London Colney (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Mikel Arteta has praised the character of Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after his skipper missed a late chance as the Gunners suffered a shock Europa League exit at the hands of Olympiakos. The Gunners lost 2-1 after extra time at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday and that meant they […]

Brighton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Jordan Ayew's goal lifted Crystal Palace to a 1-0 victory at Brighton in the Premier League that left the hosts still looking for their first win of 2020. Saturday's loss at their Amex Stadium ground meant Brighton have drawn five and lost four of their last nine games in all […]

Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane said the Clasico on Sunday will not decide the title race even if Real Madrid lose to Barcelona and fall five points behind them in La Liga. Yet opposite number Quique Setien believes Barca's two-point cushion at the top makes the match at the Santiago Bernabeu "much more important for […]

London (AFP) – Leroy Sane ramped up his return from injury as the Manchester City winger played 57 minutes with the club's under-23 side on Friday. Germany international Sane has not played since suffering a knee ligament injury in the Community Shield against Liverpool in August. Sane, who was PFA Young Player of the Year […]

Norwich (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Norwich boosted their bid for Premier League survival as Jamal Lewis fired the bottom club to a crucial 1-0 win over third-placed Leicester on Friday. Daniel Farke's side ended a four-game winless run as they took three points for just the second time in 15 league matches. Norwich were in […]

Paris (AFP) – Marseille strengthened their grip on second place in Ligue 1 as Dario Benedetto scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 win at lowly Nimes on Friday. The 29-year-old Argentina international, who joined from Boca Juniors last year, has now scored 11 league goals this season. Andre Villas-Boas' Marseille now sit 11 points clear […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Mohamed Ounajem struck a brilliant goal for Zamalek as they defeated trophy-holders Esperance 3-1 on Friday in their CAF Champions League quarter-final first leg in Cairo. The Moroccan attacker controlled a loose ball with his chest, pushed it forward with his thigh and unleashed an unstoppable looping shot into the roof of […]

Belfast (AFP) – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has refused to rule out postponing international football matches in response to the escalating global threat of the coronavirus. This weekend's matches in the leading two divisions in Switzerland, where football's global governing body FIFA has its headquarters, were postponed on Friday after the government banned all events […]

Milan (AFP) – Three players from third-division Italian football club US Pianese have tested positive for coronavirus, the Tuscany side confirmed on Friday. "At the moment those infected are four, three players and a team offical," the Siena-based club said in a statement. "The first is a young player who had started to experience a […]

Madrid (AFP) – Quique Setien admitted it was strange to take charge of a club sitting top of the table but Barcelona's new coach heads into the Clasico on Sunday with a chance to take charge of the title race. Barca can go five points clear of Real in La Liga with a victory at […]

London (AFP) – The cost of life outside the Champions League was made clear when Arsenal published accounts showing the club had made a loss of £27.1 million ($34.6 million). Friday's financial revelations –the Gunners' first overall loss in nearly 20 years — followed their shock last 32 Europa League exit at the hands of […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard has dismissed reports Kepa Arrizabalaga wants to leave Chelsea after the world's most expensive goalkeeper was dropped following a series of costly mistakes. Blues boss Lampard has picked Willy Caballero instead of Kepa for Chelsea's past five matches. Kepa, who joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao for £72 million ($92 million) […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus have called off their pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's Serie A clash against title-rivals Inter Milan because of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy. The match is among five Serie A games in the north of the country, which has been hardest hit by the virus, and will be played behind […]

London (AFP) – Premier League clubs Newcastle and West Ham have introduced a handshake ban to protect against the spread of the coronavirus, their managers said on Friday. Sports events across the world are increasingly being disrupted by the virus although the Premier League programme is currently unaffected. "There's a ritual here that everybody shakes […]

Dijon (France) (AFP) – With his path to the Juventus first team blocked by stiff competition, Stephy Mavididi is finally coming into his own at Dijon, in what is effectively his first full season at the top level. A late arrival on loan from Juventus at the end of the summer transfer window, the 21-year-old […]