When Claude Makelele was sold to Chelsea from Real Madrid, there was backlash. How could the Real Madrid president not understand the defensive midfielder’s worth? Teammates spoke about the influence and importance of the player, but it was lost on the suit wearing, non-playing personnel. Makelele went on to have five successful seasons in the […]

Berlin (AFP) – Real Madrid have held talks with Poland's star striker Robert Lewandowski, his agent has confirmed, while Bayern Munich insist they will pay whatever it takes to keep him. "Real Madrid approached us a few weeks ago, we have listened to everything and informed Bayern that we have held talks," Lewandowski's agent Cezary […]

Arsenal are seemingly taking more of a proactive approach to this summer’s transfer window than they did during 2015. While goalkeeper Petr Cech was the only first team player to be signed last summer, the Gunners have already added £30 million central midfielder Granit Xhaka, and it’s not even June yet. The addition of Xhaka […]

Berlin (AFP) – English champions Leicester City are set to strengthen their squad for next season by signing World Cup winner goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler from relegated Hanover 96, the German club announced on Sunday. The 27-year-old 'keeper is set to travel to England on Monday to complete the medical with his transfer to cost a […]

Madrid (AFP) – The big-game experience of a side littered with galacticos helped ensure an 11th European title for Real Madrid, Spanish press reported Sunday. Real beat city rivals Atletico 5-3 on penalties after Saturday's final in Milan finished 1-1 after extra-time. Real "shone in the first quarter of an hour, but then lost its […]

Stockholm (AFP) – Star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will sit out Sweden's friendly against Slovenia in order to rest a sore calf, coach Erik Hamren said Sunday. "We'll save it until the Wales match" on June 5, Hamren told Swedish news agency TT ahead of Monday's match against Slovenia in Malmo. "It's the calf he's had […]

Paris (AFP) – The omission of Karim Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa from the France squad for next month's European Championships is a missed opportunity to unite the country in the face of extremism and division, according to ex-international Eric Cantona. Cantona stirred up a hornet's nest last week when he claimed that France coach […]

Frankfurt (AFP) – A leading member of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party sparked outrage Sunday after making racist remarks about national football team defender Jerome Boateng. AfD's deputy chief Alexander Gauland told the Sunday newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that Germans would not like to have Boateng, who has a Ghanaian father and […]

Madrid (AFP) – Thousands of Real Madrid fans chanted and waved supporter scarves under a rain of confetti on Sunday in the Spanish capital as the team returned home after an historic 11th European Cup win. An open top bus emblazoned with the word "Campeones" (Champions) carried the team, who showed off the trophy to […]

Madrid (AFP) – A season that promised so little when Zinedine Zidane took charge of a beleaguered Real Madrid less than five months ago ended beyond even the richest club in the world's wildest dreams with an 11th European Cup win in Milan. Cristiano Ronaldo struck the winning penalty in a shootout to cap a […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid fans descended into the streets of the Spanish capital in the early hours of Sunday morning to celebrate a historic 11th European Cup win after beating local rivals Atletico Madrid on penalties. "The 11th is here," fans chanted with many expected to wait for their heroes to return from Milan […]

Montreal (AFP) – Didier Drogba scored an injury-time winner as the Montreal Impact downed the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 to maintain their place near the top of Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference standings. Drogba's goal in the fourth minute of injury time came after a terrible blunder by Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe, who allowed the […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Rising teenage star Christian Pulisic scored his first international goal as the United States warmed up for the Copa America Centenario on Saturday with a 4-0 thrashing of Bolivia. Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Pulisic, 17, grabbed a coolly taken strike on 69 minutes at the Sporting Park Stadium in Kansas City […]

Milan (AFP) – Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos paid tribute to coach Zinedine Zidane's inspirational qualities after the Spanish giants were crowned kings of Europe for the 11th time. Real claimed their second Champions League trophy in three years thanks to a 5-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Atletico Madrid at Milan's San Siro after the […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Argentina star Lionel Messi, one of the world's highest-paid athletes, goes on trial in Barcelona on Tuesday for allegedly defrauding Spain of over four million euros in unpaid taxes. After winning a league and Cup double with Barcelona, the five-time World Player of the Year and his father will confront in court […]