London (AFP) – Manchester United defender Phil Jones has received an apology from Twitter after its official UK account mocked the England international. The verified @TwitterUK account took a swipe at the much-maligned Jones on Tuesday, posting: "Name a better footballer than Phil Jones". The incident came after the social media network had previously said […]

Soweto (South Africa) (AFP) – South African Premiership leaders Kaizer Chiefs hit the woodwork and conceded an equaliser in a dramatic finish to a 1-1 draw with fifth-place Bidvest Wits in Soweto Wednesday. Serbia-born man of the match Samir Nurkovic rattled the crossbar with a curling shot two minutes from time behind closed doors at […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe will start Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta in Lisbon on Wednesday as a substitute after battling to shake off an ankle injury. The France World Cup-winning forward had been in a race against time to recover for the game at the Estadio da Luz after being hurt in […]

London (AFP) – Southampton signed Ghana defender Mohammed Salisu from Real Valladolid in a £10.9 million ($14 million) deal on Wednesday. Salisu has agreed a four-year contract and is the Premier League club's second close-season signing following their swoop for Tottenham defender Kyle Walker-Peters. Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has used the fee from Denmark midfielder […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Wednesday that he believes the new format of the Champions League will level the playing field in their quarter-final with experienced European competitors Atletico Madrid. Leipzig, founded in 2009, are in the Champions League's knock-out stages for the first time in the club's brief history […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt will miss the start of next season after undergoing shoulder surgery which will sideline him for three months, the club said Wednesday. De Ligt spent his 21st birthday undergoing "stabilisation surgery on his right shoulder" in Rome, the club said, adding that the procedure was "a complete […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona announced on Wednesday that defender Jean-Clair Todibo has tested positive for coronavirus but has not been in contact with the squad travelling to Lisbon for the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich. "Following PCR tests conducted this Tuesday afternoon on the group of nine players due to begin the pre-season today, […]

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan forward Alexis Sanchez could miss Monday's Europa League semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk as he struggles with a hamstring injury. The 31-year-old Chile attacker pulled up injured during his side's 2-1 quarter-final win over Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. "Sanchez underwent medical tests this morning in Duisburg," Inter said in a statement on Wednesday. "The […]

Milan (AFP) – France's World Cup-winning midfielder Blaise Matuidi is leaving Juventus by mutual consent after three years, the Italian champions announced on Wednesday. Matuidi, 33, joined the Turin giants from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 and had one year left on his contract. It is reported he is set to move to the United States […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Bayern Munich's teenage forward Alphonso Davies missed a training session in Portugal on Wednesday ahead of the Champions League clash against Barcelona because of a "slight groin problem". Bayern head coach Hansi Flick confirmed the 19-year-old sat out the session as "a safety measure" ahead of the European quarter-final in Lisbon. The […]

Madrid (AFP) – Athletic Bilbao Forward Inaki Williams admitted on Wednesday that he was one of six positive coronavirus cases recorded at the La Liga club. Williams, 26, had returned to pre-season training with the Basque side this week ahead of the new La Liga campaign which begins in mid-September. "Today it was confirmed that […]

Madrid (AFP) – A Barcelona player has tested positive for coronavirus but he has not been in contact with the squad travelling to Lisbon for the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, the club said on Wednesday. "Following PCR tests conducted this Tuesday afternoon on the group of nine players due to begin the preseason […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Four months behind schedule because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Champions League has reached the quarter-final stage with Paris Saint-Germain taking on outsiders Atalanta in Lisbon on Wednesday in the first game of the 'Final Eight'. A straight knockout final tournament held in one place, akin to a World Cup or European […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Yussuf Poulsen has shaken off an ankle injury and is ready to slot in for Timo Werner and help provide the goals for RB Leipzig in Thursday's Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid. After scoring 34 times last season, including four in the Champions League, Germany striker Werner quit Leipzig to sign […]

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid's triumph over Liverpool in March was a throwback to a more celebrated past under Diego Simeone but five months on and the Champions League offers them a very real opportunity in the present. Knocking out the holders at Anfield may prove to be the first glimpse of a new era […]