Paris (AFP) – Dimitri Payet left the field in tears of joy after scoring the sensational last-gasp goal in France's 2-1 win over Romania to launch their European Championship campaign in style on Friday. "It was a lot of stress, a lot of pressure, if someone had told me it would have gone like that […]

Philadelphia (AFP) – United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann promised his team would not sit back when they take on Paraguay here Saturday, needing only a draw to reach the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals. Klinsmann's men face last year's Copa America semi-finalists at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field requiring a point to ensure their place in the […]

Uruguay currently lead the South American World Cup Qualifying table. Venezuela is in last place. In Philadelphia on Thursday night, that didn’t matter. La Vinotinto with a 1-0 win are through to the Copa America quarter-finals, and Los Charrúas are going home after they play one last game. Much of the talk will surround Luis Suarez, […]

Paris (AFP) – Dimitri Payet's stunning 25 metre strike a minute from time got hosts France off to a winning start at Euro 2016 on Friday as they beat Romania 2-1. Payet was France's standout performer all night. His cross also created the opener for Olivier Giroud before Bogdan Stancu's penalty looked to have handed […]

Marseille (AFP) – Russia coach Leonid Slutsky has underlined the threat of towering striker Artem Dzyuba as they prepare to upset England's lofty plans of trying to win their first major tournament in 50 years. A spate of injuries to key players means Russia head into Saturday's clash at Marseille's Stade Velodrome as clear underdogs […]

Nice (France) (AFP) – A group of Chinese and American investors bought 80 per cent of French Ligue 1 side Nice on Friday, the club announced. President Jean-Pierre Rivere maintains 20% of the shares and he insisted that the governance of the club remains unchanged. He as well as director Julien Fournier will stay in […]

London (AFP) – Former South African international Steven Pienaar saw his second spell at Premier League side Everton come to an end on Friday when he was released by the club. The 34-year-old, who burst onto the European club scene when he featured in the star-studded Ajax side that won two league titles in 2011/02 […]

Marseille (AFP) – A prickly Wayne Rooney claimed his game has "changed for the best" as he faces the biggest fight of his 13-year international career to hold onto his England place at Euro 2016. England's talisman ever since he burst onto the scene as a gifted 18-year-old at Euro 2004, Rooney has gone to […]

Marseille (AFP) – Football fans hurled bottles and other objects at French police who responded with tear gas in a second day of trouble Friday ahead of the England-Russia European Championship match in Marseille. Police intervened to separate several dozen English and Russian fans outside bars in the Vieux Port district, Laurent Nunez, the regional […]

The Hague (AFP) – A Dutch court Friday ruled the country's football association (KNVB) had the right to relegate FC Twente to the second division in a dispute over financial irregularities at the club. "The judge believes that the KNVB acted within reason in taking this measure," the court said in a written judgement, adding […]

Bordeaux (AFP) – Wales manager Chris Coleman has urged his players not to be overawed by the occasion when they open their long-awaited Euro 2016 campaign against Slovakia in Bordeaux on Saturday. When Gareth Bale and his team-mates take to the field at the 40,000-seater Stadium Bordeaux, they will become the first Welsh players to […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona said Friday they would decide next week whether to accept a deal with Spanish prosecutors over Neymar's contested 2013 transfer and avoid going to trial on tax evasion charges. The star's transfer from Brazil's Santos was originally valued at 57.1 million euros ($64.5 million) by Barca, but Spanish judicial authorities estimated […]

Marseille (AFP) – England manager Roy Hodgson stressed his side would not underestimate an injury-hit Russia ahead of their opening Euro 2016 clash in Marseille, which he said "can't come soon enough" for his young players. "We are fully aware of what a good team Russia are, we're aware of their experience and of their […]

Paris (AFP) – West Ham's mercurial playmaker Dimitri Payet edged out Manchester United's Anthony Martial to start France's Euro 2016 opener against Romania in Paris on Friday. Payet crowned a series of impressive displays since earning a recall to the French team in March with a stunning last minute free-kick to beat Cameroon 3-2 in […]

Saint-Martin-de-Ré (France) (AFP) – Manchester United and Spain goalkeeper David De Gea on Friday dismissed as "a lie" claims that he organised a party at which women were forced to have sex with footballers. "I am the first one to be surprised by this report. I deny it, it is false and nothing more, it […]