Barcelona (AFP) – French international winger Ousmane Dembele, whose contract with Barcelona expired last month, ended six months of speculation about his future by agreeing to 'rejoin' the Catalan side until 2024, the club announced on Thursday. "FC Barcelona and the player Ousmane Dembele have reached an agreement for a contract until 30 June 2024," said a […]

Singapore (AFP) – Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira said Thursday that the club's decision to not bring several first-team regulars on a pre-season tour of Singapore and Australia was not ideal preparation for the upcoming Premier League season. The Eagles face friendlies against Liverpool, Manchester United and Leeds United in Singapore and Australia in the […]

Melbourne (AFP) – Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford said Thursday he was relishing a "fresh start" under new coach Erik ten Hag, keen to put a forgettable last season behind him. The England international had a frustrating and disappointing 2021/22 campaign, dropped by Gareth Southgate from the national team amid a form dip at the […]

Melbourne (AFP) – Manchester United captain Harry Maguire should be available to face Melbourne Victory after missing their 4-0 thumping of Liverpool, manager Erik ten Hag said Thursday while urging his team to use their initiative. The England defender was a conspicuous absence in the first game of the Red Devils' pre-season tour in Bangkok […]

Sheffield (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Holders the Netherlands held off a stirring fightback by Portugal to close in on a place in the Euro 2022 quarter-finals with a 3-2 win over Portugal, while Sweden struck late to beat Switzerland 2-1 on Wednesday. The Dutch were without star striker Vivianne Miedema due to a positive case […]

Sheffield (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Sweden needed a late winner from substitute Hanna Bennison to close in on a place in the Euro 2022 quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over Switzerland in Sheffield on Wednesday. Ranked second in the world, Sweden were among the pre-tournament favourites but have so far struggled to hit top gear […]

Seoul (AFP) – Local hero Son Heung-min delighted his South Korean fans by scoring twice as Tottenham Hotspur beat a K-League select team 6-3 in a wildly entertaining pre-season friendly in Seoul on Wednesday.  The English Premier League Golden Boot winner Son and Harry Kane, who bagged two goals, both appeared just for the second […]

Liverpool (AFP) – A leading Liverpool fans' group has called for a "full apology from the French Government" after a French senate enquiry found organisational failings were to blame for the chaos that surrounded the Champions League final. The kick-off for the match on May 28 was delayed as supporters struggled to get through bottlenecks […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Raheem Sterling has said he will leave Manchester City "a man" on Wednesday as his transfer to Chelsea edged ever closer. The 27-year-old posted a goodbye message on social media ahead of an expected £50 million ($59 million) move. Sterling announced his exit from the Etihad with a social media […]

Paris (AFP) – An enquiry by the French Senate into crowd chaos at this year's Champions League final in Paris concluded that organisers were to blame, not supporters, undermining claims by the police and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. A fact-finding mission led by two senators was set up after the Liverpool-Real Madrid game on May […]

Brentford (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Germany booked their place in the Euro 2022 quarter-finals as Klara Buhl and Alexandra Popp sealed a 2-0 win against Spain on Tuesday. Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's side crushed Denmark 4-0 in their opening fixture, but had to show their more gritty side to see off Spain. Germany had only two shots […]

Milton Keynes (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Denmark kept alive their hopes of reaching the Euro 2022 quarter-finals as Pernille Harder's late goal sealed a 1-0 win against Finland on Tuesday. Lars Sondergaard's side were thrashed by Germany in their opening Group B match but they bounced back with a hard-fought victory in Milton Keynes. Chelsea […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Los Angeles FC captain Carlos Vela and Mexican compatriot Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez of the Los Angeles Galaxy were among players named to the Major League Soccer All-Stars lineup on Tuesday. The 26-player MLS squad will face the Mexican League All-Stars on August 10 at St. Paul, Minnesota. It's the second consecutive year […]

Bangkok (AFP) – Erik Ten Hag said he was "satisfied" Tuesday after getting off to a perfect start as Manchester United manager, but insisted he would not be getting carried away after a 4-0 thumping of arch-rivals Liverpool in a preseason friendly in Thailand. United started strongly against an unfamiliar Liverpool line-up, cruising to a […]

Bangkok (AFP) – After the rains came the red wave, as tens of thousands of jersey-wearing fans surged into Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium to witness Manchester United and Liverpool's pre-season clash on Tuesday night. The renovated stadium — boasting a newly laid pitch that was hastily covered to protect it during a downpour ahead of the […]