Melbourne (AFP) – Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira Monday admitted he needed more players to strengthen his squad, and played down hopes the team could mount a serious challenge to the top clubs this season. The Eagles finished 12th in the English Premier League and made the FA Cup semi-finals in the Frenchman's first year […]

Washington (AFP) – Wales captain Gareth Bale got his first taste of Major League Soccer action on Sunday in Los Angeles FC's 2-1 away victory over Nashville in Tennessee. Goals from Cristian Arango and Jose Cifuentes either side of a penalty by Nashville's Hany Mukhtar put LAFC 2-1 up before prized acquisition Bale, a five-time […]

Melbourne (AFP) – Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira on Monday threw his support behind new signing Cheick Doucoure after the Mali midfielder claimed he had been the victim of attempted blackmail and extortion since joining for the club. The south London club signed Doucoure in a deal worth a reported £20 million ($24 million) on […]

Sheffield (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Sweden thrashed Portugal 5-0 to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2022 on Sunday as holders the Netherlands needed a flurry of late goals to beat Switzerland 4-1 to ensure their place in the last eight. Silver medallists at last year's Olympics, Sweden are the highest ranked team in the tournament, […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Argentine international defender Lisandro Martinez is set to become Manchester United's third signing of the transfer window after the English giants agreed a deal with Ajax on Sunday. Ajax confirmed United will pay an initial 57 million euros ($57 million, £48 million) with a further 10 million euros in performance-related […]

Tehran (AFP) – The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) said on Sunday that Dragan Skocic has been reinstated as coach less than a week after sacking the Croat. On Monday, the official IRNA news agency said 53-year-old Skocic had lost his job just five months before the start of the World Cup in Qatar. According to […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain's star-studded squad landed in Japan Sunday for a three-game tour against local teams, with new manager Christophe Galtier hoping to make a strong start with the French giants. PSG, featuring attacking trio Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi, will take on J-League sides Kawasaki Frontale, Urawa Reds and Gamba Osaka […]

Brisbane (Australia) (AFP) – Danny Ings scored a penalty, but Philippe Coutinho missed another, as Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa edged Leeds United 1-0 in a high-intensity clash of English Premier League teams marred by 16-year-old Archie Gray being stretchered off on Sunday. England international Ings converted in the second half after his teammate Coutinho was […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Chelsea, prepping for their first Premier League season since Todd Boehly's consortium bought the club, beat Mexico's Club America 2-1 in an international club friendly in Las Vegas. Mason Mount sealed the victory in the 83rd minute with a sensational right-footed shot from outside the box. Timo Werner had given Chelsea […]

Washington (AFP) – Recent acquisition Gabriel Jesus wasted little time in making his presence felt in his first start for Arsenal, opening the scoring in a 2-0 friendly win over Everton in Baltimore, Maryland, on Saturday. Brazil forward Jesus, signed from Manchester City for a fee of around 45 million pounds ($54 million) earlier this […]

London (AFP) – Spain set up a quarter-final meeting with England at Euro 2022 after Marta Cardona's late goal secured a 1-0 win over Denmark on Saturday. A first defeat since 2019 to Germany in their second group game meant Jorge Vilda's side needed a point to avoid an early exit. La Roja were made […]

Berlin (AFP) – The departure of Robert Lewandowski leaves Bayern Munich with the unenviable task of finding a replacement for the Bundesliga's most prolific contemporary striker after his relationship with the club turned sour. Following eight glorious years in Munich, winning the Bundesliga each season and lifting the Champions League trophy in 2020, Lewandowski announced […]

Suwon (South Korea) (AFP) – Harry Kane scored from Son Heung-min's pass as Tottenham Hotspur drew 1-1 against Sevilla on Saturday, to the delight 43,000-plus fans at the Suwon World Cup Stadium. Spurs faced a much tougher test against the Spanish side in the final game of their preseason trip to South Korea than on […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich said on Saturday they had extended the contract of Germany winger Serge Gnabry until 2026, the news closely following the announcement of a deal to sell Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona. Bayern announced the two developments in quick succession as they presented their squad for the upcoming season at the Allianz […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich confirmed on Saturday they have agreed a deal with Barcelona for the sale of Polish star Robert Lewandowski to the Spanish club. "We have a verbal agreement from Barcelona. It's good for both sides that we have clarity," Bayern president Herbert Hainer said on the club's Twitter account. "Robert is […]