Miami (AFP) – Wearing jerseys with the names of black victims of police brutality, the Philadelphia Union defeated New York City FC 1-0 Thursday in the Major League Soccer is Back Tournament. US midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, whose captain's armband was inscribed with the names of 30 black people who died at the hands of police, […]

Paris (AFP) – Champions Paris Saint-Germain will play host to fierce rivals Marseille in their third game of the new Ligue 1 season in mid-September as the French fixture calendar was unveiled on Thursday. The match at the Parc des Princes is due to be played on the weekend of September 13, but the 2020-21 […]

Madrid (AFP) – Former Manchester City and Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini has returned to Spanish football as coach of Real Betis, his new club announced on Thursday. The 66-year-old Chilean, who has also worked in China, has signed a three-year deal with the Seville-based outfit, running until June 2023. The arrival of Pellegrini at […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund would turn to the transfer market should they lose England winger Jadon Sancho to Manchester United next month, the Bundesliga runners-up have revealed. "If Jadon were to leave, we would once again be active in strengthening our attack," sports director Michael Zorc told magazine Kicker on Thursday. "There are certainly […]

London (AFP) – Riyad Mahrez hailed Manchester City's goalscoring power after the dethroned Premier League champions swept Newcastle aside 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium. The Algeria international found the net along with Gabriel Jesus, David Silva and Raheem Sterling, while City benefited from a Federico Fernandez own goal in the victory. The rout took City's […]

London (AFP) – Paul Pogba has applauded Manchester United's "beautiful" attack, relishing his role in the team's push for a Champions League spot after a season ravaged by injury. The French World Cup winner's return to fitness has been a key factor in United's run of four wins and a draw in five games since […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese Super League footballers holed up in hotels for two months to prevent the spread of coronavirus will be able to pass the time by doing karaoke and playing badminton, an official said. CSL clubs and players have voiced concerns about their mental well-being due to being stuck in a strictly closed […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Asia's Champions League will resume in September with remaining group games played at centralised venues and a single-leg final in December, officials said Thursday following a six-month coronavirus hiatus. The continental club championship, featuring 32 teams stretching from Saudi Arabia in the west to Japan in the East, was suspended in […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese Super League footballers holed up in hotels for two months to prevent the spread of coronavirus will be able to pass the time by doing karaoke and playing badminton, an official said Wednesday. CSL clubs and players have voiced concerns about their mental well-being due to being stuck in a strictly […]

Miami (AFP) – Major League Soccer returned from its four-month shutdown on Wednesday with a sombre anti-racism demonstration and fresh fears another coronavirus-stricken team may be forced to withdraw. An injury-time winner from Portugal international and former Manchester United star Nani gave Orlando a 2-1 victory over David Beckham's Inter Miami played out in a […]

Paris (AFP) – Four months on from the last match in this season's Champions League, the draw for the final eight will be held on Friday amid ongoing uncertainty about how safe it will be to play out the competition in Lisbon as planned, and with four last-16 ties still to be completed. It was […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona kept their faint title hopes alive and doomed Espanyol to relegation on Wednesday as Luis Suarez's goal proved the winner in a pivotal Catalan derby at the top and bottom of La Liga. A cagey contest at Camp Nou exploded into life for six frantic minutes at the start of the […]

Brighton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp hailed Liverpool's desire not to ease up after clinching the Premier League title as two goals from Mohamed Salah kept the Reds on course for a record points tally with a 3-1 win at Brighton on Wednesday. The champions move onto 92 points with three wins from their […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will not seek huge funds for transfers this summer due to the economic realities of the coronavirus crisis, but is keen for the club to tie down Paul Pogba to a long-term contract. United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has warned it will not be "business as […]

London (AFP) – Mohamed Salah kept Liverpool on track to set a new Premier League points record as the champions won 3-1 at Brighton, while Manchester City bounced back to form with a five-goal rout of Newcastle on Wednesday. Jurgen Klopp's side are hoping to break the 100-point record established by Manchester City in 2018 […]