Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane's son, Enzo, scored on his senior debut as the European champions brushed aside third tier Cultural Leonesa to progress into the last 16 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. Enzo, 21, and the oldest of Zidane's four sons, all of whom play at different levels in […]

Moscow (AFP) – Zenit St Petersburg bounced back from a disappointing defeat in their previous Premier League match at Krasnodar beating Ufa 2-0 on Wednesday to narrow the gap on leaders Spartak Moscow. The late goals by Brazilian Giuliano and Russian international forward Alexander Kokorin set Saint Petersburg side on their way to a hard-fought win […]

Milan (AFP) – Serie A strugglers Palermo joined fellow top flight side Empoli in crashing out of the Italian Cup following defeat to second division La Spezia on Wednesday. Palermo sit bottom of Serie A after registering a club record seventh consecutive defeat, a 1-0 reverse at home to Lazio, at the weekend. Coach Roberto […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was hit with a touchline ban for the second time this season and will have to watch Wednesday's League Cup quarter-final with West Ham from the stands. The 53-year-old Portuguese, who served a one-match touchline ban earlier this season after an altercation with referee Mark Clattenburg, has […]

Lausanne (AFP) – A Swiss corruption probe into the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany was broadened on Wednesday to include former FIFA general secretary Urs Linsi after police raided homes. Switzerland's attorney general's office (OAG) opened an investigation last year into fraud and money laundering allegations against four members of the 2006 […]

London (AFP) – Gareth Southgate was appointed England's new full-time manager on Wednesday and will lead the national team's challenge for the 2018 World Cup and 2020 European Championship. The 46-year-old, who has been in charge of the England squad for four games on a temporary basis, signed a four-year contract, the Football Assocation (FA) […]

Arsenal, particularly since manager Arsene Wenger arrived to the club, have a history of both producing young talent, and also giving these players a chance with the senior squad. Current first team players Hector Bellerin, Alex Iwobi, Francis Coquelin, Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, and Theo Walcott all either progressed through the youth Arsenal ranks, or […]

After five major honors in his first two seasons in charge at Barcelona, manager Luis Enrique set himself high standards at the Camp Nou. Indeed, Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic arrived in the same summer as the former Blaugrana midfielder and in the main, they haven’t looked back since. Enrique tweaked the system to get […]

Geneva (AFP) – Swiss police raided homes last week as part of a broadening probe into corruption allegations over the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany, prosecutors said Wednesday. The investigation targeting members of the 2006 World Cup organising committee, including German football legend Franz Beckenbauer, has been expanded to include Urs Linsi, […]

London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp says he will do his best to protect starlet Ben Woodburn from the media spotlight after he became the youngest scorer in Liverpool's history in their League Cup victory over Leeds. Woodburn, aged 17 years and 45 days, edged out Liverpool legend Michael Owen by 98 days when he struck […]

Madrid (AFP) – Among the stalwarts of Barcelona's near decade of dominance of Spanish football there is no one that stokes the ire of Real Madrid like Gerard Pique. Pique is Barca's best defender, leader, possible future president and principal provocateur to the Madrid fans and media. Yet, ahead of the latest meeting between the […]

London (AFP) – Gareth Southgate is expected to be approved as the new England manager by Football Association chiefs on Wednesday, according to British media reports. Southgate has been in interim charge since replacing Sam Allardyce in September after he was forced out just 67 days into his reign following a Daily Telegraph investigation into […]

Paris (AFP) – Monaco took provisional top spot of Ligue 1 on Tuesday despite Europe's best attacking side conceding a late goal in a 1-1 stalemate in Dijon. A Frederic Sammaritano equaliser snatched a point for the hosts three minutes from time after Monaco had led early following Guido Carrillo's 17th minute goal. Monaco — […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool starlet Ben Woodburn made history as the teenage striker became the club's youngest ever goalscorer in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Leeds in the League Cup quarter-finals. Aged 17 years and 45 days, Woodburn enjoyed a moment to remember forever in the 81st minute at Anfield when he fired home in front […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale underwent an operation on Tuesday in London on his injured ankle that will likely see him ruled out of action for two months. "Our player Gareth Bale has successfully come through the operation he underwent today after suffering an injury to the peroneal tendons in his right […]