London (AFP) – Derby County have thanked captain Wayne Rooney for the leading role he played in the club agreeing a wage deferral with players to help the English Championship club survive the coronavirus crisis. Manager Phillip Cocu, his coaching staff, executives and non-playing staff have also deferred part of their salary. "First team players […]

Shanghai (AFP) – A Chinese international footballer spotted altering the number plate on his Mercedes 4×4 was released from 15 days' custody and apologised on Wednesday. Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande sacked winger Yu Hanchao after he was filmed changing a letter E to an F on his jeep in mid-April. Police in the […]

Montreal (AFP) – Thierry Henry is adjusting to life on pause with the Montreal Impact as the Major League Soccer side awaits the end of the coronavirus shutdown. Former France, Arsenal and Barcelona star Henry took over as manager of Montreal ahead of the 2020 season, but saw his reign effectively put on hold after […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies says it would be a "disaster" if the coronavirus reaches one of the world's many refugee camps — like the one he was born in. The 19-year-old started life in a refugee camp in Ghana after his parents fled the civil war in Liberia. The family emigrated to […]

Lausanne (AFP) – A Swiss court on Tuesday scheduled a September trial date for Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and FIFA's former secretary general Jerome Valcke, in an alleged corruption case. The case, involving the pair and a third, unnamed man, relates to alleged criminal mismanagement, incitement to criminal mismanagement, falsifying documents and corruption, the […]

Milan (AFP) – Italy's footballers' union (AIC) on Tuesday slammed the government's decision not to allow a return to training for team sports while easing coronavirus restrictions for individual athletes. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has announced that individual athletes can train from May 4, but team sports, including football, must wait until at least May […]

Paris (AFP) – French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet said on Tuesday he thinks the Ligue 1 season is over due to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe had announced the competition could not resume until September. France's sports ministry told AFP after Philippe's speech that sports fixtures could not take […]

Madrid (AFP) – Spain's professional athletes including La Liga players can restart basic training from May 4, the country's government announced on Tuesday. The Spanish top-flight has been on hold since March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the decision was the first move in lifting lockdown measures which will […]

Paris (AFP) – Professional football, rugby and other sports in France cannot resume until the end of the summer because of coronavirus restrictions, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Tuesday. The announcement was made as the government unveiled its plans to gradually end the lockdown in France from May 11. The announcement makes the completion […]

Lausanne (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and FIFA's former secretary general Jerome Valcke will be tried in September in a corruption case linked to the attribution of broadcasting rights, the Swiss judiciary said Tuesday. The two will be tried in the southeastern Swiss city of Bellinzona along with a third, unnamed man, for […]

London (AFP) – Scottish Professional Football League board members pleaded on Tuesday for an end to "recrimination and division" after Rangers sparked a general meeting to propose an independent investigation into a vote on how to end the season. The 42 clubs will cast ballots on May 12 on whether to instigate an external review […]

London (AFP) – The fiancee of murdered dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi wrote on Tuesday to the Premier League warning that a Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United would "tarnish" the reputation of the competition. Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and US resident, was killed in 2018 while at Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul to obtain paperwork […]

Paris (AFP) – French professional sports leagues including football and rugby cannot restart before September because of coronavirus restrictions, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Tuesday. Philippe made the announcement as part of a gradual plan to lift the lockdown in France. He said no event where more than 5,000 people gather would be allowed […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham became the latest Premier League club to open their doors to players on Tuesday as part of the "Project Restart" plan to finish the English top-flight season. The Premier League has been suspended since March 13 due to the coronavirus crisis but there is growing belief the campaign can be concluded […]

Berlin (AFP) – The Bundesliga could return by "the middle or end of May", Germany's sports ministers have said, as the league awaits the go-ahead from Angela Merkel's government to resume the season. The sports ministers of Germany's 16 states met Monday and announced in a statement that it is "justifiable" for the league to […]