Marseille (AFP) – Antoine Griezmann brushed off comparisons with French football legend Michel Platini after his two goals sent the host nation into the final of Euro 2016. His two goals in the 2-0 win made him by far the tournament's top scorer with six goals, three behind Platini's record of nine in one Euro […]

Marseille (AFP) – France coach Didier Deschamps said the Euro 2016 hosts had beaten world champions Germany to reach the final by never giving up despite suffering relentless pressure. "We found it tough but we didn't give up," Deschamps said as he celebrated the 2-0 win in Marseille. Deschamps hailed Germany as "a great team." […]

Marseille (AFP) – Antoine Griezmann scored twice Thursday as France beat world champions Germany 2-0 to seal a place in the Euro 2016 final against Portugal. Having converted a controversial first-half penalty for Bastian Schweinsteiger's handball, Griezmann put the result beyond doubt with a sweetly struck second half shot. "We suffered but we knocked them […]

Both Wales and Portugal are relatively small coastal nations that have spent much of their history tangled up with their larger and more powerful neighbors to the east. But whereas rugby-mad Wales has accomplished little as a team in football despite producing world-class footballers like John Charles, Ian Rush, Ryan Giggs, and now Gareth Bale, […]

Marseille (AFP) – France forward Antoine Griezmann gave the hosts a first-half lead from the penalty spot in the Euro 2016 semi-final against Germany on Thursday. France had goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to thank for keeping a clean sheet as Germany threatened to break the deadlock on several occasions. But in the final minute of the […]

London (AFP) – Faithful lieutenant Rui Faria will be Jose Mourinho's assistant manager at Manchester United a role that club icon Ryan Giggs had hoped in vain to retain for the upcoming season. Faria, who has followed Mourinho from Barcelona when the 'special one' was the late Bobby Robson's interpreter in 1996 to all his […]

Marseille (AFP) – Liverpool's defensive midfielder Emre Can made his first start at Euro 2016 for injury-hit Germany in Thursday's semi-final against hosts France. France coach Didier Deschamps meanwhile kept faith with the same starting side which beat Iceland 5-2 in the quarter-finals, retaining Samuel Umtiti and Moussa Sissoko. Can wins only his seventh cap […]

London (AFP) – Three-time Champions League winning goalkeeper Victor Valdes will get another chance in the English Premier League after signing a two-year contract with new boys Middlesbrough on Thursday. The 34-year-old — who won European club football's most prestigious trophy with Barcelona — had a miserable time at Manchester United under then-manager Louis van […]

Marseille (AFP) – Samuel Umtiti and Moussa Sissoko retained their places in France's starting line-up as coach Didier Deschamps named an unchanged side for Thursday's Euro 2016 semi-final against Germany in Marseille. Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger and Emre Can were handed their first starts of the tournament in a midfield three alongside Toni Kroos.

Beijing (AFP) – Former Dutch international Clarence Seedorf has taken over as coach of low-ranked Chinese football team Shenzhen FC, the club said on Thursday. The squad, which is based in the southern province of Guangdong and plays in China's second league, said on its website that the former AC Milan coach would take over […]

Marseille (AFP) – Captain Bastian Schweinsteiger will make his first start of Euro 2016 as Germany take on France in a semi-final battle of European superpowers on Thursday. The two fancied teams will be playing for the right to play Portugal in Sunday's final at the Stade de France after Cristiano Ronaldo's men beat Wales 2-0. […]

Lyon (AFP) – Gareth Bale believes Wales made a nation proud in their unprecedented run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals and backed Chris Coleman's men to reach the World Cup in Russia in two years' time. Bale's Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo ended Welsh dreams of reaching Sunday's final as he powered home the opener […]

Paris (AFP) – Liverpool and France defender Mamadou Sakho goes before a UEFA disciplinary panel in Paris on Thursday and will learn his fate for a doping infringement within a few days, the European game's governing body told AFP. Sakho tested positive after a Europa League tie with Manchester United on March 17 after taking […]

Lyon (AFP) – As Gareth Bale and his Wales team-mates bade farewell to Euro 2016, a commonly expressed hope was that their achievements in France would represent a beginning and not an end. Having waited 58 years to play at a major tournament, Wales made up for lost time in style, topping their group above […]

Marseille (AFP) – Germany midfielder Toni Kroos said the pressure is also on hosts France when they meet in a mouthwatering Euro 2016 semi-final clash on Thursday that will set up a July 10 final with Portugal. Kroos was an integral part of the Germany team that ousted France from the quarter-finals of the 2014 […]