Paris (AFP) – With three goals in seven league games, including a brace against Metz last weekend, former Manchester United outcast Memphis Depay is striving to reignite his career in France with Lyon. "He's making good progress and is proving that we did well to recruit him," said coach Bruno Genesio, after Lyon stumped up […]

Berlin (AFP) – Nearly 100 Borussia Dortmund fans have been banned from Bundesliga stadiums nationwide for up to two years after police stopped them in possession of combat equipment, the German FA (DFB) said Thursday. The gang of 88 were stopped en route to a game at Darmstadt on February 11 and sent back to […]

London (AFP) – Pablo Zabaleta insists error-prone goalkeeper Claudio Bravo still retains the support of his Manchester City team-mates. Bravo suffered another dispiriting night on Wednesday as his mistake gifted second tier Huddersfield the lead in an FA Cup fifth round replay at Eastlands. The former Barcelona star, who was controversially signed by City boss […]

Tokyo (AFP) – German World Cup winner Lukas Podolski has formally joined Japan's Vissel Kobe, the J-League club said Thursday, bucking a trend of big-name players moving to cash-rich China. The 31-year-old forward, who has played for Turkey's Galatasaray since 2015, is expected to arrive in Japan in June. Kobe did not give immediate details […]

London (AFP) – Leicester City made a pre-tax profit of £16.4 million ($20.1 million, 19.1 million euros) in the season of their fairytale Premier League title win, the club announced on Thursday. Prize money from winning the 2015-16 title saw the Thai-owned club's turnover swell by over £24 million from the previous financial year, when […]

London (AFP) – Arsene Wenger said he had no interest in succeeding Luis Enrique as Barcelona coach on Thursday, but admitted his future as Arsenal manager remains up in the air. Luis Enrique announced after Barcelona's 6-1 win over Sporting Gijon on Wednesday that he will step down from his role at the end of […]

London (AFP) – Celtic great Tommy Gemmell, who inspired the club to glory in the 1967 European Cup, has died aged 73 after a long illness, the Scottish giants announced on Thursday. Gemmell scored Celtic's equaliser and played a part in Stevie Chalmers's 84th-minute winner as Celtic came from behind to beat Inter Milan 2-1 […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona coach Luis Enrique's decision to remove any suspense over his future by confirming he will step down as coach after three trophy-filled but turbulent seasons at the Camp Nou at the end of the campaign was met with surprise on Thursday. "Goodbye leader," said the front page of Barcelona sport daily Mundo Deportivo […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – The United States launched their 2017 season with a 1-0 victory over Germany on Wednesday in a duel of FIFA's top-ranked women's teams in the SheBelieves Cup women's tournament. Lynn Williams scored in the 56th minute to give the United States the victory in the second match of a double-header in […]

Madrid (AFP) – Gareth Bale complained he had been harshly treated after the first red card of his Real Madrid career cost the European champions in a thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Las Palmas on Wednesday. Bale kicked out at Jonathan Viera twice before finally pushing the Las Palmas midfielder to the ground early […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – The 22nd season of Major League Soccer kicks off on Friday with all eyes on two new expansion teams as the competition continues its steady growth across the American sporting landscape. The arrival of Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC is the latest example of the league's increasing maturity and […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted he has no concerns about his goalkeeper Claudio Bravo despite the club’s supporters appearing to show their displeasure at the experienced Chilean international during a 5-1 FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town. Bravo, who has been displaced by Willy Caballero as first choice at […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane insisted his side had no one to blame but themselves despite Gareth Bale's red card in a thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Las Palmas on Wednesday. Madrid looked set for a first home league defeat in a year as Las Palmas took advantage of Bale's dismissal […]

London (AFP) – British lawmakers should not boycott the 2018 World Cup in protest at Russian leader Vladimir Putin, a parliamentary committee said on Thursday. Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said last year "all options" were being considered as means of putting pressure on Russia over its role in the ongoing conflict in Syria. But […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona moved top of La Liga on the night Luis Enrique confirmed he will not continue as coach next season as Gareth Bale was sent-off in Real Madrid's thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Las Palmas. Enrique announced his decision to step down after Barca's 6-1 rout of Sporting Gijon earlier on […]