Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona will have to end Espanyol's 10-game unbeaten run if the Spanish champions are to close to within three points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid in Sunday's Catalan derby. Barca have the chance to end the year within striking distance of their eternal rivals with Madrid not in Liga action due […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich need a win at bottom-side Darmstadt on Sunday to be sure of finishing the weekend top of the Bundesliga ahead of their pre-Christmas showdown against second-placed RB Leipzig. Bayern's 5-0 hammering of Wolfsburg last Saturday allowed them to regain top spot on goal difference from Leipzig, who suffered a shock […]

Milan (AFP) – Roma's Diego Perotti has tipped compatriot Paulo Dybala for a big future but hopes the Juventus starlet is left disappointed after their top-of-the-table clash on Saturday. Juventus, bidding for a record sixth consecutive title this season, play host in Turin on Saturday when a home win would stretch their lead over Roma […]

London (AFP) – Cesc Fabregas believes he has shown he can be an integral part of Antonio Conte's Chelsea side having until recently been thought to be surplus to requirements. The 29-year-old midfielder has taken a more prominent role since returning to the side at the start of this month after a two-month absence. Having […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Danish international defender Erik Sviatchenko says he is growing into life at Celtic as he makes strides on and off the field. The 25-year-old, who opted to play for Denmark and not Ukraine where his artist father was born, has been an integral part of a Celtic defence which has looked impregnable […]

Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom) (AFP) – For Leicester City, any good news is welcome at present, so two pieces would mean joy for Claudio Ranieri. The defending but faltering Premier League champions head for Stoke City on Saturday with last weekend’s stirring victory over Manchester City already a fading memory following a costly midweek defeat to […]

West Bromwich (United Kingdom) (AFP) – In-form Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes the club's luck has finally turned ahead of their clash with West Bromwich Albion. United manager Jose Mourinho recently lamented his side were playing much better than results and their position in the Premier League suggested. The Red Devils head to the West […]

London (AFP) – All-too-familiar questions about courage, backbone and durability surround Arsenal ahead of their trip to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend. Arsenal's 14-game unbeaten run had lain strong foundations for a determined tilt at the festive fixture list, only for Arsene Wenger's men to come unstuck in Tuesday's 2-1 […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Bruce Arena launches his second spell as coach of the USA when the Americans take on Serbia in a friendly football match in San Diego on January 29. The former Los Angeles Galaxy boss was tapped to replace Jurgen Klinsmann at the helm last month. Former Germany player and coach Klinsmann […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Luis Suarez has agreed a new contract with Barcelona, keeping him at the Camp Nou until June 2021, the Spanish champions announced on Thursday. The 29-year-old Uruguay striker's new deal, which had been in the pipeline for some time, features a 200 million-euro (£167 million, $208 million) release clause. Barcelona said Suarez, […]

For almost a decade, Major League Soccer (MLS) executives have become obsessive about television ratings in the United States. While slight upticks in performance have taken place due to improved time slots on both the ESPN and FOX family of networks, the league’s ratings continue to lag well behind where they need to be. MLS has benefited […]

Paris (AFP) – A French court will Friday rule on a request by Real Madrid and France striker Karim Benzema to drop the investigation into alleged blackmail over a sextape featuring international teammate Mathieu Valbuena. Djibril Cisse, the former Liverpool and Marseille striker, could however be dragged into the investigation with prosecutors calling for him […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Carlos Tevez looks set to pocket 40 million euros ($41.6m) a season — 20 times what he currently earns at Boca Juniors — with a transfer to Chinese football, Argentine media said on Thursday. The striker is negotiating a move to Shanghai Shenhua and would be just the latest big name […]

Yokohama (Japan) (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 500th club goal Thursday as Real Madrid eased past Mexico's Club America 2-0 to reach the Club World Cup final in Japan. The Spanish giants will face shock finalists Kashima Antlers, the J-League champions, in Yokohama on Sunday as they look to capture their second world title […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Scottish police are investigating more than 100 reports of child sex abuse in football, authorities said on Thursday, as British football confronts one of the biggest scandals in its history. A string of ex-footballers, including former England internationals, have come forward in the past month alleging they were the victims of sex […]