Paris (AFP) – As Ligue 1 kicks off on Friday, French clubs are wrestling with how do cope with an unfamiliar presence at their games: the fans. Last season, Covid-19 restrictions meant matches were played either in empty, or almost-empty, stadiums. At the end of June, the French government removed attendance caps, instead requiring vaccination […]

Kashima (Japan) (AFP) – Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd both scored twice as the United States claimed a consolation bronze in the Olympic women's football tournament Thursday with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Australia. Rapinoe, who refused to speculate on her international future after the semi-final loss to Canada, scored direct from a corner in […]

Kashima (Japan) (AFP) – Megan Rapinoe scored twice, including direct from a corner, as the United States claimed a consolation bronze in the Olympic women's football tournament Thursday with a 4-3 victory over Australia. Rapinoe, who refused to speculate on her international future after the semi-final loss to Canada, struck either side of a Sam […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo admits he is yet to speak to Harry Kane about the striker's absence from pre-season training as he tries to force a move to Manchester City. Kane failed to report for his scheduled pre-season coronavirus and fitness tests on Monday. After an extended break in the Bahamas, […]

London (AFP) – Leicester defender Wesley Fofana said on Thursday he suffered a broken leg in his side's pre-season friendly against Villarreal. Fofana sustained the fractured fibula when he was tackled by Villarreal forward Nino the second half at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday. The France under-21s centre-back had lengthy treatment on the pitch, […]

Paris (AFP) – A heavily reinforced Paris Saint-Germain will attempt to wrestle back the Ligue 1 title from surprise champions Lille when the new season begins this weekend in France with supporters set to return en masse but clubs mired in an economic crisis. Ligue 1 kicks off on Friday when Monaco play Nantes, a […]

Monaco (AFP) – Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni said the monkey chants and death threats he suffered in a Champions League match in the Czech Republic will "not get to my head" but they "should not remain unpunished". The French Under-21 international scored his team's opening goal in a 2-0 at at Sparta Prague on Tuesday. However, his […]

London (AFP) – Journeyman striker and former England international Danny Ings joined Aston Villa from Southampton on a three-year deal on Wednesday, the Premier League club announced. The 29-year-old arrives on the same day Villa announced the signing of Jamaican striker Leon Bailey from Bayer Leverkusen on a deal running until 2025. With Villa bracing […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Mexican strikers Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Carlos Vela will lead the Major League Soccer All-Stars against the Mexican League All-Stars, MLS announced on Wednesday. The US and Canadian league unveiled a 28-player roster for the MLS All-Star Game on August 25 at Los Angeles, where Hernandez played for the LA Galaxy […]

Monaco (AFP) – Dutch international striker Myron Boadu has left AZ Alkmaar to join Monaco on a five-year deal, the Ligue 1 side announced on Wednesday. The 20-year-old, who scored in his first appearance for the Netherlands in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Estonia in November 2019, made his Eredivisie debut at 17 years of […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker signed a six-year contract extension with the Premier League club on Wednesday. Brazil's Alisson has established himself as one of the world's top keepers since arriving at Anfield from Roma for £66 million ($91 million) in 2018. He has won the Champions League, the Premier League and the […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk is taking a cautious approach as he prepares for the next step in his return from injury against Bologna on Thursday. Van Dijk is likely to make a brief appearance in the Bologna friendly in addition to the 20 minutes he played against Hertha Berlin last week. […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal's Bukayo Saka has been presented with thousands of letters of support after he was racially abused following his penalty miss in England's Euro 2020 final defeat against Italy. Saka endured vile taunts on social media after missing the decisive penalty in the shoot-out at Wembley. His England team-mates Marcus Rashford and […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City are on the verge of signing Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish in a British record £100 million ($139 million) deal, according to reports on Wednesday. City made their blockbuster bid for Grealish on Friday and now it appears Villa are ready to let their captain move to the Etihad Stadium. […]

Rome (AFP) – Christian Eriksen on Wednesday met his Inter Milan teammates for the first time since suffering cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, in a visit to the Italian champions' training ground. In a statement, Inter said that Eriksen, 29, paid a visit to the training centre at Appiano Gentile outside Milan on Wednesday morning. […]