London (AFP) – Derby midfielder Tom Lawrence has apologised for "a total error of judgement" after being charged with drink-driving last month. The Welshman and Rams forward Mason Bennett were charged with drink-driving after a crash on September 24 following an alcohol-fuelled night out with teammates. Derby club captain Richard Keogh also suffered a serious […]

Brighton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had to be stretchered from the field in severe pain after an awkward fall in conceding an early goal to Brighton on Saturday. The France captain was at fault for dropping a simple cross into the box before falling backwards as Neal Maupay headed into an […]

Lausanne (AFP) – Former UEFA president Michel Platini is finally free to return to football next week when his four-year ban for ethics violations ends, although he remains linked to a corruption investigation in his home country relating to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The former France captain and national coach went on to […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Riyad Mahrez is finally back to his best after a frustrating debut season with Manchester City and the Premier League champions are reaping the rewards as they fight to keep pace with title rivals Liverpool. When Pep Guardiola's side host Wolves on Sunday without the injured Kevin De Bruyne, Algeria […]

Newcastle (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits Manchester United are in for a bumpy ride as he tries to rebuild his struggling team, but Sunday's visit to Newcastle offers a golden opportunity to finally end their dismal away record. United's limp goalless Europa League draw at AZ Alkmaar on Thursday left them without […]

Amiens (France) (AFP) – Marseille are set to fall further back in the Ligue 1 title race after crashing 3-1 at Amiens on Friday and stretching their run without a win to four matches. Haitam Aleesami's early strike, Serhou Guirassy's 41st-minute penalty and a stoppage time counter-attack finished off by John Mendoza condemned Andre Villas-Boas's […]

Paris (AFP) – Roma starlet Nicolo Zaniolo has been brought back into the Italy fold from disciplinary exile after being picked by Roberto Mancini for his side's upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers with Greece and Liechtenstein. Higly-rated young talent Zaniolo, 20, was dropped by Mancini for last month's Group J wins over Armenia and Finland which […]

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – Former Southampton and Leicester coach Claude Puel has been appointed Saint-Etienne boss after Ghislain Printant was suspended, the French outfit announced on Friday. Puel, 58, who has signed a contract until 2022, returns to Ligue 1 with Saint-Etienne sitting second from bottom of the table having won twice in eight matches. […]

Berlin (AFP) – "Stay objective and modest" is the message Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac is telling his stars before they knuckle down in the Bundesliga on Saturday after running riot at Tottenham. Bayern hammered Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs 7-2 in London on Tuesday in the Champions League with Germany winger Serge Gnabry scoring four goals […]

Tehran (AFP) – Iran has "guaranteed" that 3,500 female football fans will be allowed in the stands for the Iran-Cambodia 2022 football World Cup qualifier on October 10, the official news agency IRNA reported Friday. Tehran has faced increased pressure to allow women to attend football matches since a female fan died after setting herself […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard has backed Tammy Abraham to score regularly for England after his impressive start to the season for Chelsea was rewarded with a call-up to the national squad. The 22-year-old was named in Gareth Southgate's squad for this month's Euro 2020 qualifiers in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria alongside Blues teammates […]

Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane insisted Friday that Thibaut Courtois was not the only one to blame for Real Madrid's midweek Champions League 2-2 draw with Club Brugge after the La Liga club denied the Belgian goalkeeper was suffering from anxiety. Zidane told a press conference that Courtois' place in the starting line up was […]

London (AFP) – The NFL's bid to grow the sport globally takes its next step on Sunday when the Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Tottenham opened their £1 billion stadium in April and the Premier League club's north London arena was constructed with their NFL partnership in mind. Wembley […]

London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp believes Brendan Rodgers will receive a warm welcome on his first return to Anfield as an opposition manager but is warning that Leicester will ensure it is "not a friendly game". Almost four years to the day since being sacked by Liverpool, the Northern Irishman will bring his high-flying Foxes […]

London (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has challenged Kyle Walker to prove Gareth Southgate wrong after the England manager left him out of his national squad for the second time this season. The Manchester City full-back has fallen behind Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier, now at Atletico Madrid, in Southgate's pecking order ahead of the […]