Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says he will listen to offers for unhappy players like Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin in next month's transfer window. Dutch winger Depay and French midfielder Schneiderlin, both signed in 2015 by Louis van Gaal, have been the biggest losers of Mourinho's first half-season in […]

Bournemouth (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Premier League champions Leicester City crashed to earth with a bump as Marc Pugh's 34th-minute goal earned Bournemouth a 1-0 win at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday. Leicester overwhelmed Pep Guardiola's Manchester City 4-2 on Saturday in a thrilling return to the form that carried them to last season's fairytale […]

Paris (AFP) – Marseille crashed out of the French League Cup on Tuesday after losing 4-3 on penalties to second-tier Sochaux following a 1-1 draw in their last-16 tie. Bouna Sarr fired the three-time champions ahead at the Stade Bonal but Moussa Sao swiftly responded to level for hosts Sochaux. Goalkeeper Christopher Dilo then saved […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Ashley Williams's 86th-minute header saw Everton return to form in spectacular fashion as they hit back to dent Arsenal's Premier League title hopes in a 2-1 victory on Tuesday. Wales defender Williams rose unmarked to head home Ross Barkley's corner in a major disappointment for the visitors, who had taken the lead […]

London (AFP) – Ashley Williams's 86th-minute header ended Arsenal's 14-game unbeaten run and kept Arsene Wenger's side from the Premier League summit as Everton claimed a much-needed 2-1 win on Tuesday. Arsenal would have provisionally supplanted leaders Chelsea on goal difference with victory and took a 20th-minute lead when Alexis Sanchez's free-kick deflected in off […]

Paris (AFP) – Former Portugal international Sergio Conceicao made a winning start as Nantes manager with a 3-1 victory over Montpellier in the last 16 of the French League Cup on Tuesday. Argentine striker Emiliano Sala struck either side of a Kevin Berigaud goal at the Stade de la Beaujoire as Nantes became the first […]

Doha (AFP) – Goals from Luiz Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar helped Barcelona beat Saudi champions Al-Ahli 5-3 in a thrilling friendly in Doha on Tuesday. The superstar trio all scored by the 17th minute, helping the Spanish giants to stroll into an early three-goal lead. And perhaps more importantly for Barcelona, it also ensured […]

Marseille (AFP) – The mother of Manchester United star Paul Pogba and Saint-Etienne defender Florentin Pogba told AFP she wants the teams to draw both games when they meet in the Europa League. Premier League giants United were paired with French side Saint-Etienne in the last 32 of Europe's second-tier competition on Monday, pitting the […]

London (AFP) – Premier League leaders Chelsea and Manchester City have been fined over the touchline brawl that erupted at the end of their recent league game, the Football Association announced on Tuesday. Chelsea were fined £100,000 ($126,760, 119,290 euros) and City £35,000 for "failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion […]

London (AFP) – Nike will continue to make England's kits until 2030 after the Football Association announced a new 12-year contract on Tuesday reported to be worth £400 million ($507.3 million, 477.3 million euros). The new deal, which will see all of England's 24 representative football teams clad in Nike kits, will benefit both grassroots […]

Milan (AFP) – A Chinese consortium in the process of buying AC Milan said Tuesday it had made a second 100-million-euro down payment, keeping the deal on track to be completed in March. According to the consortium's PR advisers, Sino-Europe Sports (SES) made the payment to Fininvest, the holding company of Milan's media tycoon owner, […]

In isolation, the TV viewing number of 1.411 million people who watched the 2016 MLS Cup final on English-language network television is a win. Yes, it's the most-watched MLS Cup Final since 2001. And the viewing number was much greater than the average viewing number for the MLS 2016 regular season (276,689). But before US soccer […]

Berlin (AFP) – RB Leipzig are targeting a quick return to the top of the Bundesliga table as they prepare to take on main rivals Hertha Berlin and Bayern Munich in quick succession. Having spent three weeks leading the German league, new boys RB Leipzig, backed by Austrian drinks giants Red Bull, were beaten 1-0 […]

The numbers are in for the 2016 MLS Cup final, but how do they compare with the viewing numbers for previous MLS Cup finals played on English-language US television? With the game being featured in primetime on a Saturday night on a network television station that's in 116 million homes, it's no wonder that the […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insists he will maintain his forward thinking football philosophy despite the club's recent downturn in results. City have won four games out of 15 in all competitions and have dropped to fourth in the Premier League table -– seven points behind leaders Chelsea -– following […]