London (AFP) – Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick said Friday that his successor Erik ten Hag will need to perform "open-heart surgery" on the English giants if they are to return to their glory days. United were thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool in midweek, a defeat which left them in sixth place in the table, […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Holders Barcelona continued their torrid scoring form as they tore Wolfsburg apart in the first half of their women's Champions League semi-final on the way to a 5-1 first leg win at the Camp Nou on Friday. Before a women's world record crowd of 91,648 at the Camp Nou, Aitana Bonmati set […]

Zagreb (AFP) – Coach Vahid Halilhodzic, who led Morocco to the 2022 World Cup, said his decision not to pick Chelsea attacker Hakim Ziyech and Ajax full-back Noussair Mazraoui is a "finished story". "The player who refuses to train, who refuses to play, who fakes injuries, for me it's a finished story," Halilhodzic told Croatia's […]

London (AFP) – Everton manager Frank Lampard said Friday he would happily take a draw against "incredible" Liverpool even though his side desperately need points to survive. The Toffees, who have registered just six points on the road all season, could be in the bottom three by the time Sunday's game kicks off at Anfield. […]

London (AFP) – Mohamed Salah admits he has not decided if he wants to stay at Liverpool beyond his current contract as the Egypt star sparked fresh speculation about a possible Anfield exit. Salah will be out of contract at the end of next season and has yet to sign a new deal despite months […]

London (AFP) – Pep Guardiola is relishing the tension as Manchester City seek to hold off Liverpool in a gripping Premier League title race. City are one point clear of their rivals ahead of their home game against struggling Watford on Saturday. Victory would take them a step closer to retaining the title, with five […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Sadio Mane-inspired Senegal will begin their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title defence at home to Benin during June, according to the 2023 qualifying calendar released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Senegal will also visit Rwanda during June, face Mozambique at home and away in September, and play return matches […]

London (AFP) – Mikel Arteta predicted "a lot of twists" in the race to finish in the Premier League's top four, regardless of whether Arsenal beat Manchester United on Saturday. Arsenal revived their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League with a 4-2 win against Chelsea on Wednesday, leaving them level on 57 points […]

London (AFP) – Thomas Tuchel admits he is surprised by Chelsea's "fragile" home form as the Blues boss tries to make Stamford Bridge a fortress in time to preserve their Premier League top-four place. Tuchel's side have lost their past three home games, conceding 11 goals in the process, after Arsenal ran riot in a […]

Seville (Spain) (AFP) – Real Betis have an outside shot of finishing in La Liga's top four, a place in the Champions League still within their grasp, but for Nabil Fekir nothing would beat a victory on Saturday. Betis have won three trophies in their 115-year history, the last of them coming in the Copa […]

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi expects a "fight until the final game" as his team battle AC Milan and Napoli in a three-way fight for the Serie A title. A midweek 3-0 win over Milan at San Siro sent Inter through to a first Italian Cup final since 2011, fuelling hopes of […]

Imola (Italy) (AFP) – Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton said Friday that being part of a consortium bidding to take over English Premier League club Chelsea was too great an opportunity to pass by. Hamilton, along with American tennis star Serena Williams, could each invest up to £10 million, according to Sky News, […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick believes Paul Pogba has played his final match for the club after suffering an injury just weeks before his contract runs out at Old Trafford. The World Cup winner, who is a free agent from July 1, came off with a calf problem early in Tuesday's […]

London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp admits he never expected Liverpool to get so close to winning an unprecedented quadruple as they prepare for Sunday's Merseyside derby against Everton. Klopp's side are bidding to become the first English club to lift all four major trophies in a single season. They have already won the League Cup, […]

London (AFP) – Eddie Howe says his Premier League survival battle at Newcastle has been fuelled by the lingering pain of the one he lost with his former club Bournemouth. The Magpies had just five points when Howe was appointed in November, but are now close to safety after their sixth successive home win, against […]