Kingston upon Hull (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes winger Raheem Sterling has recaptured his best form in time for the club's hectic festive programme in the Premier League. Sterling, 22, made a superb start to the season under incoming manager Guardiola, but then the England winger endured a difficult period […]

London (AFP) – Antonio Conte's first few months as Chelsea manager could hardly have gone any better as his side head into the holiday period six points clear at the Premier League summit. The west London club face Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Monday seeking a 12th successive league victory, which would leave them two […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea's Antonio Conte and his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola are among the Premier League managers who will sample England's Boxing Day football extravaganza for the first time on Monday. While the rest of the population gorges on Christmas turkey dinners and knocks back festive drinks, 16 teams will be gearing up […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard admitted on Saturday he would relish a return to Chelsea as a player and is keen to rejoin the Premier League leaders in some capacity even if he is not offered a deal. The former England midfielder is Chelsea's all-time leading goalscorer and is keeping his options open after leaving […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Ten-man Celtic gave their fans some Christmas cheer as they maintained their 14-point lead on top of the Scottish Premiership with a 3-0 win over Hamilton on Saturday. Leigh Griffiths scored on the stroke of half-time before Callum McGregor saw red a minute after the interval for his second bookable offence. Despite […]

One of the major benefits of the battle between streaming companies to win customers in the United States is that the consumers are the ones that are being offered special deals to entice them to sign up. As of press time, here are the latest deals to encourage you to sign up: • Sling TV: Get […]

Berlin (AFP) – Julian Draxler had the world at his feet when Wolfsburg paid Schalke 35 million euros ($37.3m) back in August 2015 for Germany's rising star. "We're convinced Julian will develop further with us," beamed Wolfsburg's then-director of sport Klaus Allofs with Draxler signed as a playmaker to replace Kevin De Bruyne, who had […]

The clock had just ticked a second or two past 10pm, and I was on my way back from the swimming pool as I would be on most Sunday nights. In a routine move, I reached into my pocket to check my phone for any missed calls or texts. I pulled it out, and as […]

London (AFP) – Crystal Palace's new manager Sam Allardyce described losing the England manager's job as "one of the darkest moments in my career" in a television interview broadcast on Saturday. Allardyce, 62, lasted just 67 days as England boss after he was axed for making indiscreet comments to undercover newspaper journalists, with Gareth Southgate […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg confirmed Saturday their World Cup-winning midfielder Julian Draxler will join Paris Saint-German during the January transfer window on a four-and-a-half year contract. "We have had intense and constructive discussions with Julian Draxler and his management as well as with Paris Saint-Germain in recent days and finally achieved a very […]

London (AFP) – Former Manchester United manager David Moyes says the club have abandoned their traditions ahead of his return to Old Trafford with Sunderland on Boxing Day. Moyes, 53, lasted just 10 months as United manager after succeeding his Scottish compatriot Alex Ferguson at the helm in May 2013. His two successors, Louis van […]

Beijing (AFP) – Beijing's dream of making China a football powerhouse depends on millions of children taking up the sport, but even coaches say tradition-minded parents view the game as a wasteful distraction from school. China's President Xi Jinping, an avowed fan of the game, has declared three goals for the country: to host, qualify, […]

London (AFP) – Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace appointed Sam Allardyce as their new boss on Friday in a swift return to the dugout for the former England manager. The former Bolton and West Ham manager's one-match reign in charge of the national side ended in September following a newspaper sting. "We are delighted to […]

Doha (AFP) – AC Milan celebrated wildly after beating Juventus to win the Italian Super Cup in a penalty shoot-out to win their first trophy since 2011 on Friday. Mario Pasilic blasted home the final spot kick to give AC Milan a 4-3 victory on penalties after a hard fought match was locked at 1-1 […]

Doha (AFP) – AC Milan beat Juventus to win the Italian Super Cup on Thursday in a penalty shootout, the first trophy the Rossoneri have won since 2011. Mario Pasilic blasted home the final spot kick to give AC Milan a 4-3 victory on penalties after a hard fought 1-1 deadlock at 90 minutes and […]