Madrid (AFP) – Europa League holders Sevilla finally look set to make their mark on the Champions League, but coach Jorge Sampaoli's in-form side will have to do without influential playmaker Samir Nasri for Wednesday's visit of Dinamo Zagreb. Nasri has starred since joining on-loan from Manchester City as Sampaoli's excellent start in Seville has […]

London (AFP) – England are negotiating with FIFA over whether they can wear a poppy tribute to war veterans when they play Scotland on Armistice Day on November 11, officials said. The Sun newspaper said FIFA had refused to let England and Scotland display poppies on their shirts during the game because it would be […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho faces a touchline ban after being charged with misconduct for the second time in less than a week by the Football Association on Tuesday. The outspoken Portuguese's latest brush with authority came after he was sent to the stands during Saturday's frustrating goalless draw home to Burnley. […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany's prolific Miroslav Klose, the all-time World Cup top-scorer, announced his retirement on Tuesday at the age of 38. The striker, Germany's record scorer with 71 goals in 137 internationals, was without a club after his Lazio contract expired last season and he will now join the national side's coaching staff. Klose […]

Milan (AFP) – Frank de Boer has been sacked as coach of Inter Milan after just 11 Serie A games for failing to ignite the Italian giants at home and in Europe. Sunday's loss at similarly struggling Sampdoria was Inter's fifth league defeat since the start of the season and prompted a fan backlash on […]

Milan (AFP) – Frank de Boer has been sacked as coach of Inter Milan after just 11 Serie A games for failing to ignite the Italian giants at home and in Europe. Sunday's loss at similarly struggling Sampdoria was Inter's fifth league defeat since the start of the season and prompted a fan backlash on […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayer Leverkusen will be without influential captain Lars Bender for Wednesday's crunch Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. Right-back Bender, who won a silver medal with Germany at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is out with a bruised heel from Saturday's 2-1 comeback win at Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. Also out […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany's prolific Miroslav Klose, the all-time World Cup top-scorer, announced his retirement on Tuesday at the age of 38. Germany's leading scorer with 71 goals in 137 internationals was without a club after his Lazio contract expired last season and he will now join the national side's coaching team. Klose hit a […]

Milan (AFP) – Frank de Boer has been sacked as coach of Inter Milan after the Serie A giants slipped to 13 points off the pace in Italy's top flight. "Inter Milan announces that Frank de Boer has been relieved of his duties as first-team coach," said a club statement. "The first-team squad will be […]

Paris (AFP) – Stung by a chastening 4-0 defeat at the Camp Nou two weeks ago, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola makes a second attempt to outwit his former club Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday. Guardiola's men were undone by the second-half dismissal of goalkeeper Claudio Bravo on October 19, when Lionel Messi […]

London (AFP) – Mauricio Pochettino insists the frustration of Tottenham's recent barren run won't become a distraction as his injury-plagued side look to get back on track in the Champions League. A 1-1 draw against Leicester on Saturday left Tottenham manager Pochettino counting the cost of five games without a victory. West Bromwich Albion, Bournemouth […]

Paris (AFP) – AFP Sports looks ahead to Wednesday's Champions League action with reigning champions Real Madrid, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and debutants Leicester City all looking to clinch places in the last 16 with two games to spare (kick-offs 1945 GMT): Group E At Monaco Monaco (FRA) v CSKA Moscow (RUS) Monaco top the group […]

London (AFP) – Burnley striker Andre Gray says he wants to move on now he has returned to first-team action following a four-game ban for homophobic tweets he made several years ago. The 25-year-old — who played in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Manchester United in the Premier League — published the tweets when he was […]

Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony ended a 10-month goal drought with a brace against former club Swansea City as Stoke City's revival continued with a 3-1 win in Monday's Premier League clash. Both goals for the 27-year-old Manchester City loanee were set up by another former Swansea favourite, Joe Allen, […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will have a Halloween trick up his sleeve when his old club Barcelona visits on Tuesday, according to the Catalan giants' coach Luis Enrique. Guardiola sprang a surprise in the teams' first Champions League Group C encounter at the Camp Nou two weeks ago, picking […]