Berlin (AFP) – Unbeaten Hoffenheim, whose coach Julian Nagelsmann, 29, is the youngest in Bundesliga history, are targeting a first win over leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday to underline their title challenge. Hoffenheim are third in Germany's top flight and have already beaten the likes of Schalke, Bayer Leverkusen and Hertha Berlin en route. "There's […]

Glasgow (AFP) – The Scottish season may only be three months old but already talk is turning to Celtic completing a rare domestic clean sweep. Celtic are the runaway leaders in the Scottish Premiership where they top the table by a massive nine points from rivals Rangers — with a game in hand — thanks […]

Milan (AFP) – Maurizio Sarri hopes his rejection of proven goalscorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang does not return to haunt him when goal-shy Napoli host Lazio on Saturday looking to save their wilting Serie A campaign. With goals steadily drying up amid the injury-enforced absence of Polish striker Arkaduisz Milik, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis offered earlier […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has urged his team-mates to quickly regain their focus for Saturday's Premier League fixture with Middlesbrough after the euphoria of their victory over Barcelona. City beat Barcelona 3-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday in what was their first win over the Spanish side […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City will have the chance to put daylight between themselves and their title rivals when the Premier League leaders try to cap a memorable week by beating Middlesbrough at Eastlands on Saturday. City lead on goal difference from Arsenal and Liverpool, with Chelsea just a point further back. Arsenal are not […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Fenerbahce compounded the woes of Manchester United and their manager Jose Mourinho with a 2-1 victory in the Europa League that ruthlessly exposed the shortcomings of the Premier League giants. Roared on by home fans in their 50,000 capacity stadium on the Asian side of Istanbul, Fenerbahce produced a stunning performance capped […]

Paris (AFP) – AFP Sports picks out the best of the action in the Europa League on Thursday as Manchester United went down to defeat in Turkey, Southampton beat Inter and Aritz Aduriz made history: Mourinho woes deepen Manchester United endured another frustrating night as Jose Mourinho's side lost 2-1 to Fenerbahce in Istanbul. They […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on Thursday said that his team had been caught "sleeping" in a 2-1 Europa League defeat by Fenerbahce in Istanbul. Mourinho said that he had warned his side ahead of the game the clash in Istanbul would be completely different to the meeting of the teams in […]

Bilbao (Spain) (AFP) – Veteran striker Aritz Aduriz made history as he scored all five goals for Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish club's 5-3 Europa League win against Genk on Thursday. The 35-year-old had a hat-trick by half-time at San Mames, got his fourth goal in the 74th minute and completed a rare nap-hand by […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Fenerbahce on Thursday claimed a famous 2-1 home victory against Manchester United in the Europa League, electrifying a raucous Istanbul crowd and adding to the woes of Jose Mourinho. The visitors looked flat against a razor-sharp performance by the Turkish side, who took the lead early on with a staggering Moussa Sow […]

Milan (AFP) – The Chinese owners of Inter Milan have flown in to choose a successor to Frank de Boer after the Dutch coach's unceremonious sacking earlier in the week. Inter face Southampton in a must-win Europa League clash later Thursday when the club's youth team coach, Stefano Vecchi, will take over on an interim […]

Zurich (AFP) – Three members of Germany's women's Olympic gold medal winning football team were on Thursday named on the shortlist for FIFA's Best Female Player of 2016. Bayern Munich midfielders Melanie Behringer and Sara Dabritz, and Lyon midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan were among a shortlist of ten. The list also includes last year's winner Carli […]

London (AFP) – FIFA general secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura has warned England and Scotland they could face sanctions if their teams wear commemorative poppies in their November 11 game. The football associations of England and Scotland on Wednesday vowed to defy world governing body FIFA, which bans players from wearing political, commercial and religious […]

Doha (AFP) – A final decision on the number of stadiums to be used at the Qatar 2022 World Cup finals will not be made this year, according to FIFA. An official told AFP that the long-awaited announcement would instead be made in "due course" though not before the end of December, as had been […]

Paris (AFP) – France on Thursday dropped Anthony Martial for next week's top-of-the-table World Cup qualifying clash home to Sweden and the friendly with the Ivory Coast, but fit-again Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud returns. Coach Didier Deschamps had a word of warning for Martial, 20, who under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United has been restricted […]