Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona eased into the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for a seventh consecutive season 6-2 on aggregate as Denis Suarez scored twice in a 5-2 win over Real Sociedad on Thursday. Already leading 1-0 from the first leg, Barca gave Sociedad a mountain to climb as Denis Suarez finished off a […]

Kingston upon Hull (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United survived a scare to reach the League Cup final after Oumar Niasse's late goal earned Hull City a 2-1 victory in Thursday's semi-final second leg. Leading 2-0 from the first leg, United saw their advantage at an ice-cold KCOM Stadium halved by Tom Huddlestone's 35th-minute penalty […]

Marseille (AFP) – Former France full-back Patrice Evra indicated Thursday he saw himself as the old cool head to stabilise Marseille after joining the club from Juventus. "I am someone who looks after the wellbeing of the dressing room," said the 81-cap, 35-year-old former Manchester United star, who has been released from the last six […]

London (AFP) – England great Steven Gerrard says that only time will tell whether he measures up as being good enough to be a football manager. The 36-year-old, capped 114 times and a rampaging midfielder in his pomp, begins his new career in February as a youth coach at his beloved Liverpool, who hired him […]

Oyem (Gabon) (AFP) – Stadiums may not be full at the Africa Cup of Nations but the supporters who do turn out create a noisy and colourful atmosphere — and in the case of DR Congo the government is giving a helping hand. The DRC's capital Kinshasa is the home of "Sape", a French acronym […]

London (AFP) – Watford signed AC Milan forward M'Baye Niang on loan for the rest of the season on Thursday as boss Walter Mazzarri looks to rejuvenate his spluttering side. The 22-year-old Frenchman, who can play wide or up front, could make his debut in Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round tie at third-tier Millwall. Niang arrives […]

Paris (AFP) – Despite Sunday night's highly anticipated clash between champions Paris Saint-Germain and leaders Monaco all eyes will first be rivetted on Marseille for the Ligue 1 return of former France captain Patrice Evra. The fiery 35-year-old left-back's arrival is the latest development of the Marseille revival and should send their raucous Velodrome stadium […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – A colourful tycoon under whom the Formula One team Lotus went bankrupt on Thursday officially became the new owner of debt-ridden French Ligue 1 club Lille. Luxembourg-Spanish businessman Gerard Lopez, who has also been linked with a takeover of Premier League Hull City, acquired a 95-percent stake in Lille for 80 […]

Madrid (AFP) – From 40 games without defeat to just one win in four, 2017 hasn't been kind to Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid with the European champions' Copa del Rey elimination to Celta Vigo sparking doubts for the first time in the Frenchman's tenure. Zidane celebrated a near flawless first year in charge at the […]

London (AFP) – Southampton owner Katharina Liebherr has confirmed the Premier League club are interested in potential investment from a Chinese group. Lander Holding announced its intention to buy a stake in League Cup finalists Southampton to the Shenzhen stock exchange on Thursday. The news came less than 24 hours after Claude Puel's team reached […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus are consulting lawyers to protect the club's "honour and integrity" after a newspaper report linked club officials to hardline ultra-fans with organised crime connections via a ticket touting scam. A report in Rome based daily Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper on Thursday claimed Juventus president Andrea Agnelli had met with ultra leader […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – Beijing football club Guoan FC has been bought by a Chinese real estate developer, according to a statement on the Hong Kong stock exchange, with the club now valued at 754 million euros — more than AC Milan. Developer Sinobo Land bought 64 percent of the club from Chinese financial services […]

London (AFP) – Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri insists he has no problem with unhappy striker Leonardo Ulloa despite being branded a liar by one of the Argentine's agents. Ulloa handed in a transfer request last week but the Premier League champions have reportedly rejected a bid from Spanish club Alaves because Ranieri would prefer to […]

London (AFP) – Burnley midfielder Dean Marney has been ruled out for the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee for a second time. Marney suffered the injury while challenging Mesut Ozil in a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal in the Premier League last Sunday. The 32-year-old sustained the same […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino expects Erik Lamela to report to the club's training ground on Friday after completing his treatment for a hip problem at his former club Roma. Lamela hasn't played for Tottenham since October and reports suggested the forward might try to engineer a transfer back to Italy when he […]