Paris (AFP) – Italy coach Antonio Conte said hard work had allowed a talent-shorn Azzurri to become more than the sum of their parts to dump Spain out of Euro 2016. Goals from Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pelle handed Conte's men a throroughly deserved 2-0 win in the last 16 over the two-time defending champions […]

Paris (AFP) – Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci hailed coach Antonio Conte's masterful game plan as the Azzurri dumped two-time defending champions Spain out of Euro 2016 2-0 in the last 16 on Monday. Conte's men now face world champions Germany in the quarter-finals and Bonucci believes Italy's teamwork makes them capable of beating sides with […]

Paris (AFP) – Spain coach Vicente del Bosque batted away questions about his future and denied it was the end of an era for his side they lost 2-0 to Italy on Monday and crashed out of Euro 2016. "It has been and is a great era for Spanish football. We have Italy ahead of […]

Zagreb (AFP) – Police have arrested five people suspected of being among hooligans who threw flares during Croatia's Euro 2016 match against the Czech Republic in France, officials said Monday. Four men, arrested in the Split region, are suspected of "causing disorder and attacking other fans at the stadium in Saint-Etienne on June 17," a […]

Dinard (France) (AFP) – Wales boss Chris Coleman warned Monday that Eden Hazard has the inventiveness to destroy any plan to shackle the Belgian playmaker in their quarter-final meeting at Euro 2016. Coleman and his players are well-versed in the challenges posed by Belgium, having faced them during the qualification stage of this tournament and […]

Paris (AFP) – Italy dumped out the reigning champions Spain at Euro 2016 on Monday, winning their last 16 tie 2-0 at the Stade de France. Here AFP Sports looks at five things we learned from the match: Conte coaching masterclass Written off before the tournament began, Italy are more than the sum of their […]

Paris (AFP) – Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pelle scored as Italy exacted revenge for their Euro 2012 final hammering by dumping Spain out of Euro 2016 with a deserved 2-0 last 16 win on Monday. The landmark victory set up an epic Italy-Germany quarter final. Chiellini forced home the first goal from close range after […]

Dinard (France) (AFP) – Captain Ashley Williams has given Wales a fitness boost ahead of their Euro 2016 quarter-final against Belgium after his shoulder injury turned out to be less serious than feared. Williams was hurt in a collision with Jonny Williams during the closing stages of the last 16 win over Northern Ireland. He […]

Nice (France) (AFP) – England captain Wayne Rooney was handed a record-equalling 115th cap as manager Roy Hodgson made six changes for Monday's Euro 2016 last 16 showdown with Iceland in Nice. Rooney, 30, joins David Beckham as England's most-capped outfield player, 10 appearances shy of goalkeeper Peter Shilton's overall record. The Manchester United midfielder […]

Doha (AFP) – Following concerns over poor quality pitches at Euro 2016, Qatar has employed a high-tech solution to avoid similar criticisms of its World Cup in 2022 — 3D printers and wind tunnels. Scientists at Qatar University, the country's largest higher education establishment, have created 3D-printed models of some of the potential eight stadiums […]

Bucharest (AFP) – Romania sacked manager Anghel Iordanescu on Monday after they were knocked out of Euro 2016 in the first round, with the country's best-known former player Gheorghe Hagi among the names tipped to replace him. Iordanescu became the first managerial casualty of these European championships after his team finished bottom of Group A […]

Rome (AFP) – Brazil international Dani Alves on Monday signed a two-year deal with Juventus, the Italian Serie A champions announced. The 33-year-old full-back left Barcelona in June at the end of his contract, after eight seasons with the Catalan giants that produced 23 trophies. "Dani Alves is bianconeri," Juve declared in a statement, hailing […]

East Rutherford (United States) (AFP) – Lionel Messi's tearful decision to quit the international team left Argentinian football in turmoil Monday after a traumatic penalty shootout defeat to Chile in the Copa America final. The heartbroken Barcelona superstar left the field in tears after missing a spot-kick in the shootout in the United States on […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentines begged Lionel Messi on Monday not to abandon the national team before the 2018 World Cup after he tearfully announced his retirement in frustration at another last-gasp international defeat. As Chileans danced in the streets and honked their horns to hail their team's victory by penalties in the Copa American […]

American soccer voices are often criticized in some quarters while being defended as a “cause” in others. The idea of American commentators at a major international event is either seen as parochial to an American audience or simply out of place by many hardcore observers of the sport. At a time when FOX Sports appears to […]