Berlin (AFP) – Robert Lewandowski confirmed Saturday that he wants to leave Bayern Munich this summer amid reports Barcelona are ready to offer the 33-year-old star striker a three-year contract. Lewandowki banged in his 35th league goal this campaign in a 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg on the last weekend of the Bundesliga season, then dropped […]

London (AFP) – Philippe Coutinho is aiming to help Aston Villa return to European football after signing a four-year deal to join the Premier League side from Barcelona.  The 29-year-old Brazilian, who has moved for a fee of 20 million euros ($21 million, £17 million) has impressed since arriving at the Birmingham club on loan […]

Berlin (AFP) – Robert Lewandowski banged in his 35th league goal on the final day of the Bundesliga season Saturday as Bayern Munich confirmed their top-scoring striker wants to leave, amid reports he could join Barcelona this summer. Lewandowki scored for the Bundesliga champions in a 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg. Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic […]

Berlin (AFP) – Robert Lewandowski banged in his 35th league goal on the final day of the Bundesliga season Saturday as Bayern Munich contradicted reports their top-scoring striker could join Barcelona this summer. "'Lewy' has a contract until June 2023," Bayern director Hasan Salihamidzic said before Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg. "There have been no […]

London (AFP) – Romelu Lukaku was named in Chelsea's starting line-up for the FA Cup final against Liverpool on Saturday, just 24 hours after his agent said he wanted to talk to the club's new owners about the Belgian striker's future. Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel had insisted the latest controversy involving Lukaku would not be […]

Madrid (AFP) – Eden Hazard will stay at Real Madrid next season as the Belgian is determined to prove his worth after a nightmare three years, Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday. Hazard was one of the best players in the world when he joined Real Madrid for an initial 100 million euros in 2019 but […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Scottish champions Celtic rounded off their season with a 6-0 hammering of Motherwell at Parkhead on Saturday. The Glasgow giants sealed their 10th Premiership title in 11 seasons at Dundee United on Wednesday and with a title party at home guaranteed, they celebrated in style. Japanese striker Kyogo Furuhashi scored twice in […]

Madrid (AFP) – Sevilla will secure Champions League qualification with a point against Atletico Madrid on Sunday while the winner would be in pole position to finish third in La Liga. A third consecutive draw at home to Mallorca on Wednesday saw Sevilla miss out on the chance to seal their place in the top […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – China has withdrawn as the 2023 Asian Cup host due to the coronavirus, football officials said Saturday, with Beijing's strict zero-Covid strategy dealing another blow to the country's sporting ambitions. Authorities in China are pursuing a strategy of stamping out the virus entirely, which includes rapid lockdowns and mass testing, and […]

London (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has hit back at former Manchester United stars Patrice Evra and Dimitar Berbatov for criticising the character of his Manchester City side after their painful Champions League exit. Guardiola was infuriated by comments from the two players after City's defeat over two legs against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has conceded that only winning the League Cup would not mean a successful season for his team, who remain in contention for an unprecedented quadruple. Klopp's men face Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday in a repeat of the League Cup final in February, which the […]

London (AFP) – Leeds boss Jesse Marsch has hailed the spirit at the relegation-threatened Premier League club after owners met with the squad in an attempt to boost their survival push. Marsch's side are in grave danger of slipping back into the Championship after just two seasons in the top flight, with just two games […]

London (AFP) – Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard said Friday that Philippe Coutinho would "go up a level" afer signing a four-year deal to join the Premier League club from Barcelona.  The 29-year-old Brazilian, who has moved for a fee of 20 million euros ($21 million, £17 million) has impressed since arriving at Villa on […]

Paris (AFP) – Gianluigi Donnarumma has warned Paris Saint-Germainthat they must choose between him and rival goalkeeper Keylor Navas next season. Italian Donnarumma signed from AC Milan last summer to join veteran Navas, 35, who has been in the French capital since leaving Real Madrid in 2019. Despite stressing his "very good relationship" with Navas, […]

London (AFP) – Thomas Tuchel hopes Mateo Kovacic can play through the pain barrier as the Chelsea midfielder battles to recover from an ankle injury in time for Saturday's FA Cup final against Liverpool. Kovacic limped out of Wednesday's 3-0 win at Leeds after being caught by Daniel James in a tackle that led to […]