London (AFP) – Manchester United's record goalscorer Wayne Rooney returned to training on Tuesday having missed the last four matches with a muscular injury. The 31-year-old forward — who became United's all-time goalscorer passing Bobby Charlton's tally of 249 when he scored against Stoke on January 21 — took part in the squad's last session […]

London (AFP) – Laughter turned to tears for Sutton United's reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw on Tuesday as he left the club after it emerged the Football Association had launched an investigation into whether their betting rules had been breached. The FA and the Gambling Commission launched their separate inquiries over claims Shaw's eating of a […]

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – Saint-Etienne believe they are capable of reversing a Europa League first leg deficit against Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Manchester United if they can add a dash of 'madness' to their game. At 3-0 down from the Old Trafford first leg all scored by nemesis Ibrahimovic, few are betting on a French revival in […]

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Former France international forward Franck Ribery resumed full training with Bayern Munich on Tuesday following injury, his club said. The 33-year-old took part in his first training session with team-mates following seven weeks out with a thigh problem. He had trained on Monday too, but alone as the rest of the […]

Seville (Spain) (AFP) – Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli insisted his focus is solely on making history in the Champions League despite increasing speculation the Argentine could take charge of Barcelona next season. The Europa League holders host struggling English champions Leicester City in the first leg of their last 16 tie on Wednesday hoping to […]

Seville (Spain) (AFP) – Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli believes Claudio Ranieri's position as Leicester City boss will undoubtedly come under pressure unless results drastically improve, despite his remarkable success last season. Leicester travel to face Sevilla in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Wednesday mired in a relegation battle just […]

London (AFP) – Sutton United's reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw is not only in hot water with his club but also it emerged on Tuesday with the Football Association for eating a pie in the final minutes of the FA Cup clash with Arsenal. The portly 46-year-old — a former Southampton youth team-mate of England icon […]

Rome (AFP) – Goalkeeping icons Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon will renew a rivalry going back almost two decades when Porto host Juventus in Wednesday's Champions League last 16. Age is just another number for Spaniard Casillas, 35, and 39-year-old Italian nemesis Buffon. Between them they have 334 caps, 275 Champions League matches, 12 league […]

Milan (AFP) – A potent new attacking formation that has sent Gonzalo Higuain towards another top scorer's award faces the acid test Wednesday when Juventus take on Porto away in the last 16 of the Champions League. Juventus, beaten 3-1 by Barcelona in the 2015 final, are en route to a record sixth Serie A […]

Leverkusen (Germany) (AFP) – Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez has hit goalscoring form again for Bayer Leverkusen in a warning to Atletico Madrid ahead of their Champions League clash on Tuesday. Five goals in three games ended a 16 match scoring drought for the Mexican and took him back into the top five hitmen in the German […]

Sydney (AFP) – Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds smashed four second-half goals past Western Sydney Wanderers to start their AFC Champions League with a thumping 4-0 win on Tuesday. Shinzo Koroki and Tadanari Lee struck within two minutes of each other before Tomoaki Makino and Rafael Silva also got on the scoresheet as the Group F […]

Seville (Spain) (AFP) – There are few football clubs where the star is the sporting director, but Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo, or "Monchi" as he is better known, has been the architect of Sevilla's most successful era by far. Since taking over as sporting director in 2000, the former goalkeeper has guided the club from Spain's […]

Paris (AFP) – Jose Mourinho will likely ring the changes again as Manchester United look to wrap up their progress to the Europa League last 16 away to Saint-Etienne on Wednesday. A Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat-trick led them to a 3-0 victory in last week's Old Trafford first leg and barring an alarming meltdown, the English […]

Sydney (AFP) – Football Federation Australia has demanded an explanation from Western Sydney Wanderers over an "offensive" banner unfurled at the weekend's fierce derby showing a rival coach engaging in a sex act. The FFA issued a show-cause notice on Wanderers, foreshadowing a likely hefty fine, ahead of the Sydney club's Asian Champions League opener […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his team would have faced FA Cup humiliation against non-league Sutton United had they shown less application in their fifth-round victory. Arsenal won 2-0 in Monday's tie at Sutton's 5,000-capacity Gander Green Lane ground, but they were given a real run for their money by a team […]