London (AFP) – Former West Ham and Tottenham midfielder Martin Peters, who scored England's second goal in the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany, has died aged 76 following a long battle against Alzheimer's disease. Peters, whose death was announced by West Ham, was part of the Hammers trio of captain Bobby Moore and […]

Abu Dhabi (AFP) – Novak Djokovic says the main source of his motivation at this stage of his career is securing a lasting legacy rather than simply trying to win tennis matches and trophies. For nearly two years, from mid-2016 until mid-2018, the 32-year-old Serb had admittedly struggled with motivation after pulling off the historic […]

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – RB Leipzig will go into the Bundesliga winter break in first place after coming from behind to claim a 3-1 home win against Augsburg on Saturday. The German league starts a four-week winter break on Sunday and Leipzig's hard-fight home win left them three points clear. Borussia Moenchengladbach can draw level […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona go into the brief Spanish winter break on top of La Liga after a glittering show from Lionel Messi helped the defending champions beat Alaves 4-1 on Saturday. Real Madrid, who drew 0-0 in Barcelona in the midweek Clasico, can draw level top on 39 points but behind on goal difference […]

London (AFP) – Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta got a glimpse of the problems that lie ahead in their new jobs as they watched Everton and Arsenal share a dreadful 0-0 draw, while Southampton beat Aston Villa 3-1 in Saturday's Premier League relegation showdown. Former Napoli boss Ancelotti was confirmed as Everton's new manager on […]

The Hague (AFP) – Ajax and Netherlands defender Daley Blind has been diagnosed with a heart condition after suffering dizziness in a Champions League tie with Valencia, the Dutch club said Saturday. The news could put at risk the 29-year-old's availability for the Netherlands for the Euro 2020 championships, although Ajax gave no timescale for […]

London (AFP) – Everton appointed Carlo Ancelotti as the Toffees' new manager on a four-and-a-half year deal on Saturday in a major coup for a club mired in the bottom half of the Premier League table. Ancelotti, 60, watched Saturday's 0-0 draw with Arsenal from the stands at Goodison Park. He will take charge for […]

Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane insisted Saturday his key aim this season was to win La Liga with Real Madrid, but admitted they faced a thrilling challenge trying to outwit Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, who they meet in the last 16 of the Champions League. Zidane, who has won three Champions Leagues as a […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta were shown the huge jobs that lie ahead as Everton and Arsenal managers respectively as they watched their new sides play out a drab 0-0 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday. Ancelotti was confirmed as the Toffees new boss on the morning of the match, 24 hours […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho hopes Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen will follow Toby Alderweireld's lead to extend their stays at Spurs beyond the end of the season. Alderweireld ended long-running speculation over his future by signing a new contract till 2023 on Friday. Vertonghen and Eriksen have just over six months left […]

London (AFP) – New Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has won a sackful of trophies as a player and manager... and earned a reputation as a joker during his long career. AFP Sport picks out a selection of memorable quotes from and about the former Juventus, Chelsea and Real Madrid boss. -'Hope to God it works'- […]

London (AFP) – Everton haved turned to the vastly experienced Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager, with a brief to return the faded Premier League club to former glories. Ancelotti, 60, was sacked by Napoli last week but comes with a trophy-laden CV from spells at a clutch of Europe's top clubs, including Juventus, AC […]

London (AFP) – Everton appointed Carlo Ancelotti as the club's new manager on Saturday, with the experienced Italian taking charge at Goodison Park on a four-and-a-half year deal. Ancelotti, 60, will attend Saturday's Premier League clash with Arsenal, but will not take charge until the Boxing Day visit of Burnley. The three-time Champions League winning […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard insists he doesn't want to emulate Jose Mourinho's unique style as the Chelsea manager plots to out-wit his old boss in Sunday's crucial clash at Tottenham. Lampard's first Premier League meeting with Mourinho is the headline act in a fascinating derby that will determine which of the London rivals spends […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola insists he still has to earn a new contract at Manchester City despite winning five major trophies in the past two seasons. City are keen for Guardiola to commit to a deal beyond the current one that ends in 2021. But, in the midst of a frustrating season […]