London (AFP) – The Irish FA on Wednesday sought an "urgent" meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino to protest over a 15,000 Swiss franc fine imposed for Northern Ireland's tribute to Britain's war dead. The Irish FA board expressed "severe disappoiment" at the fine (14,000 euros/$14,600) imposed by FIFA's disciplinary commission on Monday. The English […]

Berlin (AFP) – Ralph Hasenhuettl admitted 10-man RB Leipzig had been taught a tough "lesson" as leaders Bayern Munich handed out a 3-0 hammering to their nearest Bundesliga rivals. Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed a "perfect" opening 30 minutes in which Thiago Alcantara and Xabi Alonso scored early goals before Leipzig winger Emil Forsberg was […]

Milan (AFP) – Mauro Icardi took his Serie A goal tally to a league-leading 14 with a brace in a 3-0 win over Lazio that gave Inter Milan's fans some unexpected festive cheer. Icardi hailed Inter's fourth win in a row, while Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi was left bemoaning second half lapses. "A team like […]

Paris (AFP) – Mario Balotelli and Younes Belhanda were sent off in the dying seconds as Ligue 1 leaders Nice stumbled into the winter break with 0-0 draw at Bordeaux, allowing Monaco to trim the gap at the top to two points. Paris Saint-Germain eased the pressure on coach Unai Emery by beating Lorient 5-0. […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich defender Mats Hummels dyed his hair blond for Wednesday's 3-0 top-of-the-table win over RB Leipzig after losing a bet at the Oktoberfest beer festival, he revealed. The 28-year-old World Cup winner, who normally has dark hair, went peroxide blond for the high-profile showdown at Munich's Allianz Arena which saw Bundesliga […]

Berlin (AFP) – Robert Lewandowski led Bayern Munich to a 3-0 triumph in their Bundesliga showdown against ten-man RB Leipzig that opened up a three-point lead over their rivals. Coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed a "perfect" first half in which Bayern's Thiago Alcantara and Xabi Alonso scored early goals before Leipzig winger Emil Forsberg was shown […]

Madrid (AFP) – Spanish international Aritz Aduriz, still a prolific scorer this year for Athletic Bilbao at the age of 35, has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the La Liga club until he is 37. Bilbao said the new deal meant Aduriz could only leave if another club offers 40 million […]

Aix-en-Provence (France) (AFP) – Three Russians jailed in France following clashes with England fans before their Euro 2016 match in June will be released from prison and deported next month, a lawyer said on Wednesday. The trio, who filed a request for conditional freedom, will be released on January 9 and expelled January 16, said […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho played down reports he is set to be offered a new contract in a television interview broadcast on Wednesday. Mourinho, 53, signed a three-year contract when he succeeded Louis van Gaal as United manager in July. Several British newspapers reported United were already considering offering Mourinho a […]

Berlin (AFP) – Hertha Berlin's players and staff laid a wreath and stood in silence on Wednesday at the site of Monday's terror attack in the German capital that left 12 people dead. Director Michael Preetz and coach Pal Dardai laid a wreath at the Christmas market while players gathered in silence ahead of their […]

London (AFP) – A former army serviceman was jailed for two years and eight months on Wednesday for attempting to burgle Wayne Rooney's house while he played in his testimonial match. Robert McNamara, 25, admitted attempting to enter Rooney's mansion in Cheshire, northwest England with intent to steal. It occurred while Rooney's current club Manchester […]

London (AFP) – Leicester chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha on Wednesday rated England striker Jamie Vardy's three-match ban as 'unfair'. Vardy received the suspension from the Football Association (FA) for his sending off against Stoke City at the weekend. The FA on Tuesday rejected the ailing Premier League champion's claim of wrongful dismissal which hinged upon Vardy […]

Berlin (AFP) – Andre Schubert on Wednesday became the seventh Bundesliga coach fired since September when Borussia Moenchengladbach dismissed him in the wake of their 2-1 defeat to fellow strugglers VfL Wolfsburg. The home defeat was the final straw for Gladbach's director of sport Max Eberl, who had said the team needed to win their […]

Karachi (AFP) – Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi said Wednesday the arrest of an Indian student for wearing a shirt bearing his name was "shameful", but would not deter the subcontinent's cricket-mad fans from supporting rival players. Ripon Chowdhury, 21, was arrested on Sunday in Hailakandi, a small town in the northeastern state of Assam, while […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – China is hoping to produce a generation of top footballers by building thousands of academies, but experts question the project and warn it may be a waste of time. New academies are springing up around the world's most populous nation as China, under the orders of President Xi Jinping, sets about […]