Paris (AFP) – French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu on Thursday called for the French league to end the Ligue 1 season and hit out at football clubs and players for a "lack of empathy" during the coronavirus pandemic. The league will hold a teleconference on Thursday to discuss what to do next, after Prime Minister […]

London (AFP) – Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says he wants to return to the Premier League club one day to finish the job he started. The Argentine left Spurs in November, six months after leading them to the Champions League final, and has been linked with Newcastle in recent days. Reports claim he is […]

Madrid (AFP) – Martin Braithwaite was Barcelona's emergency signing in February, a quick-fix to replace the injured Ousmane Dembele, but for him the move goes back 10 years to a broken leg and a notebook. In his first meeting with the club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu and technical secretary Eric Abidal, Braithwaite was told one […]

Rome (AFP) – Italy's sports minister has cast doubt on the resumption of Serie A leaving title-chasing Lazio fearing that history could repeat itself and deny them the Scudetto for the second time. But with its president Claudio Lotito as the main driving force, the Roman club are determined that the Italian football league will […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Many footballers dread the rigours of pre-season training but in China they could be forgiven for hating it by now as stop-start preparations drag into a fifth month because of the coronavirus. The Chinese Super League (CSL) was one of the earliest sporting victims of the pandemic with the February 22 start […]

Sydney (AFP) – Dutchman Gertjan Verbeek quit as Adelaide United coach Thursday after less than a year in charge, citing uncertainty over the Australian A-League's future due to the coronavirus pandemic. Verbeek, who guided Adelaide to victory in the FFA Cup last year, said he asked for an early release from his contract after recently […]

Milan (AFP) – Italian sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora warned Wednesday that Italy may have to follow France and the Netherlands and call an end to their football and sports seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, Italian Football Federation chief Gabriele Gravina warned that such a decision would signal "the death of Italian football". "I […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has asked the "Hand of God" to deliver the world from the coronavirus pandemic and allow normal life to resume. The World Cup winner referred to his hand-assisted goal in the 1986 World Cup after Argentine football chiefs voted to end the current season as well […]

London (AFP) – Rangers risk "bringing the game into disrepute" after making allegations against Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) executives without providing evidence, according to SPFL chairman Murdoch MacLennan. MacLennan urged clubs to reject a formal request from Rangers, Hearts and Stranraer for an independent investigation into a controversial vote which ended the season for […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United have been granted permission to install 1,500 safe-standing seats for use in a trial when Old Trafford is opened again to supporters. The use of barrier seating has been approved following a change in regulations and a feasibility study carried out by the club. Fans are not expected to be […]

Paris (AFP) – French football clubs are bracing themselves for a major financial hit after Tuesday's government announcement that the current season would not be allowed to restart, with the uncertainty leaving even all-powerful Paris Saint-Germain facing potentially serious consequences. Clubs had been optimistic that the season — suspended in mid-March with 10 games remaining […]

Berlin (AFP) – German football has taken another key step towards restarting the Bundesliga next month with the Ministry of Labour the latest body to reportedly approve plans. "The safety of players, coaches and support staff can be largely ensured if the concept is fully implemented", the ministry's state secretary Bjoern Boehning told the RND […]

Geneva (AFP) – German football great Franz Beckenbauer's trial on corruption charges linked to the 2006 World Cup has ended without a verdict after previously being put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. The five-year-long trial, held in Switzerland, of 74-year-old Beckenbauer and three other men was suspended because of the health crisis and […]

London (AFP) – Gary Neville fears Premier League players' lives will be put at risk if football is rushed back too soon after the coronavirus-enforced lockdown in Britain. Premier League chiefs are aiming for a return to action in June and several clubs opened their training grounds to players this week as they work on […]

Milan (AFP) – Italian sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora warned Wednesday that Italy may have to follow France and the Netherlands and call an end to their football and sports seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic. "I see an increasingly narrow path for the resumption of the championship. If I were a president of a football […]