London (AFP) – Peter and Kate Shippey's successful lobbying of Sunderland to install a room dedicated to largely autistic football fans could see more Premier League clubs follow suit. Alex White, Premier League Charitable Fund Executive, said the Shippeys had served as an example and funding has been made available to other clubs to set […]

Since his arrival to Arsenal a decade ago, Theo Walcott has been somewhat of a polarizing figure. While once thought as a possible successor to club legend Thierry Henry, the speedy England international hasn’t exactly filled the Frenchman’s shoes. The hype surrounding his £9.1 million move (a fee that was high at the time, trust […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric wants to play out the rest of his career with the Spanish giants after signing a new contract until 2020. Modric, 31, has become a fundamental part of the Real side, winning two Champions League titles, since his arrival from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012. "My wish is […]

Seoul (AFP) – Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors stormed into the AFC Champions League final with a 5-3 aggregate victory over FC Seoul despite losing the all-Korean semi-final's second leg 2-1 on Wednesday. After Jeonbuk had dominated the first leg 4-1, Brazilian marksman Adriano gave the home side hope when he slotted a record-equalling 13th goal of […]

Milan (AFP) – Former World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi is being tipped to take over as coach of China after being offered the job following the resignation of Gao Hongbo, reports said Wednesday. "Lippi, coach of China," ran the headline on the front page of Italy's second most popular sports daily Corriere dello Sport. It […]

Paris (AFP) – Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster is looking for the Premier League club to make "a massive statement" by beating Italian giants Inter Milan in the Europa League on Thursday. The Saints travel to the San Siro — and as many as seven thousand of their fans are expected to follow them — knowing […]

London (AFP) – In successfully stymying a strongly fancied Liverpool team — and sowing a bit of mischief with his post-match comments — Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho looked like something approaching his old self. Mourinho has made an unsteady start to life at Old Trafford, with three successive defeats in mid-September threatening to derail […]

Leicester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri urged his side to take their fine European form into the Premier League after they closed on a place in the Champions League last 16. Riyad Mahrez's goal earned Leicester a 1-0 win over FC Copenhagen on Tuesday, extending their 100 percent record in Group […]

London (AFP) – Wayne Rooney has insisted he's got a "lot of football left" amid suggestions his days as a regular starting player for Manchester United could be coming to a close. United and England captain Rooney, who made his name as a goal-scoring forward, has been a substitute in five of the last six […]

Paris (AFP) – Riyad Mahrez secured another Champions League victory for Leicester City on Tuesday while big boys Real Madrid, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund were also in winning form. Leicester maintained a perfect record in Group G in their first foray in Europe's elite club competition by edging FC Copenhagen 1-0 at the King Power […]

Leverkusen (Germany) (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur's coach Mauricio Pochettino hailed goalkeeper Hugo Lloris' 'brilliant' display to rescue a Champions League away point in their goalless draw at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday. After a quiet first-half which his side dominated, the Frenchman had a busy second 45 minutes at the BayArena as Leverkusen beefed up their […]

Doha (AFP) – UAE giants Al Ain progressed to the final of the AFC Champions League at the expense of Qatar's El Jaish after a 2-2 draw in their semi-final second leg in Doha ensured a 5-3 aggregate victory on Tuesday. El Jaish needed to raise their game a few notches to overcome a two-goal […]

Leverkusen (Germany) (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur preserved their unbeaten record away this season with a goalless draw at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday in the Champions League after Stefan Kiessling's late miss for the hosts. A decade after Leverkusen lost 1-0 at home to Spurs in the old UEFA Cup, Kiessling was the only survivor in […]

Madrid (AFP) – Holders Real Madrid edged towards the last 16 of the Champions League, but disturbances between visiting Polish ultras and the police marred their 5-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday. Five fans and two police officers were treated for minor injuries after clashes outside the stadium before kick-off. UEFA had already […]

Montpellier (France) (AFP) – Montpellier's Chadian striker Casimir Ninga has been ruled out for six months after suffering ruptured cruciate ligaments in his right knee, the Ligue 1 club said Tuesday. The 23-year-old, who scored his first Ligue hat-trick earlier this month, picked up the injury during training. Ninga was stretchered off in tears. The […]