Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola insisted Friday he had no intention of signing Lionel Messi, saying he wants the Barcelona star to see out his career at the Nou Camp. Manchester City manager Guardiola has been linked repeatedly with a move for the reigning world footballer of the year. Speculation has intensified because […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has pulled out of Saturday's game against Sporting Gijon, adding to the injury woes of the La Liga leaders who will be without Gareth Bale for at least two months. The 23-year-old Frenchman hurt his right knee which needed surgery in 2013 and has since suffered from […]

Moscow (AFP) – President Vladimir Putin on Friday assured FIFA boss Gianni Infantino that problems with the World Cup venue in the northwestern city of Saint Petersburg would be solved by the end of the year. "It's a very sad story," Russian news agencies quoted Putin as telling Infantino at the Kremlin, referring to the […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta returned to training on Friday following a month out with a knee injury and is hopeful of playing in next month's Clasico, the Spanish champions said. Iniesta, 32, suffered knee ligament damage in a 3-2 win at Valencia on October 22, but the former Spain star is in […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea captain John Terry will be out of action for more than two weeks because of a "muscular problem", Blues boss Antonio Conte said Friday. Former England centre-back Terry, 36 next month, has made just one substitute appearance since the London club started a six-match winning run that has taken them to […]

London (AFP) – A former youth player with Premier League giants Manchester City alleged Friday that a football paedophile ring was covered up as England captain Wayne Rooney praised victims for speaking out. Jason Dunford added to the growing tide of abuse accusations that have rocked English football. The allegations mainly centre on Barry Bennell, […]

Berlin (AFP) – China and Germany signed a deal Friday to boost cooperation in football, as the Asian giant sets its sights on becoming a superpower in the sport. The five-year deal comes after football talks between Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping, both fans of the game. "The cooperation will be targeted […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho challenged Wayne Rooney to lead the club to Europa League glory after the England captain broke United's European scoring record against Feyenoord. Rooney, 31, scored his 39th European goal as United crushed Feyenoord 4-0 on Thursday, thereby closing to within just one goal of Bobby […]

Moscow (AFP) – Zenit St Petersburg face Krasnodar this weekend boosted by a fifth straight win in the Europa League and the return of three players from suspension. Zenit are placed second in the Russian Premier League, three points behind Spartak Moscow who play Terek Grozny. After Thursday's 2-0 Europa League defeat of Israeli side […]

Moscow (AFP) – Corruption scandals, extended deadlines and even a wobbly pitch are just a few of the setbacks Russia has faced ahead of the 2018 World Cup, though authorities vow everything will be ready on time. Putting the final touches on the infrastructure in four host cities — Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino believes Saturday's trip to in-form Premier League champions Chelsea represents an ideal opportunity for his side to reinvigorate their season. Tottenham have won just one of their last nine fixtures in all competitions and go into the game on the back of a Champions League exit at […]

Paris (AFP) – Monaco midfielder Bernardo Silva brushed off comparisons between the Ligue 1 title contenders and Europe's heavyweights ahead of Saturday's visit of traditional French giants Marseille. Leonardo Jardim's side qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League in midweek as winners of Group E following a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur and […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona face an uncomfortable trip to bogey side Real Sociedad as they seek to avoid losing further ground on Real Madrid just a week before the two clash in the Clasico. Barca have lost on their travels to San Sebastian in each of the past three seasons and already trail Real by […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers cannot afford to linger long on his side's European elimination as they prepare to take on Aberdeen in the Scottish League Cup final on Sunday. The match at Hampden Park is an opportunity for Rodgers to secure his place in the club's history books days after he watched […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri could hand teenage starlet Moise Kean his full debut for the injury-hit Turin giants against Genoa on Sunday — even if he is secretly an AC Milan fan. Kean, a powerfully-built striker, joined an elite group of 16-year-old Serie A debutants when he replaced Mario Mandzukic in a […]