Sunderland (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Five-year-old match mascot Bradley Lowery, who is battling cancer, had his name chanted and received a minute's applause in the fifth minute of the Premier League game between Sunderland and Everton on Monday. The youngster is presently undergoing chemotherapy after his cancer returned and his parents have launched an appeal […]

Paris (AFP) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits that he has turned down several approaches from Paris Saint-Germain down the years out of loyalty to the London club. Wenger will this month celebrate 20 years at the helm of Arsenal, although if PSG had their way he could have been in the home dugout at […]

Ajaccio (France) (AFP) – Former Burkina Faso international Ben Idrissa Derme suffered a massive heart attack and died during a French third round Cup tie in Corsica at the weekend. The 34-year-old central defender dropped to the floor just after the second half had kicked off and despite the swift arrival of medical services, they […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United have written off Bastian Schweinsteiger as an "exceptional" multi-million item in their latest published accounts, even though the Germany international has been sidelined by manager Jose Mourinho. The 32-year-old joined United from Bayern Munich before the start of last season when former manager Louis van Gaal was still in charge […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United became the first British football club to earn more than half a billion pounds in a single year after announcing Monday total revenue of £515.3 million ($683.5 million, 608.9 million euros) for the year ending June 30, 2016. The Premier League giants also declared a record operating profit of £68.9 […]

Paris (AFP) – World football's governing body FIFA has given the green light for disgraced former UEFA president Michel Platini to address Wednesday's UEFA Congress in Athens, triggering anger in Germany. A source close to Platini, currently serving a four-year ban, said last week he would attend the meeting of European football's governing body, when the […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain's Italian midfielder Marco Verratti has challenged troubled Ligue 1 new boy Mario Balotelli to concentrate on his football all week long and not just on matchdays. The former AC Milan, Manchester City and Liverpool striker scored twice on his debut for French outfit Nice on Sunday, where he is trying […]

Here are the ten things we learned from Week 27 of the 2016 MLS season. 1. Landon Donovan Returns Landon’s back. Back again. Two days after re-signing with the LA Galaxy for the remainder of the 2016 season, Landon Donovan made his second debut for his hometown club in the 83rd minute of LA’s 4-2 […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona coach Luis Enrique expects the Spanish champions to suffer no after-effects from their shock La Liga defeat to Alaves when Celtic make their Champions League return at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. Enrique was in the firing line after leaving Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez on the bench among seven changes […]

London (AFP) – Crystal Palace's Pape Souare was taken to hospital on Sunday following a car accident, the Premier League club announced Monday. The 26-year-old Senegal defender sustained thigh and jaw injuries during the crash and will remain in hospital to receive treatment, the south London side said. "The club are liaising closely with the […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Giovani dos Santos scored twice as the Los Angeles Galaxy beat Orlando City 4-2 in a match that marked the return to the MLS of Landon Donovan. Donovan, the league's all-time leading scorer, didn't enter the contest at Los Angeles' StubHub Center stadium until the 83rd minute and he did not […]

Paris (AFP) – UEFA, the richest and most powerful continental football confederation, elects a new president this week as it confronts a growing challenge to its cash-cow Champions League. The 55-member European confederation must choose between Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin, 48, and veteran Dutch administrator Michael van Praag, 68, to finish the term of the tainted […]

Paris (AFP) – Unai Emery arrived in France with a reputation as one of Europe's brightest coaching talents, but he admits that he has moved out of his "comfort zone" by taking the Paris Saint-Germain job. The 44-year-old Spaniard leads the French giants into their Champions League opener against Arsenal at the Parc des Princes […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola takes charge of his first Champions League group game as Manchester City manager on Tuesday when Borussia Moenchengladbach visit the Etihad Stadium in Group C. Here are five reasons why City could win the Champions League this season. 1. They've got Guardiola City finally landed Guardiola after assiduously […]

Paris (AFP) – AFP Sports looks ahead to Tuesday's opening round of group matches in the Champions League as Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City kick off their respective European campaigns (all kick-offs 1945 GMT): Group A At Paris Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Arsenal (ENG) Under-pressure PSG coach Unai Emery makes his Champions […]