Montreal (AFP) – Canadian football authorities cancelled an upcoming friendly against Iran on Thursday following a backlash against the game led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Canada's game against fellow World Cup qualifiers Iran in Vancouver on June 5 was seen by Canadian football authorities as pivotal preparation for this year's finals in Qatar in […]

Paris (AFP) – Around 7,000 police will be on duty to marshal fans during Saturday's Champions League final where as many as 40,000 ticketless Liverpool supporters are expected, authorities said on Thursday. The match between Liverpool and Real Madrid was originally scheduled to be played in Saint Petersburg but the French capital stepped in when […]

London (AFP) – Aston Villa have agreed to sign Brazilian defender Diego Carlos from Sevilla in a reported £26 million ($32 million) deal.  Carlos is set to travel to England for a medical before agreeing personal terms with the Premier League club. The 29-year-old centre-back played 136 matches for Sevilla, helping them win the 2020 […]

London (AFP) – Leeds have signed Red Bull Salzburg and United States midfielder Brenden Aaronson on a five-year deal, the Premier League club announced on Thursday. The 21-year-old, who worked under Leeds boss Jesse Marsch during his time in charge at the Austrian club, will formally complete his move to Elland Road for an undisclosed […]

Paris (AFP) – Real Madrid remain Europe's most valuable football club despite the ever-increasing dominance of the English Premier League, according to two reports by analysts published Thursday. The Football Benchmark report, which ranks Europe's 32 most prominent clubs on their value based on their annual financial statements and assessing squad values, put Real top […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United chief Richard Arnold says he understands fans' frustrations after a disastrous season but hopes the arrival of new manager Erik ten Hag will lead to "renewed optimism". Supporters vented their anger against United's unpopular American owners during matches at Old Trafford as their team's woeful campaign fizzled out. United, who […]

London (AFP) – England defender Lucy Bronze will leave Manchester City when her contract runs out at the end of June, the Women's Super League club announced on Thursday. The 30-year-old rejoined City in 2020 after a spell with Lyon, having previously played for them from 2014 to 2017. Bronze made 111 appearances in total […]

Paris (AFP) – Swedish veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic said Thursday he endured six months of sleepless nights due to a painful knee because he was determined to fulfil his promise to AC Milan of delivering their first Serie A crown in 11 years. The 40-year-old striker underwent knee surgery on his left knee — reconstructing his […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United's latest accounts show a 30 per cent increase in revenue for the three months until March 31 this year despite the club's worst season in the Premier League era. United's total revenue for the first three months of 2022 was £152.8 million ($192 million), up 29.2 per cent from £118.3 […]

Liverpool (AFP) – "We are not here by any kind of magic," said Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool's third appearance in a Champions League final in five years. "We deserve this." Real Madrid stand in the Reds' way at the Stade de France on Saturday, just as they did four years ago in the first of […]

Barrancas (Colombia) (AFP) – Running around barefooted on a dust bowl of a pitch, a young indigenous Colombian began kicking a ball more than 20 years ago. Now that boy, Luis Diaz, is on the verge of becoming champion of Europe with Liverpool. In the town of Barrancas, where almost half the population is from […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain will play three J-League teams on a tour of Japan this summer, the French champions said on Thursday, as they court an Asian audience with Kylian Mbappe still in tow. PSG will play Kawasaki Frontale, who have won the J-League four times in the past five years, at Tokyo's Olympic […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – Raul Baena cut his teeth in Barcelona's youth sides alongside Sergio Busquets and was later Mauricio Pochettino's trusted lieutenant at the heart of Espanyol's midfield in La Liga. But it is in Hong Kong that the former Spain under-21 international finally won a league title, and then played a pivotal role […]

Liverpool (AFP) – "We are not here by any kind of magic," said Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool's third appearance in the a Champions League final in five years. "We deserve this." Real Madrid stand in the Reds' way at the Stade de France on Saturday, just as they did four years ago in the first […]

Madrid (AFP) – Even Carlo Ancelotti, the calm and carefree Italian, whose return to Real Madrid has been as harmonious as it has been successful, will get the jitters before Saturday's Champions League final against Liverpool. No manager has reached as many Champions League finals as Ancelotti's five, with the 62-year-old winning three of his […]