Sao Paulo (AFP) – A group of Brazilian footballers and their families arrived in Sao Paulo on Tuesday after a two-day odyssey to escape war-torn Ukraine, where they play their club football. The contingent of 13 Brazilians from Shakhtar Donetsk were among dozens of people that crammed into a train and then a bus for […]

Peterborough (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ukraine defender Oleksandr Zinchenko was given the Manchester City captaincy for their FA Cup fifth-round clash at Peterborough on Tuesday. Zinchenko took the armband in his first appearance since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Fernandinho had initially been listed as City captain for the tie, but the Brazilian, who signed from […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel expressed his frustration at being plagued with questions on Russia's invasion of Ukraine with the future of the club's ownership structure still unclear. Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich on Saturday revealed he plans to place his ownership of the European champions into the "stewardship and care" of the Chelsea […]

Paris (AFP) – A group of leading Ukrainian footballers, led by English Premier League stars Oleksandr Zinchenko and Andriy Yarmolenko, have called on the sport to "resist" the Russian invasion of their country in a video published Tuesday on social media. "We appeal to the football community, to everyone who is united by love for […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says it is "crazy" to even think about an unprecedented quadruple of trophies as he prepares his League Cup winners for Wednesday's FA Cup tie against Norwich. The Reds beat Chelsea 11-10 in a dramatic penalty shootout at Wembley on Sunday to win the first piece of domestic […]

Milan (AFP) – Fiorentina on Tuesday asked their supporters to avoid racist chants as they prepare for the first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final against Juventus and old boy Dusan Vlahovic. Wednesday's match will be the first time Serbia forward Vlahovic returns to Florence since leaving Fiorentina for fierce rivals Juve towards the end […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United football director John Murtough says a "thorough process" is under way to find their next permanent manager, pledging the club remains focused on challenging for "top trophies" again. United, who announced their latest financial results on Tuesday, have endured another difficult season despite the return of superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo […]

Berlin (AFP) – German football coach Markus Gisdol said Tuesday that he quit as head coach of Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow in protest over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Being a football coach is the best job in the world, but I can't pursue my vocation in a country whose leader is responsible for a war of […]

London (AFP) – England's referees' chief has apologised to Everton manager Frank Lampard for mistakes made in Saturday's defeat by Manchester City, according to British media reports. An angry Lampard labelled VAR official Chris Kavanagh a "professional who cannot do his job right" after the 1-0 loss to the Premier League champions at Goodison Park. […]

London (AFP) – West Ham manager David Moyes said Tuesday he would not rush Andriy Yarmolenko back into action after the club gave the Ukraine international time off following the invasion of his country by Russia. The 32-year-old winger was not part of the Hammers' squad for Sunday's 1-0 Premier League win over Wolves. Moyes, […]

London (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has urged Jack Grealish to ignore his critics and his underwhelming statistics after a slow start to his Manchester City career. The England midfielder has not been the dominant force he was at Aston Villa since his British-record £100 million ($134 million) move to the Premier League champions in August, […]

Bergamo (Italy) (AFP) – Atalanta cruised past Sampdoria 4-0 on Monday to keep pace with Juventus in Serie A's race for the Champions League. Mario Pasalic's early strike, goals in each half from Teun Koopmeiners and Aleksei Miranchuk's late finish ensured that Atalanta stayed three points behind Juve, who sit in fourth after their win […]

London (AFP) – Premier League strugglers Leeds named American Jesse Marsch as their new manager on Monday, a day after sacking Marcelo Bielsa. The 48-year-old former RB Leipzig boss arrives with Leeds sitting just two points above the relegation zone. The club said Marsch had been appointed "pending international clearance" on a deal running until […]

Barcelona (AFP) – After accusing Ousmane Dembele of "blackmail" in January, Barcelona president Joan Laporta on Monday said he "hoped" the French winger would "think" about extending his contract "at the end of the season." Laporta's remarks followed a dazzling display by the 24-year-old French World Cup winner against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Dembele's contract […]

Geneva (AFP) – The International Olympic Committee on Monday urged sports federations and organisers to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from international events following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Just hours later, FIFA kicked Russia out of the 2022 World Cup as football's global governing body and UEFA joined forces to expel Russian national […]