Pep Guardiola admits Manchester City cannot compete with Real Madrid’s European pedigree but says they can write a new chapter in the club’s history in their Champions League semi-final against the Spanish giants. La Liga leaders Real, who face City in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, …
Read More »Mbappe key to PSG’s future after superb season
Paris St Germain’s Kylian Mbappe started the Ligue 1 season to the booing of the Parc des Princes crowd, but his jaw-dropping performances eventually won the fans back as France forward led the club to a record-equalling 10th top-flight title. After saying he wanted to leave the club a season …
Read More »Novak Djokovic Slams Wimbledon Russia Ban As ‘Crazy’
The UK-based tennis tournament announced the ban in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Tennis star Novak Djokovic has called a ban on Russian and Belarusian players competing at Wimbledon “crazy”. His critique on Thursday came a day after the oldest tennis tournament in the world announced the measure, …
Read More »Iran preparing to host World Cup fans after agreement with Qatar
Iran is planning to expand air and sea travel while relaxing visa rules to host hundreds of thousands of World Cup fans. Iran has reached a series of agreements with Qatar as it mobilises plans to host fans of the men’s football World Cup that will be held in its …
Read More »Police investigate Ronaldo over “assault” allegation (Video)
Police have launched an investigation after Cristiano Ronaldo allegedly “assaulted” a supporter by smashing a phone out of his hand following Manchester United’s defeat against Everton on Saturday. Merseyside Police on Sunday appealed for witnesses after footage on social media showed Ronaldo knocking the phone away from the Everton fan …
Read More »Brazil in talks with Guardiola’s agent – Reports
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has reportedly been offered the chance to take his ‘dream’ first step into international football, with Brazil willing to pay him £10million per year to become their new manager. They will face stiff competition as the Dutch FA are said to have also drawn up …
Read More »French Cup match between Paris FC and Lyon suspended after fan violence
Football violence has broken out for the second time this season in France. Crowd trouble forced the French Cup last-64 tie between Lyon and host Paris FC to be called off after half-time on Friday. During the break, flares were thrown back and forth between home and visiting fans in …
Read More »Argentina striker Aguero tearfully retires from football because of heart issue
The Argentina striker Sergio Aguero, who starred at Manchester City for a decade, on Wednesday announced his retirement from football at an emotional press conference, just over a month after he was diagnosed with a heart problem. “I have decided to stop playing professional football. It is a very hard …
Read More »Real Madrid and Barcelona plan legal action against La Liga’s €2bn CVC deal
La Liga has won the latest battle after 37 of the league’s 42 clubs approved a €2bn partnership with the private equity fund CVC Capital Partners, but the war at the heart of Spanish football has deepened with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Athletic Club set to take legal action in …
Read More »Opinion | Washington’s Beijing Olympics boycott will not go unanswered
America’s diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games, though practically a virtually pointless protest, will only inspire China to make the 2022 Winter Olympics an even bigger success. To the surprise of very few people, the United States on Monday evening announced a “diplomatic boycott” of the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics …
Read More »Iraqis call on FIFA to lift international football ban on home stadiums
As the 2021 Arab Cup in Qatar spotlights football in the Arab World, Iraqis are taking the opportunity to pressure FIFA into lifting a decades-long ban on international football in their stadiums. Iraqi football fans are campaigning for football’s governing body FIFA to lift its decades-long ban on Iraqi stadiums, …
Read More »Man City cruise to derby win as United home woes continue
Premier League champions Manchester City cruised to a 2-0 win over struggling Manchester United in their derby at Old Trafford on Saturday. Gifted two goals by United in the first half, City were happy to control the game after the break, while their hosts failed to present any sort of …
Read More »Ex-FIFA president Blatter and ex-UEFA boss Platini charged with fraud
Former Fifa officials Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been charged with fraud and other offenses in Switzerland. Swiss prosecutors say Mr. Blatter unlawfully arranged a transfer of two million Swiss francs ($2.19m; £1.6m) to Mr. Platini in 2011. Prosecutors say the payment “damaged Fifa’s assets and unlawfully enriched Platini”. …
Read More »‘Leaked’ Ballon d’Or standings shows Robert Lewandowski claiming prize ahead of Lionel Messi
An image of what is being claimed to be the final standings for this year’s Ballon d’Or has been leaked online, with Robert Lewandowski in the top spot. The picture is of a document supposedly from France Football, which is dated October 25 and shows the rankings of those in …
Read More »Protest disrupts Beijing Games torch-lighting ceremony
Human rights activists unfurled a banner reading “No Genocide Games”, waved a Tibetan flag and called for a boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics during the torch-lighting ceremony on Monday. Two women and a man sneaked past a tight police cordon and entered the archaeological site of the ancient …
Read More »Newcastle’s Saudi owners left looking foolish as Steve Bruce crashes to unwanted milestone
The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia recently took over Newcastle, but they lost their first game in charge to Tottenham Hotspur. A wave of optimism greeted the takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. But the Magpies’ new owners have quickly been made to look …
Read More »Amnesty voices human rights concerns as Saudi takeover of Newcastle looms
Amnesty International called on the Premier League on Thursday to focus on human rights issues and “sportswashing” as Newcastle United’s proposed sale to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) inched closer. The PIF – chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – wants to buy …
Read More »AP Source: FIFA talks with Qatar on easing vaccine mandate for World Cup
FIFA is in talks with Qatari authorities about scrapping the mandatory vaccination requirements for next year’s World Cup. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani announced in June that it would require any fans wanting entry into next year’s tournament to be fully inoculated against the …
Read More »Clubs say FIFA World Cup plan would have “destructive impact”
FIFA’s plans for a biennial World Cup would lead to a “direct and destructive impact on the club game”, Europe’s top club’s organization said on Friday. The European Club Association (ECA) said FIFA’s approach to the reforms of the international match calendar was in “direct and unilateral breach of certain …
Read More »Mohamed Salah joins Premier League 100 club by giving Liverpool lead over Leeds (Videos)
Mohamed Salah has given Liverpool the lead against Leeds United with his 100th goal in the Premier League. Salah, who endured a difficult stint at Chelsea after joining from Swiss side FC Basel, has gone on to write his name into Premier League folklore. The Egyptian is one of the …
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