Buenos Aires (AFP) – The troubled Argentine Football Association (AFA) vowed Monday the national team will not miss next month's Copa America tournament, dismissing concerns over the potential impact of a court ruling against it. "No one has taken over the AFA and no one is going to remove us from FIFA," the association's president, […]

Tirana (AFP) – Albania coach Gianni de Biasi on Tuesday named a 23-man squad for next month's Euro 2016 in France, led by Nantes' defender Lorik Cana. This will be Albania's first appearance in the European championships in which they are drawn in Group A alongside hosts France, Romania and Switzerland. De Biasi's side open […]

Cork (Ireland) (AFP) – The Republic of Ireland ended their preparations for Euro 2016 on a sour note, as they were beaten 2-1 by Belarus in Cork on Tuesday night. Mikhail Gordeychuk gave the visitors a 20th-minute lead with a wonderful curling strike, and Maksim Volodko's deflected effort doubled the advantage with 25 minutes to […]

FOX Sports concluded its seventh successive season of covering the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League competitions on Saturday at the San Siro. While FOX’s coverage of the Bundesliga remains a work in progress, the network’s coverage of UEFA competitions is established and consistent. But the content at times remains subpar and FOX’s studio […]

Zagreb (AFP) – Croatia coach Ante Cacic on Tuesday named his final 23-man squad for Euro 2016, led by Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric and Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic. Four younger players were cut from the provisional 27-man squad named earlier this month — midfielders Alen Halilovic, 19, of Sporting Gijon and Dinamo Zagreb captain Domagoj […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain insisted that their player Serge Aurier was innocent until proven guilty after he spent more than 24 hours in custody for an alleged assault on a police officer. The 23-year-old Ivory Coast international is alleged to have insulted and hit a police officer, a charge the player denied before himself […]

Rome (AFP) – Midfielders Thiago Motta and Daniele De Rossi were on Tuesday given the all clear and included in Italy coach Antonio Conte's 23-man squad for Euro 2016. With midfield stalwarts Claudio Marchisio and Marco Verratti both injured, Conte had feared for the fitness of Paris Saint-Germain's Motta and Roma's De Rossi, both struggling […]

Bucharest (AFP) – Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu included young forward Nicolae Stanciu in his final squad for Euro 2016 on Tuesday, but left out attacking midfielder Alexandru Maxim. Steaua Bucharest's Stanciu only made his international debut in March, but after impressing with three goals in four appearances, Iordanescu has turned to the 23-year-old to help […]

Stockholm (AFP) – Sweden coach Erik Hamren said Tuesday that Marcus Berg was the preferred option ahead of fellow striker John Guidetti to play alongside star Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Euro 2016. Hamren opted to stick with the same list of 23 players he had already announced on May 11 for the tournament which starts in […]

Lisbon (AFP) – Newly-appointed Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said Tuesday he will not let his rivalry with Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola get in the way of his bid for the English Premier League title. Mourinho and Guardiola will arrive in Manchester for next season with a shared past and pressure to succeed. And […]

Kiev (AFP) – Shakhtar Donetsk have named Portuguese Paulo Fonseca as their new coach, the Ukrainian club confirmed on Tuesday. The 43-year-old, who won the Portuguese Cup this season with Braga and the 2013 Portuguese Supercup with Porto, signed a two-year deal to succeed veteran Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu. Shakhtar, who have played away from […]

Neustift (Austria) (AFP) – France coach Didier Deschamps on Tuesday hit out at supporters who booed striker Olivier Giroud during the Euro 2016 hosts' 3-2 friendly win against Cameroon in Nantes on Monday. "It is certainly a minority and it is really unfair," said Deschamps after the Arsenal striker, 29, was whistled by a section […]

Salzburg (Austria) (AFP) – Real Madrid midfielder Isco and Atletico's Saul Niguez on Tuesday missed the cut for Vicente Del Bosque's final 23-man Spain squad for Euro 2016 that does include Reals' Lucas. "We tried to balance out the squad," Del Bosque said at a press conference at the Austrian city of Salzburg. "I believe […]

San José (AFP) – Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas has been ruled out of the Copa America with an Achilles tendon injury, the Costa Rican Football Federation announced Tuesday. A scan at his club Real Madrid confirmed the injury for the 29-year-old, who has been struggling with recurring problems with his left foot for over […]

Madrid (AFP) – Sevilla's Portuguese goalkeeper Antonio Alberto Bastos, known as "Beto", announced Tuesday he has quit the La Liga side after three and a half years during which he won three Europa League titles. "Today is a very sad day for me," Beto wrote in a farewell letter published on Sevilla's website as he […]