Los Angeles (AFP) – The 25th season of Major League Soccer kicks off on Saturday with two new teams joining the rapidly expanding league as it targets an increasingly prominent place on the US sporting landscape. A legacy of the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States, today's Major League Soccer bears little resemblance […]

Paris (AFP) – Youssef El-Arabi scored in the last minute of extra-time as Olympiakos knocked Arsenal out of the Europa League on Thursday on a night when four former European champions were eliminated. Ajax, Celtic, Benfica and Porto went out but Manchester United hardly broke sweat after Simon Deli of Brugge conceded a penalty and […]

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan booked their ticket to the Europa League last 16 on Thursday with a 2-1 win on the night and 4-1 on aggregate over Bulgarian club Ludogorets to deafening silence and a surreal atmosphere behind closed doors of their San Siro Stadium. The Italian government ordered the game be played in […]

Milan (AFP) – The clash between Juventus and title rivals Inter Milan is among five Serie A games which will be played behind closed doors this weekend because of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy, the Lega Serie A confirmed on Thursday. The other four are Udinese against Fiorentina, AC Milan at home to Genoa, Parma […]

Braga (Portugal) (AFP) – Wolves cruised through to the last 16 in the Europa League on Thursday despite a stuttering display in Spain while Roma also squeezed through and Bayer Leverkusen eliminated former European champions Porto in impressive style. In one of the evening's seven early matches, Wolves kicked off in a sparsely filled stadium […]

Lyon (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp recently labelled Juventus as the favourites to succeed his Liverpool side as winners of the Champions League, and Lionel Messi has also talked up the Italians' chances, but they looked nothing like contenders to lift the trophy as Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates fired blanks against Lyon on Wednesday. Juve […]

Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane said Real Madrid are down but not out in the Champions League yet the stark reality is their season could be over in March for a second year running if they keep unravelling in the Clasico on Sunday. In more than half a century of playing in Europe's premier competition, […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City's European ban means they are under enormous pressure to win the Champions League this season and they are one step closer after arguably their greatest result in the competition at Real Madrid. Nothing is won yet, not even after City's 2-1 victory in the first leg of the last-16 tie […]

London (AFP) – Premier League leaders Liverpool made a pre-tax profit of £42 million ($54 million) last year despite a record £223 million investment on players, figures showed on Thursday. While that top line is well below the record £125 million profit for the year ending May 2018, the rewards are being felt on the […]

London (AFP) – Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers is confident Jamie Vardy will end his current drought and reach a century of Premier League goals. The former England forward, 33, has scored 97 times in the top-flight but has failed to find the net in nine matches in all competitions. Rodgers, whose side travel to bottom […]

London (AFP) – Bayern Munich's 3-0 Champions League last 16 first leg victory over Chelsea on Tuesday made an impression on US rock star Jon Bon Jovi for the relaxed way the German side prepared for the game. The 57-year-old is in London to record a special song for Prince Harry's Invictus Game Foundation for military […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – A double blow of the coronavirus and a new salary cap has seen the bottom fall out of Chinese football's transfer market, while Odion Ighalo led what could become an exodus of foreign stars. Shanghai SIPG smashed the Asian transfer record when they signed Oscar from Chelsea three years ago for […]

Madrid (AFP) – Pep Guardiola warned his Manchester City players that Real Madrid are more than capable of a Champions League fightback after a historic 2-1 last 16, first leg win for the English champions at the Santiago Bernabeu. City struck twice in the final 12 minutes through Gabriel Jesus and a Kevin De Bruyne […]

Madrid (AFP) – Manchester City secured the landmark Champions League win they have long waited for as Pep Guardiola's men came from behind to beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Isco's goal from a rare City mistake on the hour mark threatened to inflict another hard luck story on the biggest stage for […]

Madrid (AFP) – Kevin De Bruyne orchestrated a dramatic Manchester City comeback on Wednesday as they stunned Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu to put one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals. Madrid looked on course to edge a cagey contest after Isco's smart finish early in the second half, but De Bruyne teed […]