Madrid (AFP) – Espanyol escaped relegation from La Liga this season but have decided against prolonging the contract of Constantin Galca, the interim coach that saved them, the Spanish club said on Friday. Galca took over from Sergio Gonzalez last December with the club mired in a relegation struggle, and eventually lifted them to a […]

Prague (AFP) – Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech set a new record for Czech caps on Friday in a Euro 2016 friendly against Malta in Austria. The 34-year-old former Chelsea stopper won his 119th cap, surpassing the previous mark of 118 he shared with former Manchester United winger Karel Poborsky, who retired in 2006. Cech earned […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Former world footballer of the year Kaka has been added to the Brazilian roster for next month's Copa America Centenario as an injury replacement for Bayern Munich midfielder Douglas Costa. Brazil coach Dunga made the move for the 34-year-old striker of Orlando City after Costa was forced off the squad due […]

World Soccer Talk is proud to announce the launch of the EuroCopa Soccer Podcast, a one-of-a-kind daily digital audio download that will analyze, preview and review all of the teams and games from both the Copa America Centenario and Euro 2016 tournaments. Since 2010, World Soccer Talk has produced a daily podcast for major soccer […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United fans welcomed Jose Mourinho's appointment as the club's new manager on Friday but said the pressure was now on to deliver quick results for a team whose recent form has been lacklustre. "I think the new manager will bring a bit more flair into United," said Peter Davy, […]

Paris (AFP) – France coach Didier Deschamps will sue Eric Cantona for slander after the Manchester United legend accused his former international and club teammate of racial discrimination in his choice of players for Euro 2016, his lawyer said on Friday. Cantona told British daily The Guardian on Thursday that Deschamps had snubbed Karim Benzema […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United on Friday anointed Jose Mourinho as their third new manager in less than three years in their bid to reinstate the club as a title-winning force in England and Europe. After three days of talks, Mourinho agreed a three-year contract on a bumper salary reportedly worth more than $20 million […]

Sunderland (United Kingdom) (AFP) – England manager Roy Hodgson has challenged Marcus Rashford to make his life difficult when the Manchester United sensation auditions for a Euro 2016 place in Friday's friendly against Australia. Rashford has emerged as a late contender for a seat on the flight to France after a fine breakthrough season with […]

Milan (AFP) – Fernando Torres is dreaming of eclipsing his Champions League triumph with Chelsea and making history for the second time in the competition by leading Atletico Madrid to victory over Real Madrid on Saturday. Torres won the elite European title with the London side in 2012 when they beat Bayern Munich 4-3 on […]

Zadar (Croatia) (AFP) – Bombs fell on the Croatian town of Zadar as Luka Modric refined his football skills in the corridors of a refugee hotel and in cratered car parks. Modric, 30, is now Real Madrid's midfield general, plotting attacks for Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. Modric was "a vivid child who […]

Milan (AFP) – Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is ready to shoulder "113 years of history" ahead of a Champions League final with Real Madrid that striker Fernando Torres has labelled the "game of my life". Record 10-time champions Real are the opposition at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Saturday, when Atletico will […]

This Saturday, ESPN Deportes will televise the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. The network has the Spanish-language rights to the game, with the kick-off scheduled for 2:45pm ET. As both teams compete for the most prestigious title in club soccer, Real Madrid seeks its eleventh win while Atlético Madrid looks […]

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho boasted that giant clubs needed the best managers as he took over at Manchester United on Friday. Mourinho said he wanted to bury the past three years at Old Trafford, which saw David Moyes and then his own mentor Louis van Gaal struggle to emulate the title-studded success achieved by […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – In accepting the challenge of attempting to drag Manchester United out of the doldrums, Jose Mourinho will also seek to restore gloss to his own tainted reputation. The brash 53-year-old Portuguese is a serial winner, having notably won eight league titles and two Champions Leagues, but Chelsea's spectacular collapse over […]

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho talks bluntly, wins big and then everything seems to go wrong. Taking on what he called the "mystique" and "romance" of Manchester United adds to one of the most most stellar CVs in football. But the 53-year-old Portuguese — who has won eight league titles in four countries with Porto, […]