Milan (AFP) – Italian football federation (FIGC) president Carlo Tavecchio on Monday saluted Azzurri coach Antonio Conte, after he escaped a prison term by being acquitted of sporting fraud in a match-fixing affair. Prosecutor Roberto di Martino had requested a six-month sentence for Italy coach Conte and a fine of 8,000 euros ($9,063), as well […]

Sunderland want to sign right back DeAndre Yedlin in a £2 million transfer deal, according to reports out of England today. The potential move could be a big positive for both Sunderland and the American international. Finding a right back with 30 plus international caps under his belt at the age of 22 is rare. But since […]

Nervousness surrounded American soccer fandom in late August of last year. After two years of outstanding coverage of the Premier League in the United States, it was thought in many quarters that NBC Sports was going to lose the rights to the league to FOX Sports or ESPN. Instead, relief enveloped the soccer community when […]

London (AFP) – Bournemouth announced on Monday that they have offered free coach travel to supporters travelling to Old Trafford for Tuesday's rearranged final Premier League game against Manchester United. The match was called off on Sunday following the discovery of a suspect device, which turned out to be a fake bomb left in the […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United's teenage sensation Marcus Rashford and Newcastle United winger Andros Townsend were named in a provisional 26-man England squad for Euro 2016 on Monday. The uncapped Rashford, 18, has burst onto the scene with United this season, scoring seven goals in 16 games, while Townsend, who won the last of his […]

Here are the ten things we learned from Week 11 of the 2016 MLS season. 1. Columbus Acts, Trades Kei Kamara Thanks in part to a well-placed transfer deadline, it took just four days for the Columbus Crew to ship Kei Kamara out of town after his incredible tirade against Federico Higuain a week last […]

London (AFP) – Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta, whose contract with Arsenal is due to expire, has announced his intention to retire from playing and move into coaching. The 34-year-old said he was "99 percent" certain to hang up his boots after turning out for Arsenal for the last time in their 4-0 win over Aston […]

Rome (AFP) – Italy coach Antonio Conte has been cleared of accusations of sporting fraud following a hearing in Cremona on Monday at which prosecutors had requested a six-month prison sentence, Italian media reports said. Conte is now free to lead Italy at Euro 2016 before becoming Chelsea coach following the tournament's conclusion on July […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – A fake bomb inside Old Trafford that forced the abandonment of Manchester United's last Premier League game of the season triggered angry calls Monday for action as the club faced a multi-million pound bill for the "fiasco". As inquiries started into the incident which led to bomb disposal experts blowing […]

London (AFP) – England manager Roy Hodgson felt reassured by the prompt reaction of the police and emergency services during Sunday's bomb scare at Old Trafford, he said on Monday. Old Trafford was evacuated following the discovery of a suspicious device in a toilet in the stadium's northwest quadrant shortly before kick-off in the Premier […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – Hong Kong trailblazer Chan Yuen-ting became the first woman coach to take a men's football team to a top-flight title thanks to the toughness that earned her the nickname "beefball" and a teenage crush on David Beckham. Chan, 27, led Eastern Sports Club to win Hong Kong's Premier League in April […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – New York City FC defeated MLS Cup champions the Portland Timbers 2-1 as Patrick Vieira's resurgent side marched towards the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Goals from former Spain international David Villa and American midfielder Tommy McNamara secured a third consecutive victory for City after Portland's Fanendo Adi had equalized. […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Greater Manchester's mayor slammed the abandonment of Manchester United's game with Bournemouth over what turned out to be a fake bomb as "outrageous", and called for a full inquiry. Army bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion of a suspicious package which was later revealed to be a dummy […]

Vienna (AFP) – Born to a Nigerian father and a Filipino mother, David Alaba is an unlikely poster boy for an Austrian national team soaring unprecedented heights. Raised in Vienna, Alaba left his hometown just after turning 16 to join Bayern Munich's youth academy. As a youngster he idolised Patrick Vieira and dreamed of playing for Arsenal, […]

Reykjavik (AFP) – With his status as the star player of his country's golden generation and his prowess from a dead ball, it is no surprise that Gylfi Sigurdsson has been labelled the Icelandic David Beckham. The 26-year-old attacking midfielder with a fierce right foot shot admits that he loved watching England stars Beckham and […]