Lyon (AFP) – Chinese investment fund IDG Capital Partners is to take a 20-percent stake in the holding group that owns French Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais, the club said Friday. The fund will pay 100 million euros ($112 million) for the stake, which will be used to help reduce debt, partly incurred from building […]

The Hague (AFP) – Chelsea signed forward Bertrand Traore to a new three-year deal on Friday before sending the Burkina Faso international out on loan to Dutch giants Ajax for the upcoming season. Traore, 20, joins the four-time European champions ahead of the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie at home to Rostov […]

Cobham (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has told Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic he won't be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge despite interest from Italian champions Juventus. Reports in Italy claim Juventus are considering a bid for Matic as they look to replace Paul Pogba after the France star's move to Manchester United. […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Jose Mourinho insisted Friday that Manchester United will be contenders for the Premier League title in his first season in charge at Old Trafford, and criticised some of his rival managers for not being brave enough to make the same claim. United have not won the league title since Alex […]

Great news for fans of Portuguese clubs that play in the top flight Primeira Liga. Legal streaming service fuboTV has acquired the US online streaming rights to all of the games in the Primeira Liga beginning with the second weekend of the season. For the first weekend of the season, Univision Deportes will be broadcasting Rio […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola cast doubt on goalkeeper Joe Hart's future at the club on Friday after indicating that his place in the squad was up for discussion. Hart, 29, has been City's first-choice goalkeeper for the past six seasons, contributing to two Premier League title wins, two League […]

At the start of Jose Mourinho’s second season in his second spell at Chelsea, one that ultimately yielded a Premier League title, the ethos of the illustrious coach seemed to have shifted substantially. The Blues began the campaign with a swagger and, as is uncharacteristic for the Portuguese’s teams, a cavalier attacking flair. Chelsea scored […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists now is not the time to worry about the long-term futures of star duo Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez on the eve of the new Premier League season. The Gunners kick off their campaign at home to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday but on Friday […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Belgian winger Adnan Januzaj has joined Sunderland on a season-long loan from Manchester United, his new club announced on Friday. The move will reunite Januzaj, 21, with Sunderland manager David Moyes, who gave him his United debut in August 2013. Januzaj made a strong impression in the 2013-14 season, but […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Mauricio Pochettino believes his Tottenham players have learnt from the painful experiences of last season as they prepare to kick off their Premier League campaign at Everton on Saturday. Pochettino's side were enjoying the club's best season since the early 1960s as they tussled with Leicester for the Premier League title. But […]

Kingston upon Hull (United Kingdom) (AFP) – After watching their team complete a footballing miracle in May, Leicester City's fans will be cautious about writing off the Premier League champions' hopes of a repeat. Manager Claudio Ranieri, however, is happy to dismiss the Foxes' chances of a second fairytale out of hand. Having spent last […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – After a four-year gestation period, the Pep Guardiola era at Manchester City begins in earnest on Saturday when his side tackle Sunderland in their opening Premier League fixture. City began preparing the ground for Guardiola's arrival in 2012, when they appointed his former Barcelona allies Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain […]

London (AFP) – Three months and six days after their glittering coronation as Premier League champions, Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City launch the new season with a trip to promoted Hull City on Saturday. The novelty of their 5,000-1 triumph is still to wear off, but Leicester are already looking to the future. Midfield lynchpin N'Golo […]

Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Southampton manager Claude Puel begins his Premier League career by pitting his wits against Watford boss Walter Mazzarri in a battle of two newcomers to the English top-flight. Both men know they have a task on their hands to match the achievements of their predecessors as the two sides meet […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – If anyone should know how to derail the USA's women's charge of a fourth consecutive football Olympic gold it should be the woman charged with plotting their downfall in Friday's quarter-finals. Pia Sundhage was US coach for their gold medal runs in Beijing and London, but leads her native Sweden […]