to Financial Fair Play rules in the wake of Manchester City's successful appeal against a ban from the Champions League, but renewed his pledge to fight against the dominance of a select few super clubs in the sport. In an exclusive […]

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Thursday he was furious after a youth academy coach's alleged racist remarks led to a police investigation. On Tuesday, regional television channel WDR published the private messages sent by the unnamed individual, with authorities starting the probe as the Bundesliga champions had received […]

Miami (AFP) – Argentine midfielder Sebastian Blanco, who helped the Portland Timbers capture the title, was named on Thursday as the Major League Soccer is Back Player of the Tournament. The 32-year-old playmaker scored three goals and assisted on five others in the tournament for the Timbers, who defeated Orlando City 2-1 in Tuesday's final. […]

Lisbon (AFP) – UEFA is hopeful that the postponed European Championship will go ahead next year with fans able to attend, president Aleksander Ceferin said on Thursday. However, the head of European football's governing body did not rule out the possibility of having to change the controversial format for the tournament, which is due to […]