Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund bosses have given their backing to under-fire club captain Marco Reus following his outburst on live television over points dropped in the Bundesliga title race. "You can write what you want. We have a clear position. Marco is our captain and will remain so — there is no reason to […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Unai Emery hopes to change "outside" perceptions of Granit Xhaka after naming the Swiss midfielder as the Gunners' new club captain. Xhaka has skippered Emery's men in all six games he has played so far this season following the departure of Laurent Koscielny to Bordeaux. However, Emery had held off […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard insists Chelsea are on course to finish in the Premier League's top four despite their spluttering start to his reign. Lampard's side are languishing in 11th, 10 points off early leaders Liverpool, after winning just twice in their first six league matches. However, they are just three points adrift of […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Former Portuguese international Silas was appointed coach of Sporting Libon on Friday, the club's third manager in just over three weeks and the fifth in less than 11 months. The 43-year-old former midfielder, capped three times for Portugal, replaced Leonel Pontes, who had been interim manager since Dutchman Marcel Keizer was dismissed […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Bernardo Silva has sent a letter to England's Football Association to apologise for any offence caused by a controversial tweet comparing Manchester City teammate Benjamin Mendy with a black cartoon character. Silva submitted the letter on Thursday after the FA had asked the club for their observations regarding the incident, […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany coach Joachim Loew gave his backing to the new president of the scandal-hit German Football Association (DFB), Fritz Keller, who vowed to regain lost trust in the DFB following his election Friday. "Fritz Keller has stood for professionalism, down-to-earth thinking and a great management culture for many, many years," said the […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham midfielder Moussa Sissoko extended his contract with the Champions League finalists until 2023 on Friday. The French international has become a key player for Mauricio Pochettino over the past two seasons after a slow start to his Spurs career following a £30 million ($37 million) move from Newcastle in 2016. "I'm […]

Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane insists Eden Hazard will fulfil his potential at Real Madrid despite a slow start since his 100 million euros ($109 million) move from Chelsea in the summer. Hazard picked up a thigh injury the day before Real's opening La Liga game against Celta Vigo and missed their first three matches […]

Paris (AFP) – Egypt's votes for national icon Mohamed Salah for the world's best player award were rejected by FIFA because they were signed in capital letters and deemed invalid, world football's governing body said Friday. Cairo had demanded an explanation after the results of voting for the FIFA Player of the Year were announced […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said the key to his side's stunning Premier League run of 15 straight wins was not believing the hype as he prepared for a trip to newly promoted Sheffield United on Saturday. The European champions can go eight points clear at the top of the table, at least […]

Doha (AFP) – As the World Athletics Championships get underway in Qatar on Friday, the environmental cost of holding a top-tier sporting event in a sweltering desert has been thrust into the global spotlight. Organisers insist they have taken steps to mitigate the impact of the athletics showcase and that the far larger 2022 football […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Lawyers for Brazilian footballer Neymar and Spanish champions Barcelona were meeting Friday in a last-ditch effort to untangle a contract dispute and avert a multi-million-dollar court battle. Neymar, the world's most expensive footballer, quit Barcelona in 2017 and joined Paris Saint-Germain in a stunning coup for the French club. The move angered […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Paul Pogba is a doubt for Manchester United's match against Arsenal, giving beleaguered manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a fresh headache as he juggles his scant attacking resources. The France midfielder hurt his ankle again in the League Cup match with Rochdale in midweek on his return to the side after […]

Berlin (AFP) – Julian Nagelsmann, coach of Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig, credits opposite number David Wagner with the transformation of midfielder Amine Harit from "enfant terrible" into a match-winner for Saturday's opponents Schalke. With three goals and as many assists, the 22-year-old Harit is in form as an attacking midfielder or left winger for Schalke, […]

Milan (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to return for Juventus on Saturday as Serie A leaders Milan head for Sampdoria seeking a boost ahead of their Champions League blockbuster against Barcelona next week. Antonio Conte's side are the only Italian team with maximum 15 points from five games with Maurizio Sarri's champions Juventus second […]