Paris (AFP) – AFP Sports picks out the best of the action in the Europa League on Thursday as Manchester United went down to defeat in Turkey, Southampton beat Inter and Aritz Aduriz made history: Mourinho woes deepen Manchester United endured another frustrating night as Jose Mourinho's side lost 2-1 to Fenerbahce in Istanbul. They […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on Thursday said that his team had been caught "sleeping" in a 2-1 Europa League defeat by Fenerbahce in Istanbul. Mourinho said that he had warned his side ahead of the game the clash in Istanbul would be completely different to the meeting of the teams in […]

Bilbao (Spain) (AFP) – Veteran striker Aritz Aduriz made history as he scored all five goals for Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish club's 5-3 Europa League win against Genk on Thursday. The 35-year-old had a hat-trick by half-time at San Mames, got his fourth goal in the 74th minute and completed a rare nap-hand by […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Fenerbahce on Thursday claimed a famous 2-1 home victory against Manchester United in the Europa League, electrifying a raucous Istanbul crowd and adding to the woes of Jose Mourinho. The visitors looked flat against a razor-sharp performance by the Turkish side, who took the lead early on with a staggering Moussa Sow […]

Milan (AFP) – The Chinese owners of Inter Milan have flown in to choose a successor to Frank de Boer after the Dutch coach's unceremonious sacking earlier in the week. Inter face Southampton in a must-win Europa League clash later Thursday when the club's youth team coach, Stefano Vecchi, will take over on an interim […]

Zurich (AFP) – Three members of Germany's women's Olympic gold medal winning football team were on Thursday named on the shortlist for FIFA's Best Female Player of 2016. Bayern Munich midfielders Melanie Behringer and Sara Dabritz, and Lyon midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan were among a shortlist of ten. The list also includes last year's winner Carli […]

London (AFP) – FIFA general secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura has warned England and Scotland they could face sanctions if their teams wear commemorative poppies in their November 11 game. The football associations of England and Scotland on Wednesday vowed to defy world governing body FIFA, which bans players from wearing political, commercial and religious […]

Doha (AFP) – A final decision on the number of stadiums to be used at the Qatar 2022 World Cup finals will not be made this year, according to FIFA. An official told AFP that the long-awaited announcement would instead be made in "due course" though not before the end of December, as had been […]

Paris (AFP) – France on Thursday dropped Anthony Martial for next week's top-of-the-table World Cup qualifying clash home to Sweden and the friendly with the Ivory Coast, but fit-again Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud returns. Coach Didier Deschamps had a word of warning for Martial, 20, who under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United has been restricted […]

London (AFP) – Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel is set to be out of action for up to a month after breaking a bone in his hand during Wednesday's goalless Champions League draw away to FC Copenhagen, the Premier League champions have announced. Schmeichel suffered the injury during the first half in his native Denmark […]

Widely regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders on the entire planet, Mesut Özil is an assist machine. His 19 Premier League assists during the 2015/16 campaign not only led the league, but was the second-most tally in the Premier League era (only behind former Arsenal legend Thierry Henry’s 20 during the 2002/03 season). […]

London (AFP) – Andy Carroll fled armed robbers on motorbikes who pursued the "brave" West Ham striker for up to 20 minutes in a high-speed chase, manager Slaven Bilic said on Thursday. The burly England international was targeted as he drove towards his home in Essex, east of London, on Wednesday, but sped off with […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger voiced concern about midfielder Granit Xhaka's disciplinary record, ahead of Sunday's north London derby clash with Tottenham Hotspur. Xhaka, 24, has been sent off eight times for club and country since April 2014 and has just completed a domestic suspension for a red card in last month's 3-2 […]

London (AFP) – The man in charge of West Ham United's London Stadium stepped down on Thursday, in the latest episode of upheaval to affect the controversy-plagued venue. David Edmonds has left his post as chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), which has been responsible for the running of London's Olympic Park since […]

London (AFP) – West Ham United striker Andy Carroll is well despite being targeted by armed robbers on motorbikes, his manager Slaven Bilic said on Thursday. "He is good. I just spoke to him about what happened. He is OK," Bilic told his weekly press conference. British media reports said Carroll, 27, was targeted by […]