London (AFP) – FIFA general secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura has warned England and Scotland they could face sanctions if their teams wear commemorative poppies in their November 11 game. The football associations of England and Scotland on Wednesday vowed to defy world governing body FIFA, which bans players from wearing political, commercial and religious […]

Doha (AFP) – A final decision on the number of stadiums to be used at the Qatar 2022 World Cup finals will not be made this year, according to FIFA. An official told AFP that the long-awaited announcement would instead be made in "due course" though not before the end of December, as had been […]

Paris (AFP) – France on Thursday dropped Anthony Martial for next week's top-of-the-table World Cup qualifying clash home to Sweden and the friendly with the Ivory Coast, but fit-again Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud returns. Coach Didier Deschamps had a word of warning for Martial, 20, who under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United has been restricted […]

London (AFP) – Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel is set to be out of action for up to a month after breaking a bone in his hand during Wednesday's goalless Champions League draw away to FC Copenhagen, the Premier League champions have announced. Schmeichel suffered the injury during the first half in his native Denmark […]

Widely regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders on the entire planet, Mesut Özil is an assist machine. His 19 Premier League assists during the 2015/16 campaign not only led the league, but was the second-most tally in the Premier League era (only behind former Arsenal legend Thierry Henry’s 20 during the 2002/03 season). […]

London (AFP) – Andy Carroll fled armed robbers on motorbikes who pursued the "brave" West Ham striker for up to 20 minutes in a high-speed chase, manager Slaven Bilic said on Thursday. The burly England international was targeted as he drove towards his home in Essex, east of London, on Wednesday, but sped off with […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger voiced concern about midfielder Granit Xhaka's disciplinary record, ahead of Sunday's north London derby clash with Tottenham Hotspur. Xhaka, 24, has been sent off eight times for club and country since April 2014 and has just completed a domestic suspension for a red card in last month's 3-2 […]

London (AFP) – The man in charge of West Ham United's London Stadium stepped down on Thursday, in the latest episode of upheaval to affect the controversy-plagued venue. David Edmonds has left his post as chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), which has been responsible for the running of London's Olympic Park since […]

London (AFP) – West Ham United striker Andy Carroll is well despite being targeted by armed robbers on motorbikes, his manager Slaven Bilic said on Thursday. "He is good. I just spoke to him about what happened. He is OK," Bilic told his weekly press conference. British media reports said Carroll, 27, was targeted by […]

Beijing (AFP) – A Chinese conglomerate is in talks to take over English Premier League football club Southampton, Bloomberg News reported, after a string of European teams were bought by Chinese investors. Lander Sports Development Co is in talks over a deal which could be worth 200 million pounds ($250 million), Bloomberg said, citing people […]

London (AFP) – Mauricio Pochettino warned his Tottenham flops they are on the brink of Champions League elimination after an "embarrassing" defeat against Bayer Leverkusen. Pochettino's side crashed to a 1-0 loss at Wembley on Wednesday that leaves them third in Group E with just two games remaining. If Tottenham lose in Monaco in their […]

Berlin (AFP) – At 29, Julian Nagelsmann is the youngest coach in Bundesliga history and insists his high-flying Hoffenheim can topple league leaders Bayern Munich — the club he turned down — on Saturday. Eyebrows were raised in February when Nagelsmann, then aged just 28, was made head coach of Hoffenheim. The appointment was a […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri insists the Italians can still finish top of their Champions League group after a 1-1 draw with Lyon dashed hopes of early qualification to the last 16. "We have to look at the positives, we've played another match with Lyon and we'll now go to Sevilla looking […]

London (AFP) – England and Scotland's players will wear black armbands bearing the red poppy when they meet in a World Cup qualifier on Armstice Day, despite the threat of sanctions from FIFA. The English and Scottish football associations had been negotiating with the world governing body, which bans political, commercial and religious symbols on […]

Madrid (AFP) – Sevilla moved to the brink of qualification for the Champions League last 16 for the first time in six years with a 4-0 thrashing of 10-man Dinamo Zagreb at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium. Luciano Vietto's 31st-minute opener put Sevilla in control and Zagreb's hopes of ending a 10-game losing run on the […]