Warsaw (AFP) – South American nations will be able to join the UEFA Nations League from 2024, UEFA vice-president Zbigniew Boniek has said, in a move that would undermine FIFA's planned biennial World Cup. "This is the last Nations League in this format," Boniek said in an interview with the Polish sports news portal Meczyki […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund are waiting on chief defender Mats Hummels and goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who both have colds, ahead of their final Bundesliga game of the year at Hertha Berlin on Saturday. "We have to see how they get on," Dortmund coach Marco Rose said Friday. Second-placed Dortmund are six points behind Bundesliga […]

London (AFP) – Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard revealed there is "constant paraonia" over the status of his players after a glut of Premier League postponements due to coronavirus outbreaks. Five of the previously scheduled 10 matches due to take place on Saturday and Sunday have been called off, taking the total number of postponed […]

Rome (AFP) – Christian Eriksen has terminated his contract with Inter Milan by mutual consent six months after suffering a heart incident whilst playing for Denmark at the European Championships. The 29-year-old has been fitted with a pacemaker, ruling him out of playing in Italian football, but leaving the door open in other championships. "Inter […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was forced to cancel a pre-match press conference on Friday after returning an inconclusive coronavirus test result. Guardiola must now await the result of a follow-up PCR test before finding out if he will be able to lead the English champions for Sunday's trip to […]

Paris (AFP) – Just as global sports had rediscovered its brio and the welcome return to full stadia the Omicron coronavirus variant threatens to once again plunge it into chaos. AFP Sports casts an eye over the state of play in various sports across the globe: Football — Premier League Brentford manager Thomas Frank has […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Friday called for more clarity from the Premier League after a glut of coronavirus postponements, saying it was vital to maintain the fairness of the competition. Only five games of the previously scheduled 10 are due to take place on Saturday and Sunday, taking the total number […]

London (AFP) – The Premier League on Thursday postponed six more matches due to the wave of coronavirus infections hitting Britain, but said it intended to "continue its current fixture schedule where safely possible" as calls for a circuit break intensified. Leicester's scheduled match against Tottenham was postponed just hours before kick-off on Thursday. Five […]

London (AFP) – The Premier League have postponed four more matches this weekend as the coronavirus crisis wreaked further havoc on the English top-flight on Thursday. Covid outbreaks across the Premier League forced officials to cancel Southampton's game against Brentford, Watford's meeting with Crystal Palace and West Ham's fixture against Norwich on Saturday. Leicester's trip […]

Paris (AFP) – England, Italy and Germany were placed in the same group in the draw for the next edition of the UEFA Nations League on Thursday. Hungary will complete Group A3, the pick of the groups for the competition which will be played between June next year and June 2023. The draw means England […]

Rome (AFP) – Promoted Salernitana remain in danger of being thrown out of Serie A after failing to find a buyer two weeks before a deadline set by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the club said Thursday. According to FIGC rules, two clubs under the same ownership cannot play in the same division. The club […]

London (AFP) – Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has vowed not to quit the troubled Premier League club but admits he may not be safe from the sack during his side's dismal run. Bielsa's side are five points above the Premier League's relegation zone after an embarrassing 7-0 hammering at Manchester City on Tuesday. It was […]

Madrid (AFP) – Four more Real Madrid players, including Gareth Bale, tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, joining Marcelo and Luka Modric, whose positives were announced the day before. "Real Madrid C. F. informs that our players Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale, Andriy Lunin and Rodrygo, and our head assistant coach Davide Ancelotti have tested positive […]

London (AFP) – A quarter of footballers in England's three divisions below the Premier League do not intend to be vaccinated against coronavirus as a new wave of infections threatens to bring the season to a standstill. The English Football League (EFL) released vaccination figures on Thursday, with 10 weekend matches postponed so far in […]

Paris (AFP) – Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic on Thursday expressed his fear that the Africa Cup of Nations, due to kick off in Cameroon on January 9, could be called off due to the renewed threat of Covid-19 and the possibility that European clubs might not release players for the tournament. "With the health situation, […]