CBS Sports today announced schedule details for the initial launch of its inaugural season as the exclusive U.S. rights holder for Serie A, on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network. The network kicks off its Serie A coverage on Saturday, Aug. 21, and CBS Sports’ coverage of the Coppa Italia begins on Friday, Aug. 13, with […]

London (AFP) – Romelu Lukaku returned to Chelsea on Thursday for a reported club record fee of £97 million ($135 million) from Inter Milan, seven years after his first spell at Stamford Bridge came to an end. The Belgian striker was instrumental in securing Inter's first Serie A title for 11 years last season, but […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – The 2021-2022 African club competitions, whose qualifying draws are scheduled for Cairo on Friday, will retain the away-goals system despite Europe scrapping the rule. European football body UEFA abandoned the rule for its three club competitions this season, saying statistics proved that the original motive of encouraging away teams to attack was […]

London (AFP) – Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has declared his contract situation as "resolved" ahead of their Premier League opener away to Manchester United on Saturday. The 66-year-old did not give any details on whether he has put pen to paper on new terms, but indicated he had committed to a further season at Elland […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Thursday it is the club's job to make the fans excited for the new Premier League season despite not having the spending power of the favourites to win the title. The Gunners have failed to qualify for the Champions League for the past five seasons, finishing […]

Paris (AFP) – After a rapturous reception and raucous unveiling from the fans on Wednesday Lionel Messi got to know his new teammates at Paris Saint-Germain's Camp des Loges training facility on Thursday. Much has been made of Messi lining up with Brazil's Neymar and France striker Kylian Mbappe in what will be a fearsome […]

Geneva (AFP) – A Swiss prosecutor on Thursday concluded four days of final interviews with former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in a long-running probe into a suspected fraudulent payment in 2011. Former world football chief Blatter, 85, has met with a federal prosecutor every day since Monday for final hearings in a case that shook […]

Paris (AFP) – After a rapturous reception and raucous unveiling to the public on Wednesday Lionel Messi took part in his first session at Paris Saint-Germain's Camp des Loges training facility on Thursday. The 34-year-old former Barcelona player has been on downtime since winning the Copa America with Argentina in July, and started his first […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard will miss this weekend's opening game of the Bundesliga season at Borussia Moenchengladbach with an injury, head coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Thursday. The France left-back has suffered an ankle issue and is expected to miss the next few weeks, including Tuesday's German Super Cup at Borussia […]

Madrid (AFP) – La Liga, just three years ago the undisputed monarch of European football, returns for a new season on Friday after a traumatic summer that ended with its crown jewel being given away. The free transfer of Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday drove home the financial turmoil that is eroding the power […]

Berlin (AFP) – It's all change for the new Bundesliga campaign – which starts on Friday – with new coaches at each of last season's top six clubs now joining the hunt to deny Bayern Munich a tenth straight league title. In a rare coincidence, all clubs who finished in the top six league places […]

Berlin (AFP) – The new Bundesliga season kicks off on Friday when defending champions Bayern Munich play at Borussia Moenchengladbach. Bayern's new head coach Julian Nagelsmann, 34, is under pressure to deliver a tenth straight German league title at the end of his first season in charge. AFP sports looks at which clubs can prevent […]

Sydney (AFP) – Australian football chiefs are formulating plans to host either the men's 2030 or 2034 World Cup to build on the country's successful bid for the women's 2023 tournament, top officials said Thursday. The move follows Australia's failed tilt for the 2022 event, which was funded with Aus$45 million (US$33 million) of taxpayer […]

ESPN+ will kick off its second season of Bundesliga coverage in the U.S. on Friday, August 13, with presentation of Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. reigning 2020-2021 league champions FC Bayern München, live from Borussia-Park in Mönchengladbach at 2:30 p.m. ET, in English and Spanish exclusively on ESPN+. Live coverage of the match will kick off at […]

Belfast (AFP) – Kepa Arrizabalaga was the unlikely hero as Chelsea started the new season as they ended the last with a European trophy by beating Villarreal 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to win the UEFA Super Cup in Belfast. The Spaniard, who has lost his place as number one since joining the […]