Nantong (China) (AFP) – On a sweltering day in eastern China a squad of footballers wearing blindfolds hurtles after a ringing ball, occasionally clattering painfully into each other. But Jiangsu province's blind football team hardly care — even when they break the odd bone — because the sport is a rewarding break from the massage […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United's acquisition of Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £50 million ($61 million) in June raised eyebrows for a right-back with fewer than half a century of senior appearances in a far less pressurised environment at Crystal Palace. But the opening two games of the Premier League campaign have suggested the capture […]

Brussels (AFP) – Vincent Kompany might have been seen as the saviour when he returned to Anderlecht as player-manager, but early results suggest it will take time for the 33-year-old to make his mark on Belgium's most successful club. Anderlecht caused a sensation when they announced in May the appointment of Kompany, a product of […]

London (AFP) – Early Premier League leaders Liverpool and Arsenal face-off, while Frank Lampard is under pressure to deliver his first win as Chelsea boss at Norwich on Saturday. One of the only two remaining 100 percent records in the Premier League will go at Anfield where the European champions will hope to continue a […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi could be ready to play against Real Betis on Sunday and Barcelona could do with him back. In other circumstances, Messi might have left it another week, having missed the whole of pre-season with a calf injury he sustained in his first training session back. But after re-joining his team-mates […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus begin their Serie A campaign at Parma on Saturday looking to push their record Scudetto run to nine but with a different style of football under new coach Maurizio Sarri, who will miss the opening fixtures with pneumonia. Behind, Napoli and Inter Milan are waiting in the wings hopeful that Sarri's […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Arsenal manager Unai Emery's concession that his side "don't want to play against Liverpool ever" was hardly the rallying cry of a confident man leading his side to Anfield on Saturday. But the Spaniard will have a much better grasp of what the Gunners are capable of achieving this season on the […]

Paris (AFP) – Wolves moved to the brink of the Europa League group stages on Thursday with an impressive 3-2 play-off, first leg win at Torino. The English Premier League side, playing in their first European campaign since 1981, went ahead through an own-goal from Gleison Bremer just before half-time. Diogo Jota made it 2-0 […]

Florence (Italy) (AFP) – Franck Ribery said Thursday his hunger for success drove him to turn down lucrative offers from clubs in China and the Middle East in favour of Serie A's Fiorentina in Italy. The former French international left Bayern Munich as a free agent after 12 seasons during which he earned the nickname […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Niger Tornadoes captain Mustapha Aliko is upbeat ahead of a CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round second leg against Santoba in Guinea this weekend even though the Nigerian club are in trouble. Tornadoes lost 2-1 at home, meaning they must not only win in Conakry but score at least twice to avoid an […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri will miss the Serie A champions' first two games of the new season against Parma and Napoli as he recovers from pneumonia, the Italian club confirmed on Thursday. "Maurizio Sarri underwent further medical tests today, which showed a good clinical improvement," they said in a statement. "To completely […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – South African clubs Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates are among five former CAF Champions League trophy-holders trailing by one goal on aggregate ahead of preliminary round second legs this weekend. "Otoho will sit back and park the bus," says Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane of the Congo Brazzaville side who hold a 2-1 […]

Berlin (AFP) – Brazilian star midfielder Philippe Coutinho will not make his first Bundesliga start when Bayern Munich travel to Schalke on Saturday, said coach Niko Kovac Thursday. Coutinho, 27, has been the talk of Germany since joining Bayern on a one-year loan deal from Barcelona earlier this week. Yet at a press conference on […]

Milan (AFP) – Former Azzurri international Gianluca Vialli is leading a group of investors who are close to buying Serie A club Sampdoria, according to reports in Italy on Thursday. Club owner Massimo Ferrero's group have signed a letter of intent with Vialli's consortium to conduct exclusive negotiations until September for the transfer of ownership, Sky […]

Paris (AFP) – Neymar remains no closer to getting his desired move away from Paris Saint-Germain amid reports Thursday the French club have rejected an offer from Real Madrid of 100 million euros ($111 million) plus players. French sports daily L'Equipe said Real had offered cash plus Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and goalkeeper Keylor Navas, […]