Madrid (AFP) – The Copa del Rey final between holders Barcelona and Alaves on May 27 will be played at Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon stadium, the Spanish Football Federation said on Monday. It will be the second year running the final is held at Atletico's ground, with Barcelona lifting the trophy for a record 28th […]

London (AFP) – West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has been charged with improper conduct for his behaviour during Saturday's draw against West Bromwich Albion, the Football Association announced Monday. An angry Bilic was sent off by referee Michael Oliver after throwing a television microphone in frustration following West Brom's late equaliser in a 2-2 […]

Paris (AFP) – Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes will miss Sunday's visit of Dijon in Ligue 1 with a one-match ban for scribbling out the name of arch rivals Saint-Etienne on his jersey. Teams in this year's French Cup are wearing special commemorative shirts to mark the 100th anniversary of the competition, with each featuring the […]

The UEFA Champions League returns this week after a break of 70 days since the end of the Group Stage. Sixteen teams remain with a home and away leg. The aggregate winners will then proceed to the quarter-finals of the 2016/17 competition. Many of the giants of European soccer will be in action across the […]

London (AFP) – Anthony Martial has more reason than most of his Manchester United team-mates for wanting to score against French club Saint-Etienne in Thursday's Europa League tie at Old Trafford. Martial, 21, made his way in football as a youth player with Lyon, arch domestic rivals of Saint-Etienne. The France winger never played in […]

Berlin (AFP) – Evergreen Arjen Robben says Bayern Munich must raise their game for Wednesday's key Champions League clash against Arsenal with time running out for him to again lift the European trophy. The 33-year-old scored Bayern's winning goal in the 2013 final at Wembley to seal the 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund. He has […]

Berlin (AFP) – Midfield star Xabi Alonso is an injury concern for Bayern Munich ahead of their Champions League last 16 home leg against Arsenal after being hurt in Monday's training session. German daily Bild and broadcaster Sport1.de both reported the 35-year-old was hurt in a tackle by fellow Spain international Javi Martinez, with Bayern […]

London (AFP) – Swansea winger Nathan Dyer will miss the rest of the season after rupturing the Achilles tendon in his left ankle, the Premier League club announced Monday. Dyer suffered the injury during Welsh club Swansea's 2-0 win at home to champions Leicester on Sunday, limping off after just seven minutes at the Liberty […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain host Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday with their Spanish coach Unai Emery desperate to improve his awful personal record against the Catalans. Emery was brought to the French capital last year as the successor to Laurent Blanc in order to help take […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery has managed teams against Barcelona 23 times since 2007. Here is the size of his challenge in five figures as his side prepare to take on the Spanish superstars in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday: 1 win Emery, who moved from Sevilla last year and […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund will close their iconic south stand for this weekend's home Bundesliga match, having on Monday accepted the German FA's sanctions after hooligans attacked visiting fans a week ago. The south stand, known as the 'Gelbe Wand' (Yellow Wall), holds 25,000 supporters at Borussia's 80,000-capacity Signal Iduna Park stadium and will […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany's World Cup winner Mario Goetze has been left out of Borussia Dortmund's squad for Tuesday's Champions League last 16, first-leg, clash against Benfica. The 24-year-old has fallen out of favour with coach Thomas Tuchel after a string of below-par performances and is struggling with a leg injury, which kept him out […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Shanghai SIPG coach Andre Villas-Boas on Monday said his team must deliver silverware after the club spent big pre-season including their high-profile signing of Oscar. SIPG begin their AFC Champions League campaign next week after Oscar, their 60-million-euro signing from Chelsea, helped them reach the group stage with a goal on debut […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich turn their focus on Arsenal and the Champions League on Wednesday having effectively ended the title-race in the Bundesliga with a fifth straight-crown now theirs to lose. With a third of the German league season still to play, Bayern hold a commanding seven-point lead as all their main rivals lost […]

Milan (AFP) – Desperate Napoli fans have signed up as official Real Madrid supporters in a bid to attend a Champions League clash that will see an estimated 10,000 Napolitans descend on the Spanish capital Wednesday. Napoli, last season's runners-up, are nine points behind Juventus in the Serie A title race but, with a league-topping […]