London (AFP) – Manchester City announced the signing of Valencia winger Ferran Torres on a five-year deal on Tuesday. The 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract, for a reported initial fee of £20.9 million ($27 million). "I am so happy to be joining City," Torres said in a statement released by the Premier League club. […]

Marseille (AFP) – Marseille announced on Tuesday their pre-season friendly match with fellow Ligue 1 side Montpellier has been cancelled following a suspected coronavirus case in their opponent's squad, less than three weeks before the start of the French top-flight campaign. In a statement, Marseille said both clubs had agreed to call off the clash […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Rafa Benitez said three times "I didn't like the game" and apologised on his way out of a curtailed press conference following a 2-1 defeat for his Dalian Pro side on Tuesday. Salomon Rondon, who was with the Spanish coach at Newcastle United before both moved to the Chinese Super League last […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – The CAF Champions League semi-finals format has been changed a second time with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) saying Tuesday they would be played over two legs. Home-and-away matches between Raja Casablanca of Morocco and Zamalek of Egypt and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and Al Ahly of Egypt was the […]

Berlin (AFP) – Football clubs in Germany's top two divisions on Tuesday agreed to plans drawn up by the league which could allow the partial return of fans to stadiums from mid-September, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Under the plans proposed by the German Football League (DFL) for the new season, which starts on September 18, […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea forward Pedro has undergone surgery on his shoulder ahead of an expected transfer to Roma, meaning he will not play for the Premier League club again. The 33-year-old Spain international confirmed on social media his operation had been successful. He landed awkwardly on his right shoulder when appearing as a substitute […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer kept his cards close to his chest over the possible signing of Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho on Tuesday. The Old Trafford giants are hoping to make the 20-year-old their marquee signing in the transfer window when the impact of the coronavirus pandemic means few other […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayer Leverkusen said on Tuesday midfielder Nadiem Amiri is in quarantine having had contact with someone who has COVID-19 and will miss this week's Europa League clash at home to Rangers. Leverkusen said the 23-year-old attacking midfielder had "brief contact in private with someone with the coronavirus" and has been seperated from […]

Madrid (AFP) – Spain's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas announced his retirement on Tuesday, after being sidelined for more than a year with a heart problem. Casillas, 39, also won the European Championship twice with his country in a trophy-laden career which included more than 700 games for Real Madrid. "Today is both one of […]

London (AFP) – England international Danny Rose says it is a "crying shame" it took the death of George Floyd to spark the Black Lives Matter movement when racism has been an issue for years. The 30-year-old defender says he has been subject to racist chants all his career, most recently when playing for England […]

London (AFP) – Footballers can be sent off if referees judge they have coughed deliberately at opponents or match officials in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, say the sport's rule-makers and England's Football Association. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) said it was up to the referee to judge whether he felt the cough […]

Madrid (AFP) – Espanyol called on La Liga to cancel their relegation on Monday as the end to the season in Spain continues to prove problematic following a spike in cases of coronavirus. Despite finishing bottom of the table, Espanyol said in a statement the run-in had been "undoubtedly unfair in a sporting sense given […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool's principal owner John W Henry says being part of the club's triumphs in the past 14 months has been the highlight of his career despite his multiple successes with the Boston Red Sox. Since June 2019, Jurgen Klopp's team have won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool midfielder James Milner has warned his team-mates it would be "criminal" for them to lose their focus after one Premier League title triumph. Jurgen Klopp's side ended a 30-year wait to be crowned English champions in June. Form dipped once the title had been secured, with two of the three league […]

Lausanne (AFP) – FIFA president Gianni Infantino will "respect any decision by the ethics committee", world football's governing body said Monday after Swiss authorities opened criminal proceedings against him last week. A Swiss special prosecutor has launched proceedings against Infantino, as part of an investigation into suspected collusion with the country's attorney general, Michael Lauber. […]