London (AFP) – Italy striker Graziano Pelle has joined Chinese side Shandong Luneng from Southampton for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club announced on Monday. Pelle, 30, was part of the Italy team that reached the Euro 2016 quarter-finals and scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for Southampton following his arrival from Feyenoord in […]

Paris (AFP) – Didier Deschamps will remain as coach of France and lead them into the looming 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign despite their stunning upset by Portugal in the European Championship final. France turned to Deschamps when the pressure was on and he narrowly missed a triumph that would have made him one of […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich's new coach Carlo Ancelotti said Monday he would stick to his predecessor Pep Guardiola's offensive strategy for the Bundesliga giants, pledging to "try to win every competition". "I come after a fantastic manager ... and I will try to follow (him with) good football, and offensive football," Ancelotti said in […]

Paris (AFP) – UEFA on Monday named French forward and tournament top scorer Antoine Griezmann as the best player of Euro 2016, a day after the hosts' 1-0 final defeat to Portugal. "Antoine Griezmann was a threat in every game he played. He works hard for his team and possesses technique, vision and quality finishing," […]

Lisbon (AFP) – The Portugal football team led by Cristiano Ronaldo returned home to a heroes' welcome Monday after their upset triumph over France in the Euro 2016 final. Tens of thousands of fans waited for the team at Lisbon airport when their special flight arrived. There have been joyous nationwide celebrations since the 1-0 […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo's victorious Portugal team prepared to return home to a triumphant welcome Monday after their shock 1-0 win over France in the European Championship final, the country's first international title. The Real Madrid superstar was stretchered off the Stade de France pitch in tears in the first half late on Sunday, […]

Paris (AFP) – The open-top bus for the victory parade was ready and President Francois Hollande said France's success at Euro 2016 was helping the country to heal from the Paris attacks — but the party fell flat. Authorities had braced for mass celebrations if France — a country still on high terrorist alert — […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Central Lisbon was taken over by dancing fans, faces painted red, green and yellow and waving national flags after Portugal's stunning win over France in the Euro 2016 final Sunday. Tens of thousands of screaming supporters flooded the streets to celebrate Portugal's 1-0 victory — the country's first international title delivered even […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Frank Lampard scored his fourth goal in five games but it was not enough to stop New York City FC from slipping to a 3-1 defeat at Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer. Former Chelsea and England star Lampard on Sunday stroked in a 14th-minute equaliser for City after Brazilian midfielder […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – Former Birmingham City owner Carson Yeung on Monday lost his appeal in Hong Kong's top court against a six-year prison sentence for money laundering. The 56-year-old was jailed for six years in March 2014 on five charges of laundering HK$721 million (US$93 million) in a case that gripped the southern Chinese […]

Paris (AFP) – A thundering out-of-the-blue shot by substitute Eder gave Portugal a shock 1-0 win over France in the European Championship final, delivering the country's first international title as superstar Cristiano Ronaldo watched injured from the touchline. Ronaldo was stretchered off in tears in the first half and limped on crying with joy again […]

Paris (AFP) – Tipped to emulate France's 1984European champions and 1998 World Cup winners, the 'Griezmann Generation's bitter Euro 2016 final defeat by Portugal will take some getting over. After sweeping past world champions Germany in the semi-finals, the stage was set for Antoine Griezmann and his team-mates to lead France to a third major tournament […]

Paris (AFP) – Euro 2016 golden boot Antoine Griezmann suffered a second heartbreaking defeat in weeks when France lost to Portugal in Sunday's final. "It's frustrating, it sucks, but that's football," said the 25-year-old marksman who also missed a penalty when his Atletico Madrid club side lost to arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Champions League […]

Paris (AFP) – French football fans slumped in disappointment after their team fell at the final hurdle on home soil, losing in extra-time to Portugal in Euro 2016. In the fan zone at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, 90,000 supporters went silent as Eder scored the goal that crushed the hopes of the host […]

Paris (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo wept with sadness and joy as substitute Eder's extra-time goal saw Portugal beat hosts France 1-0 in Sunday's Euro 2016 final to win their first major tournament. Ronaldo was stretchered off in the first half after being injured by Dimitri Payet, but returned to the touchline to see Eder's long […]