Dinard (France) (AFP) – Gareth Bale will have the taunts of team-mates past and present echoing in his memory when he takes to the field for Wales in Wednesday's Euro 2016 semi-final against Portugal. Bale saw five major tournaments come and go over the first 10 years of his career, but with Wales having ended […]

London (AFP) – Ryan Giggs did the right thing leaving Manchester United, the club he served so loyally for nearly 30 years, his mentor Alex Ferguson said on Monday. Ferguson, 74, and who guided Giggs and United to 13 Premier League title successes, two Champions League wins, four FA Cup triumphs and four League Cup […]

Brussels (AFP) – The EU on Monday ordered seven Spanish football clubs including Barcelona and Real Madrid to pay back millions of euros (dollars) in illegal state aid. The European Commission said Spanish government support, including tax breaks and overpriced land transfers, gave the clubs an "unfair advantage" over others. The other clubs were Valencia, Athletic […]

Reykjavik (AFP) – Iceland's footballers received a heroes welcome on returning home on Monday following their astonishing run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals in France. Their plane flew low over the capital Reykjavik before landing at Keflavik airport where the local fire services gave them a fire hose guard of honour with shooting water creating […]

The popularity of streaming continues to grow year after year, providing soccer fans with more choices of how to cut the cord and save money, as well as watching games when you want, where you want and on what devices you want. While illegal streaming sites can infect your computer with viruses, malware and pop-up […]

Monaco (AFP) – Polish international central defender Kamil Glik has left Torino to join Monaco on a four-year deal, the French Ligue 1 outfit said on Monday. The 28-year-old captain of Serie A side Torino was a key figure in Poland's run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals where they lost on penalties to Portugal. Glik, […]

Moscow (AFP) – English champions Leicester City are set to break their record transfer fee for the second time in a matter of days by buying Nigerian international attacking midfielder Ahmed Musa on Wednesday, his agent told the BBC on Monday. The 23-year-old, who scored a brace for Nigeria in a 3-2 defeat of Lionel […]

Paris (AFP) – After a week in the Paris Saint-Germain hot-seat Spanish coach Unai Emery unveiled three new signings on Monday as he told fans to forget the past and focus on the future. PSG's star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic signed with Manchester United on Friday after bagging 51 goals last season, but dazzling dribbler Hatem […]

Dinard (France) (AFP) – Gareth Bale said Monday he has not spoken to his Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo since Euro 2016 began but insisted the semi-final between them on Wednesday should not be seen as a clash of the superstars. Bale, 26, and Ronaldo, 31, will be the centre of attention at Stade de […]

Madrid (AFP) – Spanish football chiefs confirmed the resignation of World Cup and European Championship-winning head coach Vicente del Bosque on Monday. The 65-year-old announced he was to retire on Thursday, after his side had been beaten in the last-16 of Euro 2016 by Italy. Former Real Madrid boss Del Bosque led Spain to the […]

Dinard (France) (AFP) – Gareth Bale's Wales have captured imaginations across Europe with their run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals and nowhere are they more popular than in their Dinard base in northwest France. The sleepy Brittany resort town, which has a population of around 10,000, has played host to Chris Coleman's squad for a […]

Libreville (AFP) – Gabon have sacked their manager Jorge Costa six months before hosting the Africa Cup of Nations. The Portuguese coach, hired in July 2014, was let go following the 2018 World Cup qualifying draw, with Gabon in a tricky group alongside Ivory Coast, Mali and Morocco. Costa was the best paid manager of […]

Paris (AFP) – A British supporter of Iceland's team in the Euro 2016 football championship was stabbed in Paris, police said Monday, adding that the injury was not life-threatening. The assault occurred late Sunday near the Gare du Nord rail station, police said, adding that the victim underwent surgery at a Paris hospital and the […]

Marcoussis (France) (AFP) – Centre-back Pepe missed Portugal training on Monday for the Euro 2016 semi-final against Wales because of muscle pain, the Portuguese Football Federation said. But pulling the Real Madrid player out of the session was just a precautionary measure ahead of Wednesday's match in Lyon, the federation said. The 33-year-old was the […]

Wednesday’s match between France and Iceland in Saint-Denis, the fourth and last quarterfinal of Euro 2016, figured to set up very nicely for an Iceland team that had already captured the hearts of the watching soccer world. Iceland’s qualities – organized, hard working, dangerous in isolated moments – were well established. Somehow able to name an […]