Paris (AFP) – With French football reeling this season due to repeated incidents of crowd violence, Lille's achievement in reaching the Champions League last 16 comes as a much-needed bright spot. While an all-star Paris Saint-Germain dominate the headlines, Lille have followed up their remarkable Ligue 1 title triumph last season by making it through […]

Portland (AFP) – New York City boss Ronny Deila says his team are ready to rip up the form book once more when they take on the Portland Timbers in Oregon on Saturday looking to claim the club's first Major League Soccer crown. After an Eastern Conference playoff run which included away victories over the […]

Sao Paulo (AFP) – Brazilian football great Pele downplayed his latest health issue Thursday after he was hospitalized to undergo chemotherapy for a colon tumor, saying he would be there for just "a few days." "I have been having small chemotherapy sessions as part of my treatment. Today I'm at Albert Einstein (hospital) doing the […]

Paris (AFP) – France was to try one of the country's most prominent football pundits over sexual assault, prosecutors and his lawyer said, after he was detained for questioning Thursday. Pierre Menes, 58, lost his job earlier this year for the Canal Plus channel over a number of complaints made against him by women. A […]

Bergamo (Italy) (AFP) – Arnaut Danjuma struck twice as Villarreal won 3-2 away to Atalanta on Thursday in a match rearranged after heavy snowfall to clinch the final spot in the Champions League last 16. The Dutch international put Atalanta ahead inside three minutes and Etienne Capoue doubled the lead shortly before half-time on another […]

London (AFP) – Napoli sent Leicester crashing out of the Europa League as the Italian side advanced to the knockout stages with a 3-2 win in a dramatic conclusion to Group C on Thursday. Leicester were top of the group going into the final round of matches, but Brendan Rodgers' team were condemned to an […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham's Premier League game at Brighton on Sunday has been postponed due to a severe coronavirus outbreak at the north London club. Eight Tottenham players and five staff members have tested positive for the virus, forcing the postponement of Thursday's Europa Conference League tie against Rennes. Tottenham asked Premier League chiefs to […]

Milan (AFP) – AC Milan will turn their attention to cementing top spot in Italy this weekend after the gulf between the Serie A leaders and Europe's best was exposed. Milan have been revitalised over the last two years under coach Stefano Pioli but crashed out of the Champions League after being comfortably beaten by […]

Berlin (AFP) – Domenico Tedesco has been tasked with reviving RB Leipzig's season after being named full-time head coach on Thursday on a two-year contract. The 36-year-old Italy-born coach fills the vacancy left when American Jesse Marsch was sacked by the Bundesliga club on Sunday after just four months in charge. Tedesco, who has dual […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich said Thursday that star midfielder Joshua Kimmich would not return to action until January as he recovers from lung damage caused by Covid-19. Kimmich, who is unvaccinated, tested positive for coronavirus last month. "I'm happy my self-isolation caused by the coronavirus has ended," said Kimmich, expected to be one of […]

Paris (AFP) – French prosecutors have detained for questioning one of France's most prominent football pundits in a sexual assault probe, prosecutors and sources close to the case said on Thursday. Pierre Menes, 58, lost his job earlier this year for the Canal Plus channel over a number of complaints made against him by women. […]

Madrid (AFP) – Xavi Hernandez said the Europa League is not where Barcelona belong, but another chastening defeat by Bayern Munich on Wednesday showed again how far they are from the Champions League elite. After six games played in Group E, Barca had scored two goals in a pair of 1-0 victories over Dynamo Kiev. […]

London (AFP) – European football's governing body UEFA has confirmed that Tottenham's Europa Conference League game with Rennes on Thursday is off after a coronavirus outbreak in the Spurs camp. Tottenham announced on Wednesday that the Group G fixture would not take place after 13 players and members of staff tested positive for Covid-19 at […]

Sao Paulo (AFP) – Brazilian football legend Pele has been hospitalized for treatment of a previously identified colon tumor, his doctors said Wednesday, the latest health issue for the 81-year-old icon. The three-time world champion was admitted to Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo "for follow-up treatment of the colon tumor identified in September this […]

Bergamo (Italy) (AFP) – Atalanta's Champions League showdown with Villarreal has been postponed until Thursday evening due to heavy snowfall in Bergamo, the Italian club confirmed on Wednesday. "Atalanta-Villarreal will be played tomorrow, Thursday 9 (December), at 19 CET (1800 GMT)," the Serie A outfit said in a statement. Villarreal also confirmed the new kick-off […]