London (AFP) – Australian international goalkeeper Mark Birighitti signed for Premier League side Swansea on a free transfer on Monday to become the fourth senior stopper on the club's books. The 25-year-old — capped once — signed a two-year contract with the Swans after leaving A-League outfit Newcastle Jets. He faces a battle with three […]

Liverpool’s 2015-2016 season ended in utter disappointment. Domestically, the Reds finished in as poor a position as 8th in the league table while they were beaten in the Capital One Cup final on penalties. Their Europa League campaign produced some remarkable moments, but they ultimately fell short of a place in next season’s Champions League […]

Here are the ten things we learned from Week 19 of the 2016 MLS season. 1. Timbers Crush Seattle The best rivalry in American soccer took its 2016 bow at a deafeningly loud Providence Park on Sunday, where the Portland Timbers dismantled the Seattle Sounders by a score of three goals to one. It’s a […]

London (AFP) – A man has been jailed for four weeks after attempting to break into Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho's London home, British police said Monday. Gabor Roman, a 25-year-old of no fixed address, was arrested on July 10 in the plush London street where the Portuguese boss lives. He appeared before a London […]

Paris (AFP) – Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale headlined a 10-man shortlist announced on Monday for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Ronaldo struck the winning spot-kick as Real claimed an 11th Champions League title, beating city rivals Atletico Madrid on penalties in May, before leading his country to Euro […]

Milan (AFP) – Italian champions Juventus are set to pay a hefty 94.7 million euros ($105m) release clause in Gonzalo Higuain's contract with Napoli to lure the Argentina star to Turin, reports claimed Monday. Higuain joined Napoli for 40 million euros from Real Madrid in 2013 and has since gone on to become one of […]

Montreal (AFP) – Thomas McNamara set up first-half goals by David Villa and Jack Harrison, and Frank Lampard delivered the killing blow in New York City FC's 3-1 Major League Soccer victory over the Montreal Impact. Spain's Villa on Sunday opened the scoring with his MLS-leading 12th goal in the 35th minute. Right before the first […]

London (AFP) – Leicester's record signing Ahmed Musa admits the best decision he ever made was giving up goalkeeping to become a striker so feared that he is looking to make an immediate impact on the Premier League. The 23-year-old Nigeria international moved to the King Power Stadium for £16.5 million (19.7 million euros) from […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Maximiliano Urruti and Mauro Diaz scored in the first half as FC Dallas bounced back from a mid-week defeat with a 3-1 Major League Soccer victory over the Chicago Fire. Saturday's home win in suburban Frisco, Texas, was the fourth in five matches for FC Dallas, who head the Western Conference […]

Cesc Fabregas has had an interesting career thus far. Bursting on to the scene at Arsenal as a 17 year old creative midfielder, he became one of the most exciting players in the Premier League. In the five years before he moved to Barcelona, he created 466 chances, scored 48 times, and had 86 assists. […]

Wigan (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Jose Mourinho paid tribute to England left-back Luke Shaw as he continued his comeback from a 10-month injury lay-off in the new Manchester United manager's first game in charge of the club. Shaw, out since suffering a double leg break in a Champions League tie at PSV Eindhoven, came through […]

Vienna (AFP) – Chelsea coach Antonio Conte hailed the signing of N'Golo Kante after the France international joined from Premier League champions Leicester City on Saturday. Kante, 25, became Chelsea's second major signing this month, following the arrival of Michy Batshuayi from Marseille, after the Blues paid a reported £32 million (38 million euros, $42 […]

Rome (AFP) – Morocco defender Medhi Benatia is targeting more success with Juventus after joining the Serie A champions on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich. Benatia, 29, completed his move to the Turin giants on Friday in a deal that gives Juventus the option to make the signing permanent. "The aim this season is […]

Wigan (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Jose Mourinho's first game as manager of Manchester United ended in a short trip and comfortable 2-0 victory over newly-promoted Championship side Wigan Athletic at their DW Stadium on Saturday. Goals early in the second half from Will Keane and Andreas Pereira secured victory for United who parted company with […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea on Saturday announced the signing of Leicester City's all-action defensive midfielder N'Golo Kante on a five-year deal to become new boss Antonio Conte's second capture of the summer. The fee for the French international was about £32 million (38 million euros, $42 million), British media said, and comes after Chelsea snapped […]