London (AFP) – Former South African international Steven Pienaar saw his second spell at Premier League side Everton come to an end on Friday when he was released by the club. The 34-year-old, who burst onto the European club scene when he featured in the star-studded Ajax side that won two league titles in 2011/02 […]

Marseille (AFP) – A prickly Wayne Rooney claimed his game has "changed for the best" as he faces the biggest fight of his 13-year international career to hold onto his England place at Euro 2016. England's talisman ever since he burst onto the scene as a gifted 18-year-old at Euro 2004, Rooney has gone to […]

Marseille (AFP) – Football fans hurled bottles and other objects at French police who responded with tear gas in a second day of trouble Friday ahead of the England-Russia European Championship match in Marseille. Police intervened to separate several dozen English and Russian fans outside bars in the Vieux Port district, Laurent Nunez, the regional […]

The Hague (AFP) – A Dutch court Friday ruled the country's football association (KNVB) had the right to relegate FC Twente to the second division in a dispute over financial irregularities at the club. "The judge believes that the KNVB acted within reason in taking this measure," the court said in a written judgement, adding […]

Bordeaux (AFP) – Wales manager Chris Coleman has urged his players not to be overawed by the occasion when they open their long-awaited Euro 2016 campaign against Slovakia in Bordeaux on Saturday. When Gareth Bale and his team-mates take to the field at the 40,000-seater Stadium Bordeaux, they will become the first Welsh players to […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona said Friday they would decide next week whether to accept a deal with Spanish prosecutors over Neymar's contested 2013 transfer and avoid going to trial on tax evasion charges. The star's transfer from Brazil's Santos was originally valued at 57.1 million euros ($64.5 million) by Barca, but Spanish judicial authorities estimated […]

Marseille (AFP) – England manager Roy Hodgson stressed his side would not underestimate an injury-hit Russia ahead of their opening Euro 2016 clash in Marseille, which he said "can't come soon enough" for his young players. "We are fully aware of what a good team Russia are, we're aware of their experience and of their […]

Paris (AFP) – West Ham's mercurial playmaker Dimitri Payet edged out Manchester United's Anthony Martial to start France's Euro 2016 opener against Romania in Paris on Friday. Payet crowned a series of impressive displays since earning a recall to the French team in March with a stunning last minute free-kick to beat Cameroon 3-2 in […]

Saint-Martin-de-Ré (France) (AFP) – Manchester United and Spain goalkeeper David De Gea on Friday dismissed as "a lie" claims that he organised a party at which women were forced to have sex with footballers. "I am the first one to be surprised by this report. I deny it, it is false and nothing more, it […]

Bordeaux (AFP) – Gareth Bale can handle the huge focus on his performances for Wales at Euro 2016, manager Chris Coleman declared on Friday on the eve of their opening match against Slovakia. Bale, 26, is tipped to be one of the stars of the tournament in France, having scored seven of Wales's 11 goals […]

Paris (AFP) – Thousands of police surrounded the Stade de France on Friday ahead of the European Championship gala opener between the host country and Romania amid widespread security fears. While the French and Romanian teams sought to avoid the state of emergency fallout, terror concerns and widespread strikes have cast a shadow over the […]

From June 10 to July 10, ESPN will be televising all 51 matches of Euro 2016 live across television to sports fans across the United States. That's all well and good if you subscribe to ESPN. But if you don't or your TV provider doesn't offer access to WatchESPN, you can watch every single game […]

ESPN’s Euro 2016 Preview, which aired Thursday night on the main ESPN network, reminded English-language dominant American viewers what a top serious soccer production looks like around a major international tournament. ESPN’s serious preview involved no less than a dozen commentators on site in Paris, a mixture of analysts from different countries and backgrounds as […]

Saint-Georges-de-Reneins (France) (AFP) – Northern Ireland's hot-shot striker Kyle Lafferty is fit to face Poland on Sunday at Euro 2016 having come through an injury scare in training — perhaps after some divine intervention. The 28-year-old Norwich City forward went down clutching his groin in training on Tuesday, but took part in training on Friday […]

Bordeaux (AFP) – Slovakia coach Jan Kozak and star player Marek Hamsik lauded Gareth Bale as "one of the best players in the world" on Friday, but warned against focusing only on him. Real Madrid forward Bale, the world's most expensive player, will be the centre of attention at Stadium Bordeaux on Saturday when Wales […]