Lisbon (AFP) – Nuno Espirito Santo was on Wednesday named as the new coach of Porto, two days after the sacking of Jose Peseiro. The 42-year-old former goalkeeper has signed a two-year deal, Porto said in a statement. Nuno, who played for Porto, ended his playing career in 2010 before taking up his first coaching […]

Neustift (Austria) (AFP) – France midfielder Blaise Matuidi pleaded with fans on Wednesday to stop jeering his international team-mate Olivier Giroud. Some fans whistled and booed when Giroud's name was read out before Monday's 3-2 pre-Euro 2016 friendly victory over Cameroon in Nantes. "I spoke with him after the victory over Cameroon. It's disappointing because […]

London (AFP) – Portugal's friendly game with England on Thursday is an opportunity for the team to demonstrate that they can prosper without absent talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, coach Fernando Santos said on Wednesday. Ronaldo, Portugal's captain and all-time leading scorer with 56 goals, will miss the Wembley encounter as he is resting following his involvement […]

Mexico City (AFP) – Mexican football star Alan Pulido emerged as a hero after beating a kidnapper and taking his phone to escape a nightmare of captivity in barely 24 hours. But in a nation where the population has grown to deeply distrust the words and actions of the authorities, many are now asking if […]

Cork (Ireland) (AFP) – Roy Keane said on Wednesday he felt like killing some of the Republic of Ireland players who played in Tuesday's Euro 2016 warm-up defeat by Belarus. However, the plain-speaking 44-year-old assistant coach — who infamously was sent home before the 2002 World Cup finals after a blazing row with then-coach Mick […]

London (AFP) – Brazilian football legend Pele showcased over 2,000 items of career memorabilia Wednesday, from trophies to balls and boots, before an auction next week that has been touted as one of biggest in sporting history. The sale, expected to fetch some £3 million (3.9 million euros, $4.3 million), includes a replica of the […]

London (AFP) – A combination of the Zika virus and political turmoil is making Brazilians "sad", football legend Pele told AFP on Wednesday. The football superstar, 75, was speaking at a preview in London of a huge auction of memorabilia spanning his career. His comments came two months before the start of the Rio Olympics […]

Every season, I indulge in the same thought experiment... What can I make out of the wreckage of the three relegated teams? Inevitably teams that get relegated tend to shed players and rebuild (Burnley and Norwich being two recent teams to go against that trend). This year’s relegated Premier League sides are an odd mix. […]

Watford (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United starlet Marcus Rashford will only deliver for England if left to his own devices on the pitch, his club and international captain Wayne Rooney warned on Wednesday. Rashford, 18, was the headline inclusion in the 23-man squad for Euro 2016 announced by manager Roy Hodgson on Tuesday. Rooney […]

Ascona (Switzerland) (AFP) – Germany veteran Lukas Podolski was left fuming on Wednesday having been dubbed the 'mascot' of die Mannschaft in some quarters due to his dearth of recent appearances for the world champions. Podolski, who turns 31 on Saturday, has made 127 appearance for Germany, scoring 48 goals, in more than a decade. […]

On Friday, the US Men's National Team kicks off one of the world's most prestigious soccer tournaments against a dark horse favorite on home soil. The enormity of the US hosting the Copa America Centenario – especially with the controversy over its selection as the host – cannot be understated. Much like the 1994 World […]

Watford (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney on Wednesday hailed the club's "exciting" appointment of new manager Jose Mourinho. Former Chelsea manager Mourinho, 53, was appointed on a three-year contract last week and succeeds the sacked Louis van Gaal. "It's exciting. He's one of the best managers in the world," Rooney told […]

London (AFP) – When Anthony Martial limped forlornly towards the Old Trafford tunnel it set Marcus Rashford off on a meteoric rise from unknown teenager to the rising star of England's Euro 2016 challenge in less than 100 days. Martial suffered a hamstring injury in the warm-up before Manchester United's Europa League tie against FC […]

Warsaw (AFP) – Out of a thick cloud of dust, it is just possible to make out a scrum of boys fighting for a football. The photo is old, taken years before Robert Lewandowski shot to stardom. "The smallest one in the middle, that's Robert," said Krzysztof Sikorski, who coached the Bayern Munich striker and star […]

Este verano, cada partido de la Copa América Centenario se transmitirá en vivo en las redes de TV del mundo, incluido los Estados Unidos. Aquí están los detalles para cómo saber cuándo, dónde y cómo ver la Copa América Centenario. Primero, aquí hay algunos antecedentes importantes: en los Estados Unidos, FOX Sports y Univision tienen […]