Marcoussis (France) (AFP) – Centre-back Pepe missed Portugal training on Monday for the Euro 2016 semi-final against Wales because of muscle pain, the Portuguese Football Federation said. But pulling the Real Madrid player out of the session was just a precautionary measure ahead of Wednesday's match in Lyon, the federation said. The 33-year-old was the […]

Wednesday’s match between France and Iceland in Saint-Denis, the fourth and last quarterfinal of Euro 2016, figured to set up very nicely for an Iceland team that had already captured the hearts of the watching soccer world. Iceland’s qualities – organized, hard working, dangerous in isolated moments – were well established. Somehow able to name an […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Jose Mourinho officially started work as Manchester United manager at the club's Carrington training base on Monday. The Portuguese travelled to Manchester by train on Sunday night and posted a video on Instagram showing his arrival at Picadilly station, saying: "I am here/UNITED we can". He arrived at Carrington with […]

Dinard (France) (AFP) – Gareth Bale trained apart from his team-mates on Monday as Wales continued preparations for their Euro 2016 semi-final against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on Wednesday. While Bale's team-mates warmed up on the pitch at the team's training base in Dinard, northwest France, the Real Madrid star and midfielder David Edwards were put […]

Evian (France) (AFP) – Germany coach Joachim Loew is relishing facing hosts France in Thursday's Euro 2016 semi-final despite a mounting injury list. "It's great that there's a game like this. I love playing knockout games against teams of this calibre," said Loew in Evian on Monday. Loew's cause for optimism over the Marseille semi-final […]

Brussels (AFP) – The EU on Monday ordered seven Spanish football clubs including Barcelona and Real Madrid to pay back millions of euros (dollars) in illegal state aid. The European Commission said Spanish government support, including tax breaks and overpriced land transfers, gave the clubs an "unfair advantage" over others. The other clubs were Valencia, Athletic […]

Paris (AFP) – Gylfi Sigurdsson has promised Iceland will not be content to bask in the glory of their Euro 2016 heroics having had a taste of the highs and lows of tournament football. The smallest nation ever to take part in the European championship with a population of just 330,000 stunned England to reach […]

Dinard (France) (AFP) – Wales manager Chris Coleman would "never, ever" consider taking charge of beleaguered rivals England but as he plots the downfall of Portugal in Wednesday's Euro 2016 semi-final he said a move abroad is possible. Having guided Wales to a first ever major tournament semi-final by masterminding a stirring 3-1 win over […]

Lyon (AFP) – The two most expensive players in football go head-to-head on Wednesday when Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal against club teammate Gareth Bale and Wales in a Euro 2016 semi-final which could lead one to unprecendented glory. Bale is junior partner when the two line up for Real Madrid, despite winning two Champions Leagues […]

Paris (AFP) – Olivier Giroud scored twice to take man-of-the-match honours as France marched into the Euro 2016 semi-finals but even after a 5-2 hammering, Iceland departed with pride having struck new underdog blows. France now play Germany aiming to settle old scores from past World Cups and Euros. And having home advantage and an […]

Paris (AFP) – Olivier Giroud scored twice to take man-of-the-match honours as France thrashed Iceland 5-2 on Sunday to set up a Euro 2016 semi-final clash against world champions Germany. Giroud fired France ahead after just 12 minutes at a rain-drenched Stade de France and got his second after the break as the hosts put […]

Paris (AFP) – Gylfi Sigurdsson highlighted Iceland's pride at confounding expectations at Euro 2016 despite the disappointment of a 5-2 quarter-final defeat by France on Sunday. Sigurdsson was one of Iceland's stars as they shocked England in the last 16 to reach the last eight on their first ever appearance in a major finals. "I'm […]

Paris (AFP) – France did their homework to make sure they did not follow England's example and fall to giantkillers Iceland, said goalscorer Dimitri Payet. "We worked on their weaknesses and their strengths," Payet said after the 5-2 quarter-final win at Stade de France. "That is what allowed us to win tonight." Payet also praised […]

Paris (AFP) – Five key points from France's 5-2 hammering of Iceland in the European Championship quarter-final on Sunday: + Fast and furious After a series of wins that needed last-minute goals, France took control of the game from the start. Olivier Giroud fired the tournament hosts ahead in the 12th minute — the first […]

Paris (AFP) – An extended 24-team format was always going to make Euro 2016 a marathon not a sprint and, inspired by pre-tournament golden boy Paul Pogba, hosts France may be timing their run for the line perfectly. Pogba was to the fore, scoring his side's second goal as France dismantled England's conquerors Iceland 5-2 […]