Madrid (AFP) – Young French centre-back Aymeric Laporte extended his contract with Athletic Bilbao on Monday despite reported interest from Manchester City. The 22-year-old added a year to his existing deal and is now tied to the Basque club until June 2020, Bilbao said in a statement on Monday. The France under-21 captain is rumoured […]

The opening game of Euro 2016 was watched by a viewing average of 662,000. The game between France and Romania was televised live on ESPN2 on Friday, June 10 from 3-5pm ET. In comparison to Euro 2012, the viewing average per game was 1.3 million. The final between Italy and Spain on ESPN netted a viewing […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona on Monday accepted to pay a 5.5-million-euro ($6.2 million) fine over Neymar's contested 2013 transfer in a deal with prosecutors that sees the club avoid trial on tax evasion charges. "It was better to accept this pact than continue on with the uncertainty that has dragged on for a long time […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Brazilians on Monday mourned the latest blow to their demoralized, recession-hit nation: their elimination from the Copa America football tournament, which raised questions about the future of national coach Dunga. "Dunga out" blared a headline in popular daily O Dia after Brazil crashed out of the tournament in a 1-0 […]

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – Portugal coach Fernando Santos leaped to the defence of hard man Bruno Alves on Monday following accusations by European Championship opponents Iceland about his no-holds-barred tactics. Santos said the 31-year-old Alves is "a great player" and insisted there are many more with worse records. Iceland coach Lars Lagerback called ahead of […]

Seattle (AFP) – United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann called on football authorities to introduce video technology on Monday after Brazil's controversial exit from the Copa America Centenario due to a blatant handball goal. The German World Cup winner said the use of instant replay technology was long overdue and had left football decades behind sports […]

Paris (AFP) – Sweden coach Erik Hamren admitted his side face an uphill struggle at Euro 2016 after a sub-par display in a 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland in their Group E opener. Sweden failed to muster a single attempt on target and required a Ciaran Clark own goal to snatch a draw […]

Paris (AFP) – Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill was full of praise for his team despite seeing them have to settle for a 1-1 draw with Sweden in their Euro 2016 opener. "I thought they were magnificent in the game with some really great football," said O'Neill after the Group E encounter at the […]

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – Iceland coach Lars Lagerback called for stronger sanctions for football's "acting" problem ahead of his side's historic clash with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on Tuesday. Lagerback has previously described the display of Ronaldo's Real Madrid and international teammate Pepe in the Champions League final as worthy of a Hollywood performance. And ahead […]

London (AFP) – Championship club Reading gave former Manchester United and Netherlands great Jaap Stam his first job as senior team coach on Monday. The 43-year-old — a Champions League winner with United in 1999 — signed a two year contract with Reading, who fired predecessor Brian McDermott last month after the 'Royals' flirted with […]

Lyon (AFP) – Italy manager Antonio Conte opted to start with Eder and Graziano Pelle to spearhead the Azzurri's attack for their opening Euro 2016 clash against Belgium on Monday. Southampton's Pelle was Italy's top-scorer in qualifying with three goals, while Ciro Immobile and Simone Zaza, who started Italy's last friendly against Finland, were left […]

Toulouse (France) (AFP) – Spain coach Vicente del Bosque hailed his defending champions, including benched captain Iker Casillas, after a Euro 2016 masterclass that left the Czech Republic on the wrong end of a 1-0 Group D defeat Monday. Spain, crowned European champions in 2008 and 2012, are looking to become the first team to […]

Berlin (AFP) – A German company has challenged UEFA's decision to award the goal-line technology contract for the Euro 2016 football championships to a Sony subsidiary, a lawyer said on Monday. Wolfgang Kau told AFP he had filed a complaint with the German anti-cartel office on behalf of the company Goal Control, confirming a report […]

Marseille (AFP) – England supporters were jailed Monday over the Marseille fan battles before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match as a top British police officer accused Russian hooligans of staging an "orchestrated" campaign of violence. A French prosecutor said 150 "extremely well-prepared" Russians evaded arrest in the mass brawls on Saturday, the worst violence at […]

Paris (AFP) – Wes Hoolahan's brilliant finish was not enough to give the Republic of Ireland a winning start to Euro 2016 as Ciaran Clark's own goal ensured a 1-1 draw with Sweden on Monday. Hoolahan met Seamus Coleman's flighted ball with a controlled first-time strike three minutes into the second half at the Stade […]