Lens (France) (AFP) – England captain Wayne Rooney produced a sharp turn of foot on Wednesday when asked how many Wales players would get into his team. When Gareth Bale was asked how many players from England would get into the Wales side, ahead of the neighbours' Euro 2016 showdown in Lens on Thursday, the […]

Paris (AFP) – Poland will be without Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny for Thursday's crucial meeting with fierce rivals Germany for top spot in Euro 2016 Group C. Szczesny, who spent last season on loan at Italian giants Roma, suffered a thigh injury in Poland's opening 1-0 win over Northern Ireland on Sunday and will be […]

England began their 2016 Euro competition with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Russia over the weekend. While England controlled much of the game, a 92nd-minute goal by defender Vasili Berezutski left most of the English players with heads in their hands following the final whistle. The draw meant that England have never recorded a victory in […]

Liverpool (AFP) – New manager Ronald Koeman says unity and not the bumper transfer kitty he has been promised will be key to turning Everton into English Premier League title contenders. The 53-year-old Dutchman, who left Southampton on Tuesday, has reportedly been handed £100 million ($141m, 126m euros) as he attempts to make up for […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – Marek Hamsik set up the opener and came up with a contender for goal of the tournament as Slovakia beat Russia 2-1 in Lille on Wednesday to claim a first European Championship finals win. Hamsik's pass released Vladimir Weiss to score in the 32nd minute at the Stade Pierre Mauroy and […]

Lens (France) (AFP) – England captain Wayne Rooney produced a sharp turn of foot on Wednesday when presented with a question about how many Wales players would get into his team. When Gareth Bale was asked how many players from England would get into the Wales side, ahead of their Euro 2016 showdown in Lens […]

Moscow (AFP) – Russia's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned France's ambassador to Moscow over the detention of 43 Russian fans in southern France after street violence in Marseille. "The Russian foreign ministry summoned the French Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert," the ministry said, warning that "further stoking of anti-Russian sentiments... could significantly aggravate the atmosphere in Russian-French […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – Goals from Marek Hamsik and Vladimir Weiss fired Slovakia into a 2-0 half-time lead in their Group B match against Russia in Lille on Wednesday. Weiss put Slovakia ahead on 32 minutes with a composed finish after a fine through ball from Hamsik, with the Napoli star adding a stunning second […]

Paris (AFP) – Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo came under fire Wednesday for describing Iceland as having a "small mentality" after the minnows grabbed a 1-1 draw against his Portugal side. Bidding to become the first player to score in four European Championship finals, Ronaldo was frustrated in Saint Etienne on Tuesday by a country with […]

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – Euro 2016 minnows Iceland hit back at Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo, labelling him "not a gracious human being" after he criticised the Atlantic islanders' defensive tactics in a 1-1 draw in Saint-Etienne. Ronaldo accused Iceland of having a "small mentality" on Tuesday as they prevented the Real Madrid ace from becoming […]

Paris (AFP) – From rejection for being too small and too timid, N'Golo Kante has become a hot property who is one of the most-watched players at Euro 2016. The 25-year-old only stands 1.69 metres (5 feet 7 inches) and weighs just 68 kilograms (150 pounds). But his non-stop running, pinpoint passing and refusal to […]

Paris (AFP) – Poland striker Robert Lewandowski is tipping Germany to win Euro 2016, but it will not stop the Bundesliga star trying to shoot down the world champions when the sides meet Thursday. Lewandowski lived up to his reputation as one of the world's best strikers as he finished top scorer with 13 goals […]

Moscow (AFP) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday slammed the detention of Russian football fans in France as "absolutely unacceptable" while French authorities remain wary of more clashes at Euro 2016. "It was an absolutely unacceptable incident when a bus with more than 40 Russian fans was stopped by police," Lavrov said, referring […]

Paris (AFP) – French police moved onto the streets of Lille to keep order on Wednesday as tens of thousands of Russian, English, Welsh and Slovak fans arrived for the latest round of high-risk Euro 2016 football matches. Authorities fear that Russia's game against Slovakia on Wednesday followed by a key England-Wales clash in the […]

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho faces a trip to the seaside to face Bournemouth in his first Premier League game in charge of Manchester United while champions Leicester start their title defence away at Hull. Manchester City, under new boss Pep Guardiola — Mourinho's bitter rival when they went head-to-head in Spain, will host Sunderland, […]