Lisbon (AFP) – The 'Final Eight' format for the Champions League will not be repeated in future, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has told AFP, saying it is "impossible" to find space in an already packed calendar. "This tournament might be interesting in the future, but I don't think we can do it, because the calendar […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Scottish champions Celtic signed Switzerland striker Albian Ajeti from West Ham in a reported £5 million ($6.5 million) deal on Thursday. Ajeti agreed a four-year contract with the Glasgow club after a failed spell in the Premier League. The 23-year-old joined West Ham a year ago but his three starts all came in […]

Milan (AFP) – Atalanta turned their focus to next season after their stunning Champions League run ended in a heartbreaking 2-1 quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. "Bitter end," headlined the Corriere di Bergamo after two last-gasp goals denied local heroes Atalanta, who had led heading into the final minute in Lisbon thanks Mario Pasalic's opener midway […]

London (AFP) – Mesut Ozil has slammed Arsenal's failure to back his support of Uighur Muslims over their alleged persecution in China. Arsenal midfielder Ozil spoke out on Instagram against China's treatment of the Uighur population in Xinjiang last year. More than one million Uighurs and mostly Muslim Turkic minorities have been rounded up in […]

London (AFP) – FA Cup replays will be scrapped for the 2020-21 season in a bid to ease the strain on clubs during the coronavirus pandemic, the Football Assocation announced on Thursday. With a shortened season starting a month later than usual in September there is more pressure on an already hectic calendar. The FA […]

Milan (AFP) – France's World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi will join David Beckham's Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, the American club announced on Thursday. Matuidi, 33, has left Italian champions Juventus by mutual consent after three years, for the club co-owned by Beckham, his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate. "I made my decision a few […]

London (AFP) – Mesut Ozil insists he is the only person who will decide when he leaves Arsenal after the German star was frozen out by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta. Ozil has not played for Arsenal since the coronavirus hiatus amid reports the club are keen to get his huge salary off the wage bill. […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Rafael Benitez is battling to break one of the worst spells of his 34-year coaching career as he takes on Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Guangzhou R&F on Saturday in China with both desperate for victory. Two of the biggest names in the Chinese Super League need a first win this season to prevent […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi might never have been faced with a more daunting task at Barcelona than engineering a victory against Bayern Munich in Lisbon on Friday. The only surviving former winners of European club football's greatest prize — with five titles each — meet in a heavyweight Champions League quarter-final behind closed doors […]

Lisbon (AFP) – After years of failing to live up to their billing in Europe, Paris Saint-Germain are within 90 minutes of the Champions League final thanks to their dramatic win over Atalanta on Wednesday, and coach Thomas Tuchel now knows "everything is possible" for his team. PSG were on the verge of another disappointing […]

Berlin (AFP) – Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has the chance to advance his claim for Germany's Number One shirt when he faces Bayern Munich and their veteran shot-stopper Manuel Neuer in Friday's Champions League quarter-final. The 34-year-old Neuer has been Germany captain since Bastian Schweinsteiger retired in 2016. However, Ter Stegen is itching to […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Gian Piero Gasperini revealed his deep disappointment after his Atalanta side had what would have been a glorious Champions League victory against Paris Saint-Germain snatched from them in the final seconds on Wednesday. The Serie A side were leading the quarter-final 1-0 heading into the final minute in Lisbon but were dumped […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain snatched a dramatic victory from the jaws of defeat as substitute Eric Choupo-Moting's goal three minutes into added time allowed them to beat Atalanta 2-1 in their Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon on Wednesday. Atalanta were on the brink of extending their remarkable run on into the last four after […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Brazilian superstar Neymar insisted that Paris Saint-Germain always believed they could come back from the brink to defeat Atalanta with two goals in the dying moments of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday. "I never thought of going home. From start to finish, from the warm-up, we only thought of qualifying for […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain snatched a dramatic victory from the jaws of defeat as substitute Eric Choupo-Moting's goal three minutes into added time allowed them to beat Atalanta 2-1 in their Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon on Wednesday. Atalanta were on the brink of extending their remarkable run on into the last four after […]