Archive soccer news from around the world
Ancelotti applauds Kaka's Ballon d'Or win (Nov 30, 2007)
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has already congratulated his star Brazilian striker Kaka for what appears to be his anticipated collection of the European Footballer of the Year award. . . . more . . .
Champions League format reformed for 2009/12 (Nov 30, 2007)
A reform of the European Champions League for the period 2009/12 was agreed by the UEFA executive committee on Friday night. . . . more . . .
Moyes too young for Scotland job (Nov 30, 2007)
Everton boss David Moyes has revealed he would like to manage his native Scotland one day but only when he is older. . . . more . . .
Hodgson quits as Finland coach (Nov 30, 2007)
Roy Hodgson has resigned as national football team coach, the Football Association of Finland said Friday. . . . more . . .
Injured Beasley facing months on sidelines (Nov 30, 2007)
Rangers winger DaMarcus Beasley will undergo surgery on his injured knee in the United States and is facing several months on the sidelines, manager Walter Smith confirmed Friday. . . . more . . .
South Africa ditch McCarthy for Nations Cup (Nov 30, 2007)
South Africa have ditched star striker Benni McCarthy for the 2008 African Nations Cup in Ghana. . . . more . . .
Rooney set for Fulham comeback (Nov 30, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to unleash Wayne Rooney on Fulham on Monday following the Manchester United striker's rapid recovery from an ankle injury. . . . more . . .
Mourinho has profile for England job, says Eriksson (Nov 30, 2007)
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted Friday that he could "understand the clamour" for Jose Mourinho to become England's next manager. . . . more . . .
15,000 scream as Beckham trains on Wellington football pitch (Nov 30, 2007)
David Beckham proved his superstar status Friday as he trained in front of more than 15,000 screaming school children ahead of a weekend friendly between his Los Angeles Galaxy team and the Wellington Phoenix. . . . more . . .
Japan picks Okada as coach (Nov 30, 2007)
The Japan Football Association said Friday it has picked Takeshi Okada, who coached Japan at their first World Cup in 1998, to return to the job to replace the ailing Ivica Osim. . . . more . . .
Advocaat says sorry for reneging on Australian soccer contract (Nov 30, 2007)
Dutchman Dick Advocaat has apologised for reneging on a coaching contract and leaving Australia without a national coach two months out from qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup, reports said Friday. . . . more . . .
US, Japan and Australian teams to vie for Pan-Pacific title (Nov 29, 2007)
England star David Beckham will be the star attraction next February when top US, Japanese and Australian football clubs meet here in the debut of a new tournament, the Pan-Pacific Championship. . . . more . . .
Tottenham earn their spurs, Bayern drop points (Nov 29, 2007)
Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton gave their fans a UEFA Cup night to remember Thursday as Bayern Munich were held to a draw by Portuguese minnows Sporting Braga. . . . more . . .
England ask Beckenbauer and Platini for manager advice (Nov 29, 2007)
Germany great Franz Beckenbauer and UEFA President Michel Platini are just two of the leading football figures who have already been consulted by Football Association (FA) chief executive Brian Barwick as he tries to find a successor to Steve McClaren as England coach. . . . more . . .
Namibia coach quits ahead of Nations Cup (Nov 29, 2007)
Ben Bamfuchile said Thursday he had quit as coach of shock 2008 African Nations Cup qualifiers Namibia. . . . more . . .
China's Zheng Zhi enjoying Charlton challenge (Nov 29, 2007)
Zheng Zhi, the China captain, may still be struggling to get to grips with the English language but the midfielder insists communication on the field is proving less of a problem as he gets used to life with Charlton Athletic. . . . more . . .
Old Firm get favourable Scottish Cup draw (Nov 29, 2007)
Holders Celtic and their arch-rivals Rangers will begin their Scottish Cup campaigns at home to lower league opposition following the fourth round draw here Thursday. . . . more . . .
Real boss rules out winter recruitment drive (Nov 29, 2007)
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon on Thursday ruled out a recruitment drive over the winter break despite their shock 3-2 loss to Werder Bremen in Champions League action. . . . more . . .
Middlesbrough's Arca on target but Mido suffers setback (Nov 29, 2007)
Middlesbrough midfielder Julio Arca looks set for a Premier League return after three months out with a medial ligament injury but Egyptian striker Mido faces an extended stay on the sidelines. . . . more . . .
Manager Strachan hails Celtic hero Donati (Nov 29, 2007)
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan hailed his side's 2-1 Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk as their best ever win - and match winner Massimo Donati as a hero. . . . more . . .
Beckham greeted by fans in rugby territory (Nov 29, 2007)
Football superstar David Beckham landed in a rugby stronghold Thursday but it was hardly enemy territory as hundreds of fans gave him a rapturous welcome in New Zealand's capital. . . . more . . .
Benitez plays peacemaker after winning battle for Liverpool's affections (Nov 29, 2007)
Rafa Benitez resisted the temptation to gloat after Liverpool's 4-1 win over Porto gave a substantial boost to his power struggle with the club's American owners. . . . more . . .
FIFA deal opens sport world to Indian IT firms (Nov 29, 2007)
Indian IT firms used to selling their services to banks and manufacturers are now looking to the world of sport for new business, after a breakthrough deal with football's governing body FIFA. . . . more . . .
Redknapp seething at corruption probe arrest (Nov 29, 2007)
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp insisted Thursday he was not the focus of a police probe into corruption in English football as he hit out against his arrest. . . . more . . .
Bremen continue Real's German misery (Nov 29, 2007)
Werder Bremen upset nine-time titleholders Real Madrid 3-2 to leave Champions League Group C too close to call with one match remaining. . . . more . . .
Bobo blast gives Besiktas lifeline (Nov 29, 2007)
A late goal from Brazilian forward Bobo threw Besiktas a lifeline on Wednesday as the Turkish giants earned a valuable 2-1 victory over Marseille. . . . more . . .
Jewell is new coach at Derby (Nov 28, 2007)
Premier League strugglers Derby County on Wednesday named former Wigan coach Paul Jewell as their new manager. . . . more . . .
Donati Celtic's Champions League hero (Nov 28, 2007)
Massimo Donati was Celtic's Champions League hero as his injury time strike secured a 2-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Torres bails out Benitez (Nov 28, 2007)
Fernando Torres kept Liverpool's Champions League rescue mission on course and did Rafa Benitez a favour in the process as his double strike inspired a 4-1 win over FC Porto on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Milan squeeze into Champions League knockout round (Nov 28, 2007)
AC Milan secured qualification to the Champions League knock-out stages after a battling 1-1 draw against Benfica here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Drogba leads Chelsea on winter stroll into knockout phase (Nov 28, 2007)
Chelsea produced a dominant performance to outclass Norwegian champions Rosenborg 4-0 on Wednesday and guarantee they will top Group B and reach the knockout phase of the Champions League for the sixth straight time. . . . more . . .
Portuguese football bosses back Scolari (Nov 28, 2007)
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) on Wednesday gave their full backing to national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, congratulating the Brazilian for leading them to a fourth consecutive European championship finals. . . . more . . .
Palermo fans barred from Sicilian derby (Nov 28, 2007)
Away supporters have been barred from the potentially volatile Sicilian derby between Catania and Palermo this weekend. . . . more . . .
British police question Redknapp in football bribes probe (Nov 28, 2007)
British police questioned Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp and four others Wednesday as part of an investigation into alleged corruption, the English Premier League club said. . . . more . . .
Van Gaal relishes prospect of managing England (Nov 28, 2007)
Louis van Gaal has reiterated his desire to become the new England manager and pointed Wednesday to a release clause in his contract as coach of AZ Alkmaar should the FA come knocking. . . . more . . .
Juninho confident Lyon can steal qualification from Rangers (Nov 28, 2007)
Lyon captain Juninho believes his side can get the Champions League victory they need when they travel to Ibrox Park on December 12 to meet Rangers in the battle for second spot in Group E. . . . more . . .
McLeish confirmed as Birmingham manager (Nov 28, 2007)
Alex McLeish was confirmed as the new manager of Birmingham City at a news conference held by the Engish Premier League club on Wednesday, just a day after he'd resigned his post as Scotland coach. . . . more . . .
Asian player of the year Al Qahtani wants Europe move (Nov 28, 2007)
Saudi Arabian goal-machine Yasser Al Qahtani, nicknamed "The Sniper", was Wednesday named Asian player of the year and said he wanted to move to Europe, with Middlesbrough leading the chase. . . . more . . .
Jewell is new coach at Derby (Nov 28, 2007)
Premier League strugglers Derby County on Wednesday named former Wigan coach Paul Jewell as their new manager. . . . more . . .
SKorea shortlists three candidates for coach: report (Nov 28, 2007)
South Korea's football governing body has shortlisted three candidates, including former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier, to coach the national team, a news report said Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Ferguson plans Italian vacation for United (Nov 28, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson admitted Cristiano Ronaldo's last-gasp winner against Sporting Lisbon will allow him to let his Manchester United stars put their feet up. . . . more . . .
McLeish exit leaves Scotland with familiar problem (Nov 28, 2007)
Alex McLeish left Scotland searching for their third manager of the year after he resigned from his post. . . . more . . .
'Come and get me', Mourinho tells England (Nov 28, 2007)
Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is willing to consider the vacant position as manager of England's national team, he told The Sun tabloid in an early edition of its Wednesday paper. . . . more . . .
Rampant Roma douse Dynamo's UEFA Cup hopes (Nov 27, 2007)
Roma breezed into the Champions' League knockout phase and ended the UEFA Cup hopes of Dynamo Kiev after thrashing the Ukrainian champions 4-1 in their group F clash here on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Barcelona through as Lyon grab a lifeline (Nov 27, 2007)
Barcelona secured qualification for the knockout phase of the Champions League Tuesday as group E winners after French champions Lyon twice came from behind to level 2-2 with the Spanish giants. . . . more . . .
Ronaldo's stunner clinches top spot for United (Nov 27, 2007)
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo hit a stoppage-time stunner that clinched a 2-1 win over Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday and ensured his side will finish top of Champions League Group F. . . . more . . .
Rangers lose but are still alive (Nov 27, 2007)
Rangers lost 3-2 to battling VfB Stuttgart here on Tuesday but can still reach the Champions League knockout phase if they draw with Lyon in their final group game. . . . more . . .
Sevilla end Arsenal's unbeaten streak but both qualify (Nov 27, 2007)
Sevilla gained revenge for their humiliating 3-0 defeat by Arsenal in the opening game of this season's Champions League when they turned the tables with a 3-1 win here on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Inter into knock-out round after Fenerbahce win (Nov 27, 2007)
Inter Milan secured top spot in group G and a place in the Champions League knock-out phase with a 3-0 victory over Fenerbahce at the San Siro here on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Turkish test toughens up Porto for Liverpool (Nov 27, 2007)
Porto midfielder Ricardo Quaresma believes his team experience of winning away to Turkish giants Besiktas will help his side cope with the challenge of the Anfield crowd when they face Liverpool in the Champions League here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Chelsea charged over referee protest (Nov 27, 2007)
Chelsea have been charged with failing to control their players after Michael Essien was sent-off during their 2-0 Premier League win away to Derby last weekend. . . . more . . .
Benitez plays down talk of Liverpool exit (Nov 27, 2007)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez attempted to calm the speculation surrounding his future ahead of the key Champions League clash with Porto, as goalkeeper Jose Reina threw his backing behind his boss. . . . more . . .
McCarthy set for Blackburn return (Nov 27, 2007)
Benni McCarthy is available for Blackburn Rovers's Premier League match with Aston Villa at Ewood Park despite being injured last weekend. . . . more . . .
I'll stay at Juventus for rest of career, says Trezeguet (Nov 27, 2007)
France international striker David Trezeguet said he will stay at Italian giants Juventus for the rest of his career, Gazetta dello Sport reported on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
McLeish resignation paves way for Blues move (Nov 27, 2007)
Alex McLeish resigned Tuesday as coach of the Scotland national football team, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) said in a statement. . . . more . . .
Everton manager Moyes charged over referee remarks (Nov 27, 2007)
David Moyes became Tuesday the second Premiership manager in two days, after Sir Alex Ferguson, to be charged by the Football Association regarding comments criticising the performance of referee Mark Clattenburg. . . . more . . .
Beckham snags goal, yellow card in Galaxy loss (Nov 27, 2007)
David Beckham scored off one of his signature free-kicks and received a yellow card as under-prepared LA Galaxy were hammered 5-3 by Sydney FC in their exhibition match here Tuesday. . . . more . . .
'Mind your own business', Premier League tells Platini (Nov 27, 2007)
Europe's top football official, former Juventus midfield star Michel Platini, has been told by England's Premier League to "mind his own business." . . . more . . .
Japan in talks with Okada to return as coach (Nov 27, 2007)
The Japan Football Association said Tuesday it had entered talks with former national coach Takeshi Okada to return to the job to replace Ivica Osim, who suffered a stroke. . . . more . . .
SFA turns down approach for Scotland manager McLeish (Nov 27, 2007)
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) have rejected an official approach, believed to have come from Birmingham, to talk to national team manager Alex McLeish. . . . more . . .
European giants on brink of qualifying from Champions League groups (Nov 27, 2007)
Inter Milan, Barcelona, AS Roma and Rangers are on the brink of qualifying in Tuesday's Champions League group matches though Arsenal and Manchester United have already reached the knockout stages. . . . more . . .
Bad football proves to be good for Bayern's business (Nov 27, 2007)
Bayern Munich have shown how bad performances on the football pitch do not necessarily impact on a club's commercial success - as long as the cash registers keep pinging and the fans buy the shirts. . . . more . . .
Puyol wants nothing less than a win at Lyon (Nov 26, 2007)
Barcelona defender Carles Puyol has warned Lyon that the Catalan giants will not settle for anything less than a win in their Champions League group E clash here on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Birmingham to make McLeish approach - report (Nov 26, 2007)
Birmingham City are set to ask permission from the Scottish Football Association to talk to Scotland manager Alex McLeish about becoming their new boss, according to British media. . . . more . . .
Udinese to try out fan 'passport' (Nov 26, 2007)
Serie A club Udinese are to try out a fan passport - called a PassaSport - later this season in a bid to curb crowd violence. . . . more . . .
Celtic Cup to kick off in 2009 - report (Nov 26, 2007)
A 'Celtic Cup' featuring Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could kick off in 2009 after the four federations agreed "in principle" to the idea on Monday. . . . more . . .
Tragedy draws attention to Brazil's unsafe stadiums (Nov 26, 2007)
A tragedy which led to the death of seven fans at the Fonte Nova stadium has drawn attention to the urgent need for venues be improved before football's 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. . . . more . . .
Ferguson charged after raging at ref (Nov 26, 2007)
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged by the Football Association (FA) after letting fly at referee Mark Clattenburg during the Red Devils' 1-0 Premier League defeat away to Bolton. . . . more . . .
Bruce feeling blue over Wigan delay (Nov 26, 2007)
Steve Bruce rounded on his former club Birmingham City when giving his first news conference as Wigan Athletic manager at the JJB Stadium here Monday. . . . more . . .
Beat Sporting and we can rest easy says Ferguson (Nov 26, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged his Manchester United players to make their final Champions League Group F clash against Roma meaningless next month by cementing top spot with victory against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Riquelme agrees move to Boca Juniors (Nov 26, 2007)
Villarreal's Argentina international midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme has agreed a nine-million-euro deal with his club to move to Boca Juniors in his home country, the Spanish first division club said on Monday. . . . more . . .
Sagnol can leave Bayern if he wishes, coach says (Nov 26, 2007)
Bayern Munich coach Uli Hoeness said Monday that he would not stand in the way of French defender Willy Sagnol leaving the club if the player insisted. . . . more . . .
Ince towards replacing Davies at Derby - report (Nov 26, 2007)
Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has emerged as a bookies favourite to take over from Billy Davies as manager of English Premier League basement club Derby County. . . . more . . .
World Cup draw delivers Asian 'group of death' (Nov 26, 2007)
Japan and South Korea might be smiling but it was a less than happy affair for Australia and China when the Asian qualifying draw was made for the 2010 World Cup here. . . . more . . .
Giggs warns Sporting to expect United backlash (Nov 26, 2007)
Ryan Giggs believes Manchester United's Champions League victory against Dynamo Kiev proves they can cope with the injury problems that threaten to derail their season. . . . more . . .
Beckham wants to play football for England again (Nov 26, 2007)
David Beckham says he is eager to help England qualify for the 2010 World Cup and claim his 100th international cap. . . . more . . .
Asian football chief urges one united bid for 2018 World Cup (Nov 26, 2007)
Asia's football chief Mohamed bin Hammam has urged just one Asian bid to maximise the confederation's chances of hosting the 2018 World Cup. . . . more . . .
Blackburn sweat over Benni soccer injury (Nov 26, 2007)
Blackburn face a nervous wait to see if Benni McCarthy faces a spell on the sidelines after the South Africa striker needed stitches for a knee gash during his side's 2-2 draw at Fulham. . . . more . . .
Croats wary of England out for football revenge (Nov 26, 2007)
Croatia coach Slaven Bilic has admitted he would rather have avoided facing an England squad bent on revenge in the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup. . . . more . . .
Lyon cruising, but PSG crumble at Nice (Nov 25, 2007)
The future of Paris St Germain coach Paul Le Guen could become a big talking point in the French first division this week after Nice added to the club's growing list of defeats. . . . more . . .
Roma hit by absences for Kiev trip (Nov 25, 2007)
Roma's hopes of securing qualification to the Champions League knock-out stages have been hit by a triple injury blow. . . . more . . .
Hamburg move to within one point of Bayern (Nov 25, 2007)
Hamburg continued their impressive early season form to consolidate their third place in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 home win over struggling Rostock on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Villarreal miss top spot, Valencia downed (Nov 25, 2007)
Villarreal missed the chance to knock Real Madrid off the top of the Spanish championship following a 1-1 draw with Almeria on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Warnock rescues Rovers (Nov 25, 2007)
Blackburn defender Stephen Warnock scored a late equaliser to give Mark Hughes's side a 2-2 draw against Fulham on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Pirlo stunner saves Milan's blushes as Juve cruise (Nov 25, 2007)
AC Milan scraped a 2-1 victory at Cagliari on Sunday as a stunning Andrea Pirlo free-kick five minutes from time stole the points. . . . more . . .
West Ham's penalty save denies Spurs (Nov 25, 2007)
Robert Green rescued West Ham as he saved Jermain Defoe's stoppage time penalty to preserve a 1-1 draw against Tottenham on Sunday. . . . more . . .
England face Croatia again on road to 2010 (Nov 25, 2007)
England paid the price for their failure to reach Euro 2008 on Sunday when they were drawn with Croatia again in one of the toughest qualifying groups for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. . . . more . . .
Eto'o resumes training at Barcelona after injury (Nov 25, 2007)
Barcelona's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o resumed team training Sunday after three months out injured, the club announced. . . . more . . .
Owen says fear factor stopped England qualifying (Nov 25, 2007)
Michael Owen admits England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 because the players have been unable to cope with the fear factor. . . . more . . .
Ferguson confirms Tevez will stay with Man Utd (Nov 25, 2007)
Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez will stay with the Premier League champions beyond his current loan deal, according to Sir Alex Ferguson. . . . more . . .
James lets rip over McClaren's goalkeeping shambles (Nov 25, 2007)
David James has slammed sacked England coach Steve McClaren for his disastrous handling of the team's goalkeepers. . . . more . . .
Shattered England look for relief at World Cup draw (Nov 25, 2007)
A shattered England will be praying for a lucky break at the preliminary draw for the World Cup on Sunday after missing out on being among the top European seeds. . . . more . . .
FIFA to push ahead with player quotas plan (Nov 25, 2007)
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has vowed to press ahead with proposals to introduce a cap on the number of foreign players in club sides, despite opposition from leading clubs and the European Union (EU). . . . more . . .
Problems will not halt 'wonderful World Cup' says FIFA president (Nov 25, 2007)
Sepp Blatter defended Sunday the decision to bring the football World Cup to Africa for the first time, saying any organisational problems would be overcome and downplaying fears over crime. . . . more . . .
Beckham wants full game against Sydney FC (Nov 25, 2007)
English superstar David Beckham says he is close to full fitness for LA Galaxy's exhibition match with Sydney FC here on Tuesday and hopes to play the whole 90 minutes. . . . more . . .
My successor will benefit from my flop, says McClaren (Nov 25, 2007)
Sacked England coach Steve McClaren said his successor will benefit from his failure in the high-profile job. . . . more . . .
Gallas is Wenger's new fox in the box (Nov 25, 2007)
Arsene Wenger praised William Gallas's predatory instincts after the France defender opened up Arsenal's lead at the top of the Premier League. . . . more . . .
Benitez makes his point to Liverpool owners (Nov 25, 2007)
Liverpool's comfortable 3-0 victory at Newcastle has done nothing to alter manager Rafa Benitez's desire to bring in new players during the Premier League's transfer window in January. . . . more . . .
Chelsea hoping Drogba will be fit for Champions League (Nov 25, 2007)
Chelsea coach Avram Grant expects to have Didier Drogba available for this week's Champions League away game against Rosenborg, after the Ivory Coast striker was forced to sit out Saturday's comfortable and controversial 2-0 victory over Derby County at Pride Park. . . . more . . .
Furious Fergie faces date with the FA (Nov 25, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson faces an appointment with the English Football Assocation after being sent to the stands during his team's fiery 1-0 defeat to Bolton at the Reebok Stadium. . . . more . . .
Celts in good shape for Shakhtar (Nov 25, 2007)
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan believes his side's 3-0 win at home to Aberdeen has set them up perfectly for their crucial Champions League game on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Bojan-inspired Barca close gap on Real (Nov 24, 2007)
Ten-men Real Madrid allowed Barcelona to make up ground in the title race after stumbling to a 1-1 draw at Real Murcia on Saturday. . . . more . . .
My successor will benefit from my flop, says McClaren (Nov 24, 2007)
Sacked England coach Steve McClaren said his successor will benefit from his failure in the high-profile job. . . . more . . .
Benzema takes a knock as Lyon win at Rennes (Nov 24, 2007)
French champions Lyon bounced back from their humbling defeat to Marseille last time out with a commanding 2-0 win away to Rennes on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Unstoppable Inter stride on as Roma keep pace (Nov 24, 2007)
Back-up strikers Julio Cruz and David Suazo tore Atalanta apart as champions Inter Milan stretched their lead at the top of the Serie A table to three points with a narrow 2-1 victory on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Chelsea on cruise control despite Essien dismissal (Nov 24, 2007)
John Terry returned to banish some of his England frustrations as Chelsea strode to a 2-0 victory over Derby at Pride Park on Saturday, which was marred by Michael Essien's late red card. . . . more . . .
Arsenal late show sinks Wigan (Nov 24, 2007)
William Gallas was Arsenal's inspiration as Arsene Wenger's side extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Wigan on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Anelka stuns United as Fergie sees red (Nov 24, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson watched the second-half from the stands as Nicolas Anelka condemned Manchester United to a 1-0 defeat at Bolton on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Rampant Everton catch Black Cats napping (Nov 24, 2007)
Tim Cahill confirmed his return to full fitness by joining Ayegbeni Yakubu in scoring a brace for a rampant Everton in their 7-1 hammering of Sunderland here Saturday. . . . more . . .
Pompey roll back the years to give Birmingham the blues (Nov 24, 2007)
Portsmouth continued their flying start to the season with a 2-0 defeat of Birmingham on Saturday, their first top flight win at St. . . . more . . .
Villa give O'Neill the perfect present (Nov 24, 2007)
Martin O'Neill received immediate evidence that he was right to snub England for Aston Villa as his side won 3-0 at Middlesbrough on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Ireland breaks Reading hearts as City's home run continues (Nov 24, 2007)
A stunning injury-time winner from Stephen Ireland gave Manchester City a 2-1 victory over luckless Reading in the Premier League on Saturday and preserved the home team's 100-percent record at Eastlands. . . . more . . .
Kahn slams UEFA, FIFA over fixture schedule (Nov 24, 2007)
Bayern Munich captain Oliver Kahn has slammed football's governing bodies UEFA and FIFA for the extra workload handed to players involved in the recent qualifiers. . . . more . . .
German football coaches linked to vacant England job (Nov 24, 2007)
As the anticipation and speculation gathers surrounding who will be England's new manager, the list of contenders now contains an array of foreigners including two Germans, an Italian and a wily Portuguese. . . . more . . .
Ribery rocks Bayern back to winning ways (Nov 24, 2007)
France midfielder Franck Ribery provided the inspiration as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich returned to winning ways with a 2-1 home win over VfL Wolfsburg. . . . more . . .
Liverpool manager Benitez tells US owners to show him the money (Nov 24, 2007)
Rafa Benitez warned Liverpool's American owners they must back him in the transfer window after his side romped to a 3-0 win at Newcastle on Saturday. . . . more . . .
South African rivals Chiefs and Pirates share spoils (Nov 24, 2007)
Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs drew 2-2 here Saturday as the highlight of the South African season focussed attention on Durban ahead of Sunday's World Cup draw. . . . more . . .
Celts crush Dons to stay top in SPL (Nov 24, 2007)
Celtic cruised to an easy 3-0 victory at home to Aberdeen to stay three points clear of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Woeful Newcastle make it easy for Liverpool (Nov 24, 2007)
Liverpool remain unbeaten in the Premier League after a 3-0 victory at Newcastle, whose manager Sam Allardyce is under increasing pressure after his team offered little resistance on the way to another alarming setback. . . . more . . .
AC Milan striker Ronaldo to start against Cagliari (Nov 24, 2007)
Brazilian superstar Ronaldo will make his first appearance of the season for AC Milan by starting Sunday's match at Cagliari, coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed on Saturday. . . . more . . .
South Africa to get 120,000 free tickets for World Cup 2010 (Nov 24, 2007)
Ticket prices for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will range from 20 to 900 dollars, while 120,000 seats will be given away for free, organisers announced on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Away supporters hit by crowd violence (Nov 24, 2007)
The recent wave of crowd violence in Italy has hit away fans hard with only four grounds open to visiting supporters during Saturday and Sunday's first division programme. . . . more . . .
FIFA signs up India's Satyam as IT services provider (Nov 24, 2007)
Software group Satyam has become FIFA's first major sponsor from India after being appointed as their official IT services provider for the next seven years. . . . more . . .
Klinsmann in the picture for England job (Nov 24, 2007)
Jurgen Klinsmann, who led Germany to the World Cup semi-finals in 2006, has hinted he might be interested in the vacant England manager's post if he gets certain conditions. . . . more . . .
FA consider Schuster for vacant England post: report (Nov 24, 2007)
The English Football Association are reportedly interested in German coach Bernd Schuster as the next England manager according to Spanish daily Marca on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Foreign coach like Capello best for England job: Venables (Nov 24, 2007)
Terry Venables reckons the job of England manager job may be more suited to a foreigner like Fabio Capello, the former England boss wrote in The Sun newspaper on Saturday. . . . more . . .
FIFA president Blatter urges workers not to wreck World Cup (Nov 24, 2007)
FIFA president Sepp Blatter urged South African construction workers on Saturday not to wreck the 2010 World Cup, saying the successful staging of the tournament lay in their hands. . . . more . . .
Decision time for Lyon over unsettled Baros (Nov 24, 2007)
Unsettled Czech striker Milan Baros should know within the next two weeks whether he will quit French champions Lyon, his agent told Saturday's edition of the Czech daily Sport. . . . more . . .
Scolari planning to see out Portugal contract (Nov 23, 2007)
Luiz Felipe Scolari insisted Friday that he intends to see out his contract as Portugal coach despite being linked with the vacant England manager's job. . . . more . . .
Leeds demand court hearing (Nov 23, 2007)
League One club Leeds have written to the Football Association (FA) requesting the matter of their 15-point deduction be referred to the High Court rather than FA arbitration. . . . more . . .
Fergie reveals Anelka interest (Nov 23, 2007)
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he tried to buy much-travelled French international forward Nicolas Anelka several times. . . . more . . .
Terry backing Mourinho for England job (Nov 23, 2007)
England captain John Terry admitted Friday that he would love to play for the national team under former manager Jose Mourinho. . . . more . . .
Brazil's Lula in talks with Scolari over football exodus (Nov 23, 2007)
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday met with 2002 World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to discuss the setting up of a commission aimed at stemming the exodus of footballers to foreign clubs. . . . more . . .
Bruce confirmed as Wigan boss (Nov 23, 2007)
Wigan have confirmed that Steve Bruce will take over as manager on Monday. . . . more . . .
Ferguson blasts FA for hasty McClaren sacking (Nov 23, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson believes that the English Football Assocition (FA) were too quick to dispense with Steve McClaren's services. . . . more . . .
Capello 'very interested' in vacant England job (Nov 23, 2007)
Italian veteran coach Fabio Capello has confirmed he is "very interested" in taking over as England manager following the sacking of Steve McClaren on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Cape Town to host World Cup finals draw (Nov 23, 2007)
Cape Town is to stage the draw for the finals of the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa, tournament organisers said on Friday. . . . more . . .
Man Utd midfielder O'Shea extends contract until 2012 (Nov 23, 2007)
Republic of Ireland international John O'Shea signed a three-year contract extension with Manchester United on Friday which will keep him at Old Trafford until 2012. . . . more . . .
Eriksson says Asia will produce new Maradona: report (Nov 23, 2007)
Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson says he expects Asia will produce one of the world's next great footballers of the likes of Diego Maradona. . . . more . . .
Tunisian side say their African Cup opponents should avoid final (Nov 23, 2007)
CS Sfaxien of Tunisia captain Abdelkrim Nafti says Al-Merreikh of Sudan are wasting time turning up for the second leg of the African Confederation Cup final Saturday. . . . more . . .
Asian football champions Iraq in 'chaos' ahead of World Cup qualifiers (Nov 23, 2007)
Four months after uniting their war-ravaged country by winning the Asian Cup, the Iraqi football team is "in chaos" as they prepare for World Cup qualifying. . . . more . . .
Aston Villa manager rules himself out of coaching England (Nov 23, 2007)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has ruled himself out of the running for the vacant England manager's position, according to reports Friday. . . . more . . .
Argentina remain top of FIFA rankings (Nov 23, 2007)
Argentina remained top of the FIFA rankings for November, released by world football's ruling body on Friday, but Brazil and Italy have closed the gap on the top ranked team. . . . more . . .
Eriksson says Asia will produce world's next great footballers, report (Nov 23, 2007)
Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson says he expects Asia will produce one of the world's next great footballers of the likes of Diego Maradona. . . . more . . .
Beckham ready to play for foreign England coach (Nov 23, 2007)
David Beckham believes a foreign manager is likely to replace Steve McClaren as England coach. . . . more . . .
Vietnam court reduces sentences of football match-fixing referees (Nov 23, 2007)
A Vietnamese appeals court has reduced or suspended the prison terms of six football referees and officials jailed in July for corruption and match-fixing, a court clerk said Friday. . . . more . . .
South Africa looks to silence sceptics at World Cup draw (Nov 23, 2007)
South Africa's ability to stage the world's most-widely watched sporting event will undergo intensive scrutiny on Sunday when it hosts the qualifying draw for the 2010 football World Cup. . . . more . . .
Govt watchdog calls for curb on Serie A fans travelling (Nov 22, 2007)
Italy's sports security watchdog on Thursday recommended the limitation of movement of fans from five Serie A clubs - Inter Milan, Napoli, Lazio, Juventus and Genoa - to fixtures on December 1 and 2. . . . more . . .
Crouch - We weren't good enough (Nov 22, 2007)
Peter Crouch has admitted England weren't good enough to qualify for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
British PM backs return of Home Nations championship (Nov 22, 2007)
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Thursday he would favour the return of the Home Nations tournament after all four British sides failed to reach the 2008 European Championships. . . . more . . .
Allardyce not interested in England job (Nov 22, 2007)
Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce insists he is not interested in succeeding Steve McClaren as England coach. . . . more . . .
Worthington uncertain over his future (Nov 22, 2007)
Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington admits he is unsure of his future after his side's heroic effort to reach Euro 2008 ended in failure. . . . more . . .
Beckham counting on McClaren successor for 100 club membership (Nov 22, 2007)
David Beckham has vowed to continue his quest to win a century of caps for England under whoever succeeds Steve McClaren as head coach. . . . more . . .
Russia jubilant over 'miracle' Euro finals berth (Nov 22, 2007)
Russia celebrated Thursday their qualification for the Euro 2008 finals, praising Croatia's glittering performance at Wembley and Russia manager Guus Hiddink. . . . more . . .
No complaints from McClaren after England sacking (Nov 22, 2007)
Steve McClaren admitted he could have no complaints after being sacked as England coach. . . . more . . .
Australia, Japan, South Korea all Beijing bound (Nov 22, 2007)
Asian powerhouses Japan and South Korea will be joined by regional newcomers Australia at the Beijing Olympics football competition next year after coming through Wednesday's final qualifying round. . . . more . . .
Press pound England boss (Nov 22, 2007)
Britain's newspapers savaged Steve McClaren on Thursday after the England manager failed to guide his team to the 2008 European Championships. . . . more . . .
Mourinho favourite for next England boss (Nov 22, 2007)
Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is the favourite to be the next permanent England manager, bookmakers said Thursday. . . . more . . .
Beckham to continue quest for membership of England 100 club (Nov 22, 2007)
David Beckham has vowed to continue his quest to win a century of caps for England, despite the bitter disappointment of missing out on qualification for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Xavi goal helps Spain end Irish dreams (Nov 21, 2007)
Northern Ireland's dream of reaching their first major finals since the 1982 World Cup came to an end when they lost 1-0 to Spain here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Ballack targets December return for Chelsea (Nov 21, 2007)
Germany's captain Michael Ballack said on Wednesday he is hoping to end his injury nightmare and return to action for English giants Chelsea next month. . . . more . . .
Croats and Carson leave England shattered (Nov 21, 2007)
A nightmare evening for goalkeeper Scott Carson and a late goal by Croatia substitute Mladen Petric combined to ensure England will miss out on Euro 2008 after a heart-breaking 3-2 defeat at Wembley on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Reserve keeper Frey in poor debut (Nov 21, 2007)
Keeper Sebastien Frey had a poor debut for France in their 2-2 draw against Ukraine and did little to show that he could be the reserve keeper to Gregory Coupet at next year's Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
Below-par Germany held by Wales (Nov 21, 2007)
Germany finished their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with a mainly lacklustre effort as plucky Wales held the hosts to a 0-0 draw in Frankfurt on Wednesday night. . . . more . . .
Donadoni delighted after Italy cruise to Faroes win (Nov 21, 2007)
World champions Italy eased to a 3-1 victory against minnows Faroe Islands in a Euro 2008 qualifier here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Xavi goal helps Spain end Irish dreams (Nov 21, 2007)
Northern Ireland's dream of reaching their first major finals since the 1982 World Cup came to an end when they lost 1-0 to Spain here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Bruce's Latics move delayed (Nov 21, 2007)
Steve Bruce's presentation as new Wigan manager has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, the Premier League strugglers said on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Unhappy Ismael set for Bayern exit after Hitzfeld slam (Nov 21, 2007)
Bayern Munich's French defender Valerien Ismael is set to leave Bayern Munich this winter after he slammed coach Ottmar Hitzfeld for giving him little chance to win back his place with the German league leaders. . . . more . . .
Czech Republic ease past Cyprus (Nov 21, 2007)
The Czech Republic, who had already qualified for Euro 2008, beat Cyprus 2-0 with plenty to spare in their final qualifying game here on Wednesday to finish atop Group D. . . . more . . .
Brazil legend's Pele shirt sold at auction (Nov 21, 2007)
A yellow Brazil football shirt worn by Pele during the 1970 World Cup final has been sold for 66,500 pounds (92,500 euros, 137,100 dollars) at an auction in London, Christie's said Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Krkic not thinking of Spanish national team (Nov 21, 2007)
Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic, who has shined in Spain's Under-21 side, said Wednesday he is not yet thinking of a place in the full national team despite receiving praise from national coach Luis Aragones. . . . more . . .
World Cup strike resolved in South Africa (Nov 21, 2007)
Construction workers at one of the stadia to host the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa returned back to work after their dispute was resolved with the employers, officials said. . . . more . . .
Krkic not thinking of Spanish national team (Nov 21, 2007)
Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic, who has shined in Spain's Under-21 side, said Wednesday he is not yet thinking of a place in the full national team despite receiving praise from national coach Luis Aragones. . . . more . . .
Lippi snubs audacious bid by Birmingham (Nov 21, 2007)
Italy's World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi has rejected an offer to replace Steve Bruce as manager of Birmingham City. . . . more . . .
Ronaldinho's poor form hits shirt sales - report (Nov 21, 2007)
Barcelona fans have responded to Ronaldinho's recent poor form by shunning his No. 10 shirt in favor of those worn by teammates Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry. . . . more . . .
Bruce's Latics move delayed (Nov 21, 2007)
Steve Bruce's presentation as new Wigan manager has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, the Premier League strugglers said on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Bayern's Hoeness threatens to resign over fans row (Nov 21, 2007)
Bayern Munich team manager Uli Hoeness has threatened to resign following his verbal attack on supporters last week who criticised the club's executive board. . . . more . . .
Australia and Japan win Olympic berths (Nov 21, 2007)
Australia and Japan booked their places at next year's Beijing Olympic football tournament after draws with North Korea and Saudi Arabia respectively on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Bayern's Ismael unhappy with Hitzfeld (Nov 21, 2007)
Bayern Munich's French defender Valerien Ismael has attacked coach Ottmar Hitzfeld for giving him little chance to win back his place with the German league leaders. . . . more . . .
New football World Cup strike in South Africa: union (Nov 21, 2007)
South Africa's preparations for the 2010 football World Cup were dealt a new blow Wednesday by a fresh bout of strike action by construction workers at one of the host stadia, their union said. . . . more . . .
Peter Reid runs down Iran job -- report (Nov 21, 2007)
Former Everton and England midfielder Peter Reid has rejected an offer to coach the Iranian national side, according to a report Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Thai political party announces Everton deal ahead of polls (Nov 21, 2007)
Thailand's election battle spilled onto the football pitch Wednesday as the Democrat Party unveiled plans for Premier League club Everton to coach young Thai players. . . . more . . .
McClaren drops Beckham, and gives rookie keeper his debut (Nov 21, 2007)
England manager Steve McClaren has dropped David Beckham for the decisive Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia at Wembley, according to various press reports on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid plan to extend Van Nistelrooy's contract: report (Nov 21, 2007)
Real Madrid are set to extend Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy's contract a further two years until 2010, according to reports on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Kenya seeks $1.5 million for national side (Nov 21, 2007)
Kenya's poor-performing national team is seeking 1.5 million dollars from the state for next year's international assignments. . . . more . . .
Croatian official held before England game: police (Nov 21, 2007)
The head of the Croatian Football Federation was briefly arrested for alleged shoplifting at London's Gatwick airport on the eve of a crunch Euro 2008 qualifier against England, police said Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Germany's Klose wants win over Welsh to close Euro 2008 campaign (Nov 21, 2007)
Germany's hot-shot striker Miroslav Klose is looking forward to concluding his country's Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with a goal bonanza on Wednesday when they take on minnows Wales. . . . more . . .
Healy insists Northern Ireland can still reach Euro 2008 finals (Nov 21, 2007)
Northern Ireland star David Healy insists that his side can make their Euro 2008 dream become a reality in Las Palmas on Wednesday night. . . . more . . .
Italy coach Donadoni faces criticism over Euro 2008 campaign (Nov 21, 2007)
Under fire Italy boss Roberto Donadoni may have thought that leading the world champions to the Euro 2008 finals would give him some breathing space from his detractors, but he has quickly found out otherwise. . . . more . . .
Wembley last-chance saloon for McClaren and England (Nov 21, 2007)
Israel have handed out the lifeline: England can have no complaints if they fail to grasp it against Croatia. . . . more . . .
Euro 2008 hopefuls scrap for last four places (Nov 21, 2007)
The cast list for Euro 2008 will be completed on Wednesday with England, Northern Ireland and Portugal among those nations scrapping it out for one of the four remaining places. . . . more . . .
Modise the hero as South Africa triumph (Nov 20, 2007)
Rising star Teko Modise scored twice late in the first half as South Africa beat Canada 2-0 in a friendly international on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Dainelli eyeing Champions League (Nov 20, 2007)
Fiorentina are allowing themselves to dream about finishing in the top four and qualifying for next season's Champions League, according to captain Dario Dainelli on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Donadoni issues rallying call to players (Nov 20, 2007)
Italy coach Roberto Donadoni challenged his players on Tuesday to earn the right to be included in the 23-man squad that will take part in next summer's Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland. . . . more . . .
Inzaghi urges Milan not to be distracted by Club World Cup (Nov 20, 2007)
Veteran Italy striker Filippo Inzaghi urged his team-mates on Tuesday not to get too far ahead of themselves, particularly with the Club World Cup looming in December. . . . more . . .
Hoeness looks to build bridges with Bayern fans (Nov 20, 2007)
Bayern Munich manager Uli Hoeness has gone on a charm offensive with the club's fans following last week's verbal attack on supporters who criticised the lack of atmosphere in the Allianz Arena. . . . more . . .
Injured Bremen star Almeida set to miss key games (Nov 20, 2007)
Portuguese striker Hugo Almeida's thigh injury is worse than first expected and he is set to miss Werder Bremen's key games against Real Madrid and the crucial Bundesliga clash with Hamburg. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid's Robben resumes training after injury (Nov 20, 2007)
Real Madrid's Dutch winger Arjen Robben resumed team training Tuesday after more than a month out injured, the club said. . . . more . . .
Japan may start selecting Osim's successor in December (Nov 20, 2007)
Japan may have to start selecting a successor to Ivica Osim, who suffered a serious stroke last week, as national coach in December, the Japan Football Association president said Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Gerrard - Aerial assault can rock Croatia (Nov 20, 2007)
Steven Gerrard believes England can destroy Croatia with an aerial bombardment in Wednesday's Euro 2008 crunch clash at Wembley. . . . more . . .
I'm not coming back, says Totti (Nov 20, 2007)
Roma captain and talisman Francesco Totti has ruled out a return to the Italian national team, despite the world champions' qualification for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
England's Cole expecting no favours from Hammers old boy Bilic (Nov 20, 2007)
Joe Cole and Croatia boss Slaven Bilic are both West Ham old boys but the England midfielder is expecting no favours from Bilic at Wembley on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Terry back in training for England (Nov 20, 2007)
John Terry gave England a boost ahead of their make-or-break Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia when he returned to training with the rest of the squad here on the eve of the match. . . . more . . .
Real Madrid 'want to hold on to Ramos' (Nov 20, 2007)
Real Madrid plan to give their international defender Sergio Ramos, who has reportedly sparked interest from AC Milan, a salary hike in order to hold on to him, sports daily Marca said Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Newcastle get 100,000 pounds weekly compensation for Owen injury (Nov 20, 2007)
Newcastle are to receive 100,000 pounds (206,000 dollars) per week in compensation for as long as Michael Owen is sidelined by the injury he sustained on England duty last week. . . . more . . .
Rise in German football hooliganism threat to Euro 2008 (Nov 20, 2007)
Former East German football clubs are becoming increasingly concerned about the rising tide of hoolinganism and violence amongst their supporters, with experts fearing it could disrupt Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Beckham can make me England's hero says Crouch (Nov 20, 2007)
Peter Crouch believes he can fire England to Euro 2008 as long as David Beckham is given the chance to supply the ammunition. . . . more . . .
Foreign domination fuels fears for England's football future (Nov 20, 2007)
Steve McClaren has struggled to keep England on course for Euro 2008 despite having a so-called golden generation to call on. . . . more . . .
US veteran Mathis to join Beckham in Galaxy midfield (Nov 19, 2007)
England star David Beckham will have some new help in the midfield for the Los Angeles Galaxy, which obtained US veteran Clint Mathis from the New York Red Bulls on Monday. . . . more . . .
Thousands attend Zidane v Ronaldo Match Against Poverty (Nov 19, 2007)
Nearly 30,000 football fans attended Monday's fifth edition of the Match Against Poverty organised here by football legends Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo as part of their work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). . . . more . . .
Pompey's Primus upbeat after knee op (Nov 19, 2007)
Portsmouth defender Linvoy Primus is eyeing a return to football after knee surgery carried out by renowned United States specialist Dr Richard Steadman. . . . more . . .
Euro qualification could net England millions (Nov 19, 2007)
England are set for a cash injection of up to 24 million pounds if they qualify for the Euro 2008 Championships. . . . more . . .
Werder Bremen net record profits (Nov 19, 2007)
German Bundesliga club Werder Bremen saw a three-fold increase in their profits last season, the team's annual general meeting heard on Monday. . . . more . . .
Italian football boss calls on masses to end violence (Nov 19, 2007)
Italian football federation president Giancarlo Abete said Monday that a solution to the endemic violence in football has to come from the people and not politicians. . . . more . . .
Stevens leaving Hamburg for PSV (Nov 19, 2007)
German club SV Hamburg said on Monday their Dutch coach Huub Stevens would leave at the end of the season to join PSV Eindhoven to be closer to his sick wife. . . . more . . .
Benitez sticks with Liverpool despite Bayern interest (Nov 19, 2007)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said Monday he planned to stay at Anfield despite reports linking him with a move to German giants Bayern Munich. . . . more . . .
Inter and Juve to battle for Riquelme, reports (Nov 19, 2007)
Italian champions Inter Milan and Juventus are set to battle it out for the signature of Argentina playmaker Juan-Roman Riquelme in the January transfer window, press reports suggested Monday. . . . more . . .
Crouch ready to shoulder the burden for England (Nov 19, 2007)
Peter Crouch insists he can cope with the pressure of leading England's attack in their decisive Euro 2008 showdown against Croatia. . . . more . . .
Bruce confirmed as Wigan manager (Nov 19, 2007)
Steve Bruce was confirmed as the new manager of Wigan Athetic by chairman Dave Whelan on Monday. . . . more . . .
Spain's captain defends under-fire manager Aragones (Nov 19, 2007)
Spain's captain Iker Casillas Monday leapt to the defence of manager Luis Aragones, who came in for some fierce criticism during the qualifying campaign for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Reid installed as Celtic chairman (Nov 19, 2007)
John Reid, Britain's former Home Secretary, was confirmed Monday as the new chairman of Scottish football giants Celtic during the Glasgow club's annual general meeting. . . . more . . .
Every loss is a 'crisis', says Barcelona's Deco (Nov 19, 2007)
Barcelona's Portugal international Deco said Monday that every defeat for the club now becomes a new crisis. . . . more . . .
Cameroon and Ivory Coast secure Beijing slots (Nov 19, 2007)
Cameroon and Ivory Coast secured slots at the 2008 Beijing Olympics football tournament with impressive weekend wins. . . . more . . .
Russians lack experience, football chief says (Nov 19, 2007)
Russian Football Union (RFU) chief Vitaly Mutko has defended his players following the 1-2 defeat away to Israel on Saturday which all but wiped out their hopes of qualifying for the Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
McLeish to stay on as Scotland coach (Nov 19, 2007)
Scotland coach Alex McLeish has vowed to stay in his job despite the crushing 1-2 home defeat to Italy on Saturday that doomed his side's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Singapore and Thailand hail World Cup football progress (Nov 19, 2007)
The coaches of Singapore and Thailand hailed the progress their teams have made after reaching the third round of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, in contrast to Indonesia who flopped out of contention. . . . more . . .
Four from Iraq football team said missing in Australia (Nov 19, 2007)
Three Iraqi footballers and an assistant coach failed to leave Australia with their team after an Olympic qualifier match at the weekend, an Australian football source said on Monday. . . . more . . .
McClaren faces one last white knuckle ride on football pitch (Nov 19, 2007)
Steve McClaren has endured a rollercoaster spell in charge of England and he admits there is still one more white-knuckle ride to survive. . . . more . . .
McClaren faces one last white knuckle ride on football pitch (Nov 19, 2007)
Steve McClaren has endured a rollercoaster spell in charge of England and he admits there is still one more white-knuckle ride to survive. . . . more . . .
Domenech already eyeing Euro 2008 success (Nov 18, 2007)
Raymond Domenech revealed on Sunday that he has already laid out the strategy which he hopes will ensure success for France in Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Dutch hit by injuries ahead of final Euro qualifier (Nov 18, 2007)
The Netherlands coach Marco van Basten has been hit by a spate of injuries ahead of Wednesday's final Euro 2008 qualifier in Belarus with Ruud van Nistelrooy, Clarence Seedorf and Edwin Van der Sar all ruled out. . . . more . . .
Dynamo defends MLS crown with rally for 2-1 triumph (Nov 18, 2007)
The Houston Dynamo won a second consecutive Major League Soccer title Sunday because Zimbabwean Joseph Ngwenya stole New England's heart and Canadian midfielder Dwayne De Rosario swiped the trophy. . . . more . . .
Bruce set for Wigan (Nov 18, 2007)
Steve Bruce is close to leaving Birmingham for a second spell as manager of rudderless Wigan, chairman Dave Whelan revealed on Sunday. . . . more . . .
England going all out to beat Croatia (Nov 18, 2007)
Steve McClaren insists there is no chance of England playing for a draw against Croatia as his side try to get the point they need to reach Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
France midfielder Malouda out of Ukraine clash (Nov 18, 2007)
France midfielder Florent Malouda will miss his country's final Euro 2008 qualifier with the Ukraine on Wednesday as he is still suffering from a knee injury, French coach Raymond Domenech said on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Germans set to scrap League Cup (Nov 18, 2007)
The German League Cup could be a thing of the past come the 2008-09 season judging by remarks made by German Football League president Reinhard Rauball on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Lehmann accused of making indecent gesture to fans (Nov 18, 2007)
Jens Lehmann was accused on Sunday of having made an indecent gesture to German supporters calling for him to be replaced by locally-based goalkeeper Robert Enke during Germany's 4-0 win over Cyprus. . . . more . . .
Australia, Japan on verge of making Olympics (Nov 18, 2007)
Australia and Japan are on the verge of qualifying for next year's Beijing Olympics alongside hosts China, with South Korea and Bahrain set to battle it out for the final berth. . . . more . . .
Donadoni dreaming of emulating great AC Milan mentality (Nov 18, 2007)
Roberto Donadoni said Sunday that his dream was to emulate the winning mentality of the great AC Milan team of 1989-90 after guiding Italy to the Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
Klinsmann top of Australia's wanted list after Advocaat snub (Nov 18, 2007)
Jurgen Klinsmann is set to be offered the chance to become Australia coach after Dick Advocaat's shock decision to snub the Socceroos. . . . more . . .
England breathe sigh of relief over Israeli lifeline in Euro 2008 soccer (Nov 18, 2007)
England boss Steve McClaren has paid tribute to Israel's professionalism after they beat Russia to give his squad a Euro 2008 lifeline that looks set to save the beleaguered head coach from the sack. . . . more . . .
Spain end Euro 2008 qualifying pain with win over Sweden (Nov 18, 2007)
Goals from Joan Capdevila, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos gave Spain a comfortable 3-0 win over Sweden here on Saturday to secure their qualification for next summer's Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
Spain end qualifying pain with win over Sweden (Nov 17, 2007)
Goals from Joan Capdevila, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos gave Spain a comfortable 3-0 win over Sweden here on Saturday to secure their qualification for next summer's Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
England's Euro 2008 hopes boosted by Israel win over Russia (Nov 17, 2007)
Israel upset Russia 2-1 here Saturday to breathe fresh life into England's desperate last ditch bid to qualify for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Scots Euro 2008 dreams crushed by Italy injury time winner (Nov 17, 2007)
Scotland's Euro 2008 dreams were cruelly crushed after a 2-1 defeat at home to world champions Italy on Saturday, courtesy of Christian Panucci's injury time winner. . . . more . . .
USA break winless streak on African continent (Nov 17, 2007)
The United States of America's national football team broke its winless streak on African soil when they beat South Africa 1-0 in the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge at Ellis Park Stadium here on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Australia make a point to Advocaat (Nov 17, 2007)
Australia showed Dick Advocaat what he will be missing as David Carney's superb strike gave the Socceroos a 1-0 win over Nigeria in London on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Bayern's Sagnol on the mend (Nov 17, 2007)
Bayern Munich's French international defender Willy Sagnol has played his first full game since suffering a knee injury back in April. . . . more . . .
Costa Rica's Wanchope calls it quits (Nov 17, 2007)
Costa Rican international striker Paulo Wanchope retired from football Friday, ending a 12-year career plagued by injuries after completing the Major League Soccer season for the Chicago Fire. . . . more . . .
Beckham facing heartbreak over century of caps (Nov 17, 2007)
David Beckham is tantalisingly close to becoming only the fifth Englishman in history to earn 100 caps for his country but claims he is more concerned with the prospect of England missing out on the UEFA Euro 2008 Finals. . . . more . . .
Japanese stars support Osim after stroke (Nov 17, 2007)
Japan's star players expressed shock but hope Saturday that national team coach Ivica Osim would recover after suffering a serious strike. . . . more . . .
Australia beat Iraq (Nov 17, 2007)
Australia have one foot in next year's Beijing Olympics after defeating Asian champions Iraq 2-0 in Gosford on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Kaka agrees AC Milan contract extension: report (Nov 17, 2007)
Brazilian international playmaker Kaka has agreed a contract extension that will keep him at AC Milan until 2012, the Gazzetta dello Sport said Saturday. . . . more . . .
Advocaat said to turn down Australian football coaching job (Nov 17, 2007)
Dutchman Dick Advocaat has stunned Australian football by turning down the chance to coach the Socceroos, reports said here Saturday. . . . more . . .
Owen out of Croatia clash as England labour to win (Nov 16, 2007)
Michael Owen will miss England's potentially decisive final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia on Wednesday after limping out of a 1-0 friendly win over Austria here. . . . more . . .
Beckham impact was huge for MLS despite injuries (Nov 16, 2007)
David Beckham made a tremendous impact on Major League Soccer despite an injury-hampered first season that limited the star England midfielder's time on the field, MLS commissioner Don Garber said. . . . more . . .
Italy's soccer coach believes Scotland deserve Euro 2008 chance (Nov 16, 2007)
Scotland fully deserved their victories over France and deserve their chance to knock one of the World Cup finalists out of Euro 2008, according to Italy manager Roberto Donadoni. . . . more . . .
Revolution-ary MLS win can boost New England title total (Nov 16, 2007)
After losing three prior Major League Soccer finals, the New England Revolution enter Sunday's MLS Cup championship rematch against Houston hungry to prove they have what it takes to win a title. . . . more . . .
Carle can be a star says Emerton (Nov 16, 2007)
Brett Emerton has backed his old mate Nicky Carle to make a big impact on his first start for Australia in Saturday's friendly against Nigeria. . . . more . . .
Italy will face toughest game says McLeish (Nov 16, 2007)
Alex McLeish has warned Italy to expect the toughest game of their lives in their crucial Euro 2008 match at Hampden on Saturday. . . . more . . .
German defender Jansen goes under the knife (Nov 16, 2007)
Germany defender Marcell Jansen had an operation on Friday to repair the ankle ligaments he damaged training with the national squad on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Benfica unhappy with 'harsh' UEFA ban on Binya (Nov 16, 2007)
Lisbon giants Benfica have hit out at the severity of a six-match ban which UEFA slapped on their Cameroonian defender Agustin Binya. . . . more . . .
Carle can be a star says Emerton (Nov 16, 2007)
Brett Emerton has backed his old mate Nicky Carle to make a big impact on his first start for Australia in Saturday's friendly against Nigeria. . . . more . . .
I'll stay at Arsenal, says Lehmann (Nov 16, 2007)
Germany's goalkeeper Jens Lehmann said on Friday he will stay with English Premier League side Arsenal, even though he has lost his status as first-choice shot-stopper at the north London club. . . . more . . .
England 'too self-confident', says Croatia coach Bilic (Nov 16, 2007)
England were too self-confident going into their qualifying campaign for Euro 2008, according to Croatia coach Slaven Bilic. . . . more . . .
Goal-line technology to be tested in Japan (Nov 16, 2007)
Football governing body FIFA may introduce goal-line technology at the 2010 World Cup if it proves effective at the world club championship in Japan next month, a FIFA executive said Friday. . . . more . . .
Married players 'more stable', says Real's Schuster (Nov 16, 2007)
Married footballers are "more stable" than their single counterparts, according to Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster. . . . more . . .
Former Cameroon coach Schaefer in talks to take charge of Iran (Nov 16, 2007)
Former Cameroon coach Winfried Schaefer is in talks with the bosses of Iran's football team about coaching the national side, according to a report in German newspaper Die Welt on Friday. . . . more . . .
England face Austria as they await their Euro 2008 fate (Nov 16, 2007)
It was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission to one of the joint hosts of Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Thaksin targets Asia to make Man City a global power (Nov 16, 2007)
Thaksin Shinawatra on Friday revealed plans to make Manchester City a global power, starting with academies in Thailand and China and link-ups with a host of clubs around the world. . . . more . . .
Japan's coach Osim has stroke (Nov 16, 2007)
Japan coach Ivica Osim, a Bosnian who led the former Yugoslavia to the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals, suffered a stroke Friday and is in serious condition, the Japan Football Association said. . . . more . . .
Bayern set to sign teenage Brazilian (Nov 16, 2007)
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich are poised to sign teenage Brazilian defender Breno for 14 million euros (20.45 million dollars), according to German tabloid Bild on Friday. . . . more . . .
Thaksin targets Asia to make Man City a global football power (Nov 16, 2007)
Thaksin Shinawatra has revealed plans to make Manchester City a global power, starting with academies in Thailand and China and link-ups with a host of clubs around the world. . . . more . . .
Euro 2008 in the balance for Italy, France and England (Nov 16, 2007)
With all due respect to the rest of European football's big guns, most eyes this Saturday could focus on the Euro 2008 fates of the only trio from the continent to have won the World Cup. . . . more . . .
Brazil's Emilio named MLS Most Valuable Player (Nov 15, 2007)
DC United forward Luciano Emilio of Brazil was named the Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player here Thursday, calling the honor the greatest moment of his career. . . . more . . .
Schwarzer fed up of waiting for new coach (Nov 15, 2007)
Mark Schwarzer has told Australia's football federation chiefs that they must have a new national coach in place before the World Cup qualifying campaign begins. . . . more . . .
Competition is fierce up front says Gomez (Nov 15, 2007)
German striker Mario Gomez insists there is no room for error in the intense competition for Germany's two forward positions ahead of Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Cyprus. . . . more . . .
Atletico's Seitaridis is Euro 2008 doubt (Nov 15, 2007)
Atletico Madrid's Greek international right back Giourkas Seitaridis could miss the Euro 2008 finals owing to an achilles injury, the Spanish club said here on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Italian policeman faces homicide charge over fan killing: lawyer (Nov 15, 2007)
An Italian policeman who shot dead a football fan, sparking nationwide riots, now faces a charge of voluntary homicide, his lawyer said Thursday. . . . more . . .
Togo banned from hosting World Cup qualifiers (Nov 15, 2007)
Togo have been barred from hosting 2010 World Cup qualifiers after violence during a home match with Mali last month. . . . more . . .
Australia would be perfect World Cup hosts says McDonald (Nov 15, 2007)
Australia has the perfect credentials to host the 2018 World Cup, according to Socceroos striker Scott McDonald. . . . more . . .
Cahill withdraws from Nigeria friendly (Nov 15, 2007)
Australia midfielder Tim Cahill has pulled out of Saturday's friendly against Nigeria in London. . . . more . . .
Hoeness cools down after rant at Bayern fans (Nov 15, 2007)
Bayern Munich manager Uli Hoeness says he regrets his heated verbal attack on the club's supporters who criticised the lack of atmosphere in the Allianz Arena. . . . more . . .
Spurs wants Real's Casillas for record fee - report (Nov 15, 2007)
Tottenham's new manager Juande Ramos has his eye on Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas for next season, and the club is ready to pay a record 40 million euros for the Spanish international, a Spanish newspaper said Thursday. . . . more . . .
Chelsea ready to offer 60 million euros for Ronaldinho - report (Nov 15, 2007)
Chelsea are ready to offer Barcelona 60 million euros (88 million US dollars) for its Brazilian star midfielder Ronaldinho, Catalan sports daily Sport reported Thursday. . . . more . . .
Palacios kidnap ordeal over (Nov 15, 2007)
The 15-year-old brother of Birmingham's Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios has been released after being kidnapped in the central American country, the English club revealed on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Faint praise for football coach McClaren as England struggles (Nov 15, 2007)
Steve McClaren has got used to bareing the brunt of a nation's frustrations but the beleaguered England coach could have done without being damned with faint praise from his players as well. . . . more . . .
Asian champions Urawa set sights on AC Milan (Nov 15, 2007)
Urawa Reds are setting their sights on taking AC Milan's scalp after they restored Japanese footballing pride by beating Iran's Sepahan to win their first Asian Champions League title. . . . more . . .
Benelux bid welcomed by Blatter (Nov 14, 2007)
The joint bid by Belgium and The Netherlands to host the 2018 World Cup finals was welcomed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Wednesday according to the Dutch Football Federation president. . . . more . . .
Germany coach wants big show against Cyprus (Nov 14, 2007)
Germany's head coach Joachim Loew is insisting on a top-class performance against minnows Cyprus in Hanover on Saturday to wipe out memories of Germany's Euro 2008 Czech humbling last month. . . . more . . .
Newcastle defender Carr calls time on Republic of Ireland (Nov 14, 2007)
Republic of Ireland defender Stephen Carr on Wednesday announced his retirement from international football. . . . more . . .
Violence is holding football hostage, laments Platini (Nov 14, 2007)
UEFA president Michel Platini lamented Wednesday the growth in violence which he claims is holding football hostage. . . . more . . .
England football stars rally behind beleaguered coach McClaren (Nov 14, 2007)
England stars Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen handed Steve McClaren a boost on Wednesday when they backed the beleaguered manager to carry on even if England fail to reach Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
SAfrican strike set to halt 2010 World Cup construction (Nov 14, 2007)
Building work at all the 2010 football World Cup venues in South Africa looks set to grind to a halt next week after the biggest union announced it would embark on secondary strike action. . . . more . . .
Algerian striker Cherrad signs for MC Algiers (Nov 14, 2007)
Algerian international striker Malek Cherrad has signed an 18-month deal with Algerian first division side MC Algiers, the club confirmed on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Gunners offer Beckham base to train during MLS close season (Nov 14, 2007)
England midfielder David Beckham has been offered the chance to train with Premier League side Arsenal during the Major League Soccer close season, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
McLeish facing double striker dilemma as Italy showdown looms (Nov 14, 2007)
Scotland boss Alex McLeish has admitted that he is agonising over how many out-and-out forwards he names in his starting line-up for Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Italy. . . . more . . .
Former 'Busby Babe' Doherty dies (Nov 14, 2007)
Former Manchester United player John Doherty has died at the age of 72, the English Premier league club confirmed on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Thousands attend Rome funeral of slain football fan (Nov 14, 2007)
Thousands of mourners joined in calls for justice at the funeral Wednesday of young Italian football fan Gabriele Sandri, shot dead by a policeman. . . . more . . .
England don't deserve Euro 2008 spot: Russia coach Hiddink (Nov 14, 2007)
Russia boss Guus Hiddink insisted Wednesday that under-pressure Group E rivals England do not deserve to qualify for Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
German star Schneider back in training (Nov 14, 2007)
Germany's vice-captain Bernd Schneider is set for a return to training with Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen this weekend after recovering from the knee strain he picked up last September. . . . more . . .
Slighted Ukrainians gunning to derail French Euro hopes (Nov 14, 2007)
Ukraine boss Oleg Blokhin said Wednesday that his players would fight for pride in their remaining Euro 2008 qualifying matches -- and the pleasure of keeping France from the finals. . . . more . . .
Sunderland defender Nosworthy sidelined for six weeks (Nov 14, 2007)
Sunderland defender Nyron Nosworthy will be out of action for up to six weeks after tearing his hamstring against Newcastle at the weekend. . . . more . . .
Gerrard fears dark days ahead for England (Nov 14, 2007)
Steven Gerrard fears England's agonising wait to discover their Euro 2008 fate could turn ugly if their qualification bid ends in failure. . . . more . . .
Chelsea defender Carvalho out for two months (Nov 14, 2007)
Chelsea's Portuguese central defender Ricardo Carvalho has been ruled out of action for up to eight weeks after suffering a spinal column injury during last weekend's 1-1 draw with Everton. . . . more . . .
Hargreaves ruled out of Austria friendly (Nov 14, 2007)
Manchester United's Owen Hargreaves has been ruled out for England's friendly with Austria in Vienna on Friday. . . . more . . .
Sickened Kaka considers quitting Italy (Nov 14, 2007)
AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka has admitted that he is considering quitting Italian football amid the increasing violence and scandals surrounding the sport in the country. . . . more . . .
Adebayor fires shot across United bows (Nov 14, 2007)
Emmanuel Adebayor believes Arsenal have proved that they will push Manchester United all the way to the wire in the Premier League title race this season. . . . more . . .
Henry leads way for rare Barca away win (Nov 13, 2007)
France striker Thierry Henry helped Barcelona to a rare away win this term as they claimed a far from impressive 3-0 victory over third division Alcoyano in their Spanish Cup round of 32 first leg clash. . . . more . . .
Carvalho misses Euro 2008 qualifiers (Nov 13, 2007)
Portugal's veteran defender Ricardo Carvalho has a back problem and will miss their crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Finland and Armenia on November 17 and 21, the national team doctor said on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Baros hints at leaving Lyon (Nov 13, 2007)
Czech striker Milan Baros raised on Tuesday the possibility of leaving French champions Lyon when the January transfer window opens. . . . more . . .
Italian fixtures rearranged (Nov 13, 2007)
Two of the Serie A matches postponed because of the death of a Lazio fan have been rearranged for December 5, the Italian league said on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
McClaren safe -- for one more week (Nov 13, 2007)
Steve McClaren has been assured that there will be no move to sack him as England coach before the final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia next week, even if his side already know they have no chance of reaching the finals. . . . more . . .
Loew to discuss Arsenal situation with Lehmann (Nov 13, 2007)
Germany's head coach Joachim Loew says he will sit down with first-choice goalkeeper Jens Lehmann to discuss recent comments the shot-stopper may quit Arsenal to play in the Bundesliga. . . . more . . .
Domenech scotches bottle offer (Nov 13, 2007)
France coach Raymond Domenech turned down the offer of a bottle of Scotch whisky from a Scottish journalist here on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Czech manager changes squad for Euro 2008 qualifiers (Nov 13, 2007)
Czech manager Karel Bruckner on Tuesday added defender Tomas Zapotocny and midfielder Jiri Kladrubsky to his squad for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Slovakia on November 17 and San Marino four days later. . . . more . . .
Beenhakker to stay as Polish coach until at least 2009 (Nov 13, 2007)
Dutchman Leo Beenhakker will remain coach of Poland's national team until at least November 2009, the head of the Polish football federation said Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Nigerian teenage hot-shot signs for Hamburg (Nov 13, 2007)
Nigeria's teenage goal-scoring sensation Macauley Chrisantus, the top-scorer at this year's Under-17 World Cup, has signed a contract with Bundesliga side Hamburg it was announced on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Benzema proud of Real interest, but job at Lyon not done (Nov 13, 2007)
France and Lyon striker Karim Benzema insists his work with the six-time French champions is still in progress, amid reports of huge interest in his talents from Real Madrid. . . . more . . .
Kanoute sidelined with injury (Nov 13, 2007)
Mali international and Seville striker Frederic Kanoute has been ruled out of action for two weeks with a right calf strain, the Spanish club said Tuesday. . . . more . . .
UEFA name Red Cross humanitarian partner for Euro 2008 (Nov 13, 2007)
European football's governing body UEFA have selected the international Red Cross (ICRC) as their official humanitarian partner for the 2008 European championships in Switzerland and Austria. . . . more . . .
Bad boy Barton sorry for horror lunge (Nov 13, 2007)
Controversy-prone Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton has apologised to Dickson Etuhu after escaping punishment for planting his studs in the Sunderland star's groin. . . . more . . .
New China website for Premiership (Nov 13, 2007)
A Chinese-language website offering exclusive stories and video from England's top football league was launched Tuesday to tap into the soccer-mad fan base of the world's largest nation. . . . more . . .
Rummenigge goes into bat for Hitzfeld (Nov 13, 2007)
Bayern Munich boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has come out in support of coach Ottmar Hitzfeld after publicly criticising him following the league leaders recent poor results. . . . more . . .
Jewell declines to come to Wigan's rescue (Nov 13, 2007)
Paul Jewell, the manager who took Wigan into the Premiership and kept them there, has ruled out a return to the Premier League club as they battle for survival in the top flight. . . . more . . .
Urawa see evenly balanced AFC Champions League final (Nov 13, 2007)
Urawa Reds coach Holger Osieck believes his injury-hit side and Iran's Sepahan are evenly balanced and predicted a tough fight in their AFC Champions League title showdown Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Adebayor maintains Arsenal's perfect record (Nov 12, 2007)
Emanuel Adebayor scored for the first time in nine matches to guide unbeaten Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League table and maintain his remarkable record of the Gunners never losing in any match he has scored in for them. . . . more . . .
Part of Platini proposal rejected, Premier League a winner - report (Nov 12, 2007)
A controversial proposal by UEFA chief Michel Platini that would have seen domestic cup winners qualify for the prestigious Champions League has reportedly been rejected. . . . more . . .
West Ham's Ferdinand in court on brawl charge (Nov 12, 2007)
Footballer Anton Ferdinand, who plays for English Premier League side West Ham, faced the first day of a trial accused of hitting a man in a brawl outside a nightclub in London Monday. . . . more . . .
Pienaar bouncing back from German low (Nov 12, 2007)
Slowly but surely, South African midfielder Steven Pienaar is recapturing the form that made him one of the most sought-after players in Europe in his early twenties. . . . more . . .
McClaren given backing as England face Euro acid test (Nov 12, 2007)
Steve McClaren is being given widespread backing as the under-fire England manager begins the countdown to his team's date with Euro 2008 destiny. . . . more . . .
Crisis what crisis says defiant Rijkaard (Nov 12, 2007)
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard refused to accept on Monday that his starstudded side were in crisis as claimed by the Catalonian press following Barca's latest reverse, a 2-0 away defeat at Getafe. . . . more . . .
Lehmann ready to play second division to keep Euro hopes alive (Nov 12, 2007)
Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann admitted Monday he was ready to leave Arsenal this winter and play for a second division side in order to preserve his place in the national team ahead of Euro 2008. . . . more . . .
Fabregas committed to Gunners (Nov 12, 2007)
Midfielder Cesc Fabregas dismissed speculation he is eyeing a move back to his native Spain, insisting Monday he wants to see out his career with Arsenal. . . . more . . .
Man City to sign three Thai players (Nov 12, 2007)
English Premier League club Manchester City, owned by ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, plan to sign three Thai players, a football club chairman said Monday. . . . more . . .
Benayoun out for three weeks (Nov 12, 2007)
Israel captain Yossi Benayoun has been ruled out of action for three weeks after a scan revealed an adductor tear, his Liverpool team confirmed on Monday. . . . more . . .
Italian football matches suspended after violence (Nov 12, 2007)
Italy's football authorities decided Monday to suspend second and third division matches at the weekend in the wake of the fatal police shooting of a fan that sparked widespread riots. . . . more . . .
Ferguson hails 'strongest ever' Manchester football squad (Nov 12, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed the current Manchester United squad as the strongest he has had in over two decades in charge of the Premier League champions. . . . more . . .
Grant defiant as Carvalho joins Chelsea soccer crocks (Nov 12, 2007)
Avram Grant has insisted that Chelsea's bid to get back into the title race will not be derailed by an injury list which has been lengthened to include Ricardo Carvalho. . . . more . . .
Strugglers Marseille overturn the formbook (Nov 11, 2007)
Strugglers Marseille showed current form cannot always gauge the outcome as they beat French league leaders Lyon 2-1 for only their third win of the season thanks to two goals from Mamadou Niang. . . . more . . .
Cahill late show puts the brakes on Chelsea revival (Nov 11, 2007)
Tim Cahill's brilliant overhead-kick one minute from full-time earned Everton a barely-deserved point at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and put the brakes on Chelsea's march up the Premier League table. . . . more . . .
Ramos gets first league win as Spurs crush woeful Wigan (Nov 11, 2007)
Juande Ramos got his first Premier League win as Tottenham eased to a 4-0 success over managerless Wigan on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Ronaldo plugs Rooney gap as United pull clear (Nov 11, 2007)
Cristiano Ronaldo took over where Wayne Rooney left off as Manchester United continued their impressive assault on the Premier League title in a 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Campo misses cost Bolton escape from drop zone (Nov 11, 2007)
Gary Megson's hopes of securing his first win in charge of Bolton were dashed as fans favourite Ivan Campo failed to take two second-half chances to break the deadlock in a goalless draw with fellow strugglers Middlesbrough. . . . more . . .
Kanu and Utaka set to miss Nigeria clash (Nov 11, 2007)
Nigeria strikers Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka have been ruled out of their country's friendly against Australia. . . . more . . .
Leaders Bayern stumble as Leverkusen climb (Nov 11, 2007)
Bayer Leverkusen are up to fifth in the table thanks to their win over VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday while Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich stay top despite their 3-1 humbling at champions VfB Stuttgart. . . . more . . .
Robinho lights up Bernabeu as Real win thriller (Nov 11, 2007)
Brazilian international Robinho showed why some observers tout him as the next Pele with a mesmerising display, including two goals, as Real Madrid downed Real Mallorca 4-3 to stay top of La Liga. . . . more . . .
Hart frustrates Portsmouth (Nov 11, 2007)
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart frustrated Portsmouth with a series of fine saves in his side's 0-0 draw at Fratton Park on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Dynamo will defend title against New England in MLS final (Nov 11, 2007)
Defending champion Houston Dynamo advanced to the Major League Soccer final with a 2-0 triumph over Kansas City here Saturday. . . . more . . .
Loew insists his side finish with a flourish (Nov 11, 2007)
Germany coach Joachim Loew says his side must win their last two Euro 2008 qualifier games against Cyprus and Wales to boost confidence after they were humbled 3-0 by the Czech Republic last month. . . . more . . .
Agbonlahor gives Villa derby bragging rights (Nov 11, 2007)
Gabriel Agbonlahor gave Aston Villa the local bragging rights as his late goal clinched a 2-1 win over bitter rivals Birmingham on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Barton faces FA rap (Nov 11, 2007)
Joey Barton could face a suspension after the English Football Association confirmed they are investigating the Newcastle midfielder's ugly challenge on Sunderland's Dickson Etuhu. . . . more . . .
Football fan's death sparks renewed violence in Italy (Nov 11, 2007)
The spectre of football violence in Italy resurfaced on Sunday after the shooting dead of a fan by a policeman sparked nationwide disturbances which forced the suspension of three scheduled first division matches. . . . more . . .
Israel's Benayoun in doubt for Euro 2008 tie against Russia (Nov 11, 2007)
Israel captain Yossi Benayoun is to undergo a scan on an adductor injury which could keep him out of his country's Euro 2008 qualifier against Russia next week. . . . more . . .
Bayern's blip baffles bosses (Nov 11, 2007)
League leaders Bayern Munich's 3-1 surprise defeat at VfB Stuttgart on Saturday was the German giants' first defeat of the season and has left the club's senior figures reeling in shock. . . . more . . .
Seven in running for Asian football Player of the Year (Nov 11, 2007)
Iraqi midfielder Nashat Akram has been added to an updated list of contenders for the Asian Player of the Year award, the continent's football governing body said Sunday. . . . more . . .
Beckham can go past a century with England (Nov 11, 2007)
Steve McClaren believes David Beckham is on a mission to win over 100 caps for England and prove his critics wrong. . . . more . . .
Sno vows to fight for Celtic place (Nov 11, 2007)
Celtic's young Dutch midfielder Evander Sno has vowed to stay in Glasgow and fight for his place - despite rumours he wants to leave in January. . . . more . . .
Pardew keeps calm as Zheng fires Charlton (Nov 11, 2007)
Charlton manager Alan Pardew told his players not to get carried away after China midfielder Zheng Zhi kept them on course for the Premier League. . . . more . . .
Rafa hails goal ace Torres (Nov 11, 2007)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez saluted Fernando Torres after the Spanish striker climbed off the bench to fire his side within three points of the Premier League summit. . . . more . . .
Beckham has something to prove in Galaxy friendly (Nov 10, 2007)
England's David Beckham will be trying to show top form ahead of Euro 2008 qualifying in a Los Angeles Galaxy friendly here Sunday that marks the debut of new Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit. . . . more . . .
PSG still without a win at home (Nov 10, 2007)
Hapless Paris Saint Germain drew 0-0 with Nancy in French league action on Saturday night leaving their fans without a win at home this season. . . . more . . .
Rijkaard ponders solution to troublesome away form (Nov 10, 2007)
Six away points from a possible 18 is not good enough for a team with title aspirations and Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard admitted that he would have to go back to the drawing board after Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Getafe. . . . more . . .
Torres sparks Liverpool's late show (Nov 10, 2007)
Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard struck in the dying minutes to give Liverpool a 2-0 win over Fulham at Anfield on Saturday. . . . more . . .
United and Hibs close gap at top of SPL (Nov 10, 2007)
Dundee United and Hibernian both took advantage of the Old Firm's international break to close the gap at the top of the Scottish Premier League on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Derby survival chances Hammered (Nov 10, 2007)
Derby's chances of surviving in the Premiership were dealt another blow as West Ham inflicted a demoralising 5-0 defeat on the bottom side in front of their own supporters. . . . more . . .
FIFA lift Kuwait suspension (Nov 10, 2007)
Football's world governing body FIFA confirmed Saturday that they have lifted on a conditional basis the suspension imposed on the Kuwait Football Association (KFA). . . . more . . .
Ten-man Bayern humbled by Stuttgart (Nov 10, 2007)
Ten-man Bayern Munich crashed to their first defeat of the season as they were humbled 3-1 by defending Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, but still stay top. . . . more . . .
Keane tells Sunderland to learn lessons of derby draw (Nov 10, 2007)
Roy Keane admitted Sunderland had been taught a harsh lesson about life in the Premier League after they blew the chance to beat local rivals Newcastle. . . . more . . .
Money does not explain poor performance of Bundesliga clubs: Loew (Nov 10, 2007)
Germany's coach Joachim Loew insisted in the press here on Saturday the lack of financial resources is not the only reason why Bundesliga clubs have struggled in Europe this season. . . . more . . .
Liverpool's Benitez looks for victory to kickstart league campaign (Nov 10, 2007)
With an 8-0 Anfield victory against Besiktas still fresh in the memory, it would seem an odd time for Liverpool's home form to be called into question. . . . more . . .
Newcastle earn draw in Tyne-Wear derby with Sunderland (Nov 10, 2007)
Newcastle rode their luck to snatch a 1-1 draw in the Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland on Saturday thanks to James Milner's fortunate equaliser. . . . more . . .
Arsenal's workaholic Wenger gunning to outstrip Man Utd counterpart (Nov 10, 2007)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes he can rival Sir Alex Ferguson's 21-years at Manchester United after admitting he would be lost without the pressure of management. . . . more . . .
Gullit excited by challenge of guiding LA Galaxy (Nov 10, 2007)
Former Dutch football star Ruud Gullit was introduced as coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy, joining English star David Beckham in trying to lift the struggling team into a world-class squad. . . . more . . .
Major League Soccer will add Seattle team in 2009: report (Nov 10, 2007)
Major League Soccer will add an expansion team in Seattle in 2009, a move that would boost the US football league to 15 teams, according to the Seattle Times. . . . more . . .
Defiant England football coach McClaren vows to battle on (Nov 10, 2007)
Steve McClaren has defiantly declared that he is still the man to take England forward. . . . more . . .
Football: Etoile stun holders Ahly to conquer Africa (Nov 09, 2007)
Etoile Sahel of Tunisia stunned title holders Al-Ahly of Egypt 3-1 Friday to win a first African Champions League title. . . . more . . .
Wenger warns Platini over Champions League proposals (Nov 09, 2007)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned that Michel Platini's proposals to change the Champions League will put the integrity of the competition at risk. . . . more . . .
FA deny crisis meeting over McClaren (Nov 09, 2007)
English Football Association chiefs have denied that an emergency board meeting has been scheduled to decide national team manager Steve McClaren's fate. . . . more . . .
Grant tells England to trust Lampard (Nov 09, 2007)
Chelsea manager Avram Grant has told Steve McClaren that Frank Lampard should be an essential part of the England team. . . . more . . .
Adu gets the call as US sets lineup for South Africa visit (Nov 09, 2007)
Ghana-born US teen star Freddy Adu is set to claim his third cap when the United States plays South Africa next week in Johannesburg as part of an American lineup announced here Friday. . . . more . . .
Rooney ruled out for a month (Nov 09, 2007)
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will be sidelined for at least four weeks after suffering an ankle injury in training on Friday. . . . more . . .
McLeish says Italy will fear Hampden test (Nov 09, 2007)
Scotland coach Alex McLeish believes his side can take advantage of Italy's fear factor in their crucial Euro 2008 showdown. . . . more . . .
Iran-born German called up despite Israel refusal (Nov 09, 2007)
German football federation bosses appeared Friday to give Iranian-born midfielder Ashkan Dejagah a second chance to play for his adopted country. . . . more . . .
Hughes is a bright spark says Ferguson (Nov 09, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson believes Mark Hughes can confirm his growing reputation as one of the game's brightest young managers by steering Blackburn into the Champions League. . . . more . . .
Beckham back for England (Nov 09, 2007)
David Beckham has been recalled to England's squad for their forthcoming matches against Austria and Croatia. . . . more . . .
Gullit set to coach Beckham's Galaxy (Nov 08, 2007)
The Los Angeles Galaxy have hired former European Player of the Year Ruud Gullit as their new head coach, the Major League Soccer club announced Thursday. . . . more . . .
Super sub Anichebe seals Everton's win in Nuremberg (Nov 08, 2007)
Everton's teenage super sub Victor Anichebe came off the bench to win a penalty and score his side's second goal in their 2-0 UEFA Cup win at Nuremberg on Thursday night. . . . more . . .
Moreno tabbed by Bolivia for World Cup qualifying (Nov 08, 2007)
DC United striker Jaime Moreno has been called up by Bolivia for World Cup 2010 qualifying matches at Argentina on November 17 and Venezuela on November 20, the team announced Thursday. . . . more . . .
Podolski brace not enough as Bolton draw with Bayern (Nov 08, 2007)
Goals either side of half-time by Bayern Munich's forgotten hero Lukas Podolski was not enough as Bolton Wanderers fought back to claim a 2-2 draw in Thursday night's UEFA Cup clash. . . . more . . .
Chelsea launches US website (Nov 08, 2007)
English Premiership football power Chelsea announced Thursday the launch of a US web site that club chief executive Peter Kenyon hailed as a key innovation after US visits for the past four years. . . . more . . .
Clean sheet delights Tottenham skipper Keane (Nov 08, 2007)
Tottenham won 2-0 at Hapoel Tel Aviv in UEFA Cup action on Thursday night in a defensive display which impressed Spurs skipper Robbie Keane. . . . more . . .
No Trezeguet as Domenech names France squad (Nov 08, 2007)
France coach Raymond Domenech named a 24-man squad for the friendly against Morocco on November 16 and the Euro 2008 clash against Ukraine on November 21. . . . more . . .
Gilberto wants new Arsenal deal (Nov 08, 2007)
Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva wants to finish his career with the Premier League leaders despite spending most of this season on the sidelines. . . . more . . .
Vidic signs new contract with United (Nov 08, 2007)
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the Premier League champions until 2012. . . . more . . .
Troussier set for Benin job (Nov 08, 2007)
Much-travelled Frenchman Philippe Troussier is lined up to take over as the new coach at Benin, one of his associates told AFP on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Berbatov vows to stick with Spurs (Nov 08, 2007)
Dimitar Berbatov insists he is happy at Tottenham and plans to stay with the struggling Premier League club. . . . more . . .
AC Milan eyeing Real's Sergio Ramos (Nov 08, 2007)
Italian giants AC Milan are keen to sign Spain's international defender Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid, sports daily Marca reported on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Pele in favour of World Cup for England (Nov 08, 2007)
England would be worthy hosts for the 2018 World Cup, Brazilian legend Pele has said. . . . more . . .
Urawa upbeat after Asian Champions League draw (Nov 08, 2007)
Japanese champions Urawa Reds were upbeat after their 1-1 draw away at Iran's Sepahan in the first leg of the Asian Champions League final. . . . more . . .
Gullit might be Beckham's next coach but Galaxy silent (Nov 08, 2007)
Retired Dutch star Ruud Gullit might be the new coach of English star David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy, a Wednesday Sky Sports report said, but the Major League Soccer team had no comment. . . . more . . .
Ferguson hails United maestros (Nov 08, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed his side's best Champions League start in five years as a reflection of the match-winning brilliance of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. . . . more . . .
Wenger gunning for Champions League top spot (Nov 08, 2007)
Arsene Wenger has accomplished the first phase of his Champions League mission but the Arsenal manager has told his side they can't afford to rest on their laurels. . . . more . . .
Eight goals but Liverpool still face Champions League exit (Nov 08, 2007)
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has admitted that his side still face a cut-throat fight for Champions League survival despite running up with their biggest European win in 27 years with an 8-0 rout of Besiktas. . . . more . . .
Gullit might be Beckham's next coach but Galaxy silent (Nov 07, 2007)
Retired Dutch star Ruud Gullit might be the new coach of English star David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy, a Wednesday Sky Sports report said, but the Major League Soccer team had no comment. . . . more . . .
Pele to attend Sheffield FC's 150th anniversary clash with Inter (Nov 07, 2007)
Sheffield FC, officially the oldest club in the world, will mark its 150th anniversary with a friendly against Inter Milan reserves at Bramall Lane on Thursday which will be attended by Brazilian football legend Pele. . . . more . . .
United on cruise control (Nov 07, 2007)
Manchester United strolled into the knockout stages of the Champions League and completed their best start in the tournament in five years with a 4-0 win over Dynamo Kiev at Old Trafford on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Late own goal gifts Roma a draw (Nov 07, 2007)
An own goal in the dying seconds gifted Roma a 2-2 draw against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Barca's Henry and Messi make defensive Rangers pay (Nov 07, 2007)
First half goals from Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi gave Barcelona a 2-0 win over an unambitious Rangers in their European Champions League Group E encounter here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Gritty Arsenal clinch place in last 16 (Nov 07, 2007)
Arsenal booked their place in the Champions League knockout stages with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Slavia Prague on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Lyon made to battle, but last 16 place in sight (Nov 07, 2007)
Lyon were made to battle before relaunching their sunken bid for a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a hard-fought 4-2 win over German side VfB Stuttgart on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Pele to attend Sheffield FC's 150th anniversary clash with Inter (Nov 07, 2007)
Sheffield FC, officially the oldest club in the world, will mark its 150th anniversary with a friendly against Inter Milan reserves at Bramall Lane on Thursday which will be attended by Brazilian football legend Pele. . . . more . . .
Whelan makes Jewell his first choice (Nov 07, 2007)
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has made former manager Paul Jewell his number one chance to take over from Chris Hutchings. . . . more . . .
Preki named top MLS coach (Nov 07, 2007)
Preki, a Yugoslavian-born US citizen who was twice named Most Valuable Player, was named Major League Soccer's Coach of the Year on Wednesday after guiding Chivas USA to a Western Conference crown. . . . more . . .
Ramos - Berbatov can go if he's not happy (Nov 07, 2007)
Tottenham manager Juande Ramos has hinted he will allow Dimitar Berbatov to leave if the Bulgaria striker makes it clear he is unhappy. . . . more . . .
Cech ruled out of Everton clash (Nov 07, 2007)
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech will miss Sunday's Premier League clash against Everton after a scan confirmed he has a torn calf muscle. . . . more . . .
Asian football title in balance after pulsating draw (Nov 07, 2007)
Iran's Sepahan and Urawa Reds of Japan fought to a 1-1 draw in a pulsating AFC Champions League final first leg on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Sheffield FC mark 150th anniversary with Inter friendly (Nov 07, 2007)
Sheffield FC, officially the oldest club in the world, will mark its 150th anniversary with a friendly against Inter Milan reserves at Bramall Lane on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Ferguson celebrates 21st as new Man Utd come of age (Nov 07, 2007)
Manchester United can deliver the perfect anniversary present to Sir Alex Ferguson by clinching their place in the knockout stage of the Champions League here on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Barcelona looking for home comfort against Rangers (Nov 07, 2007)
Barcelona fought out a dour 0-0 draw at Rangers two weeks ago and have been widely criticised for their play away but at home, in their Nou Camp citadel, they are a different proposition. . . . more . . .
Slavia's revenge mission doesn't worry Wenger (Nov 07, 2007)
Arsene Wenger expects Arsenal to foil Slavia Prague's revenge mission and seal their place in the Champions League knockout stages on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Eight goals but Liverpool still face Champions League exit (Nov 07, 2007)
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez admits his side still face a cut-throat fight for Champions League survival despite running up their biggest European win in 27 years with an 8-0 rout of Besiktas. . . . more . . .
UEFA to probe Binya tackle (Nov 07, 2007)
European football governing body UEFA are to investigate Augustin Binya's horror tackle which forced Celtic midfielder Scott Brown out of Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica. . . . more . . .
Strachan hails "awesome" McGeady (Nov 07, 2007)
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan described Aiden McGeady as "awesome" after his performance against Benfica in the Champions League. . . . more . . .
Marseille brought to heel by Porto (Nov 06, 2007)
Marseille failed to react to club president Pape Diouf's lambasting of them after their latest French league disappointment at the weekend and went down to their first defeat in the Champions League this term here on Tuesday, a 2-1 reverse by FC Porto. . . . more . . .
Benayoun keeps Liverpool alive as Besiktas get a kicking (Nov 06, 2007)
Yossi Benayoun claimed a hat-trick as Liverpool kept their Champions League campaign alive with an 8-0 demolition of Besiktas, their biggest European win in 27 years. . . . more . . .
McGeady strikes for Celtic (Nov 06, 2007)
Aiden McGeady was Celtic's Champions League hero as they beat Benfica 1-0 in Glasgow on Tuesday to keep on course for qualification from the group stages. . . . more . . .
Grant's relief as Chelsea take a point at Schalke (Nov 06, 2007)
Chelsea boss Avram Grant admitted his side were fortunate to pick up a point at Schalke 04 after the Bundesliga outfit dominated Tuesday night's Champions League clash. . . . more . . .
Super sub Inzaghi fires Milan closer to last 16 (Nov 06, 2007)
Champions League holders AC Milan shrugged off their modest domestic form to beat Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 here on Tuesday and put one foot into the last 16. . . . more . . .
Football: Marseille brought to heel by Porto (Nov 06, 2007)
Marseille failed to react to club president Pape Diouf's lambasting of them after their latest French league disappointment at the weekend and went down to their first defeat in the Champions League this term here on Tuesday, a 2-1 reverse by FC Porto. . . . more . . .
African player and club president opt to patch up racism row (Nov 06, 2007)
A Congolese player at FC Brussels who walked out after being racially abused by the Belgian club's president Johan Vermeersch has agreed to return. . . . more . . .
Wenger without quartet for Slavia tie (Nov 06, 2007)
Arsene Wenger will be without Cesc Fabregas, Kolo Toure, Tomas Rosicky and Alexander Hleb for Arsenal's Champions League clash at Slavia Prague on Wednesday. . . . more . . .
Neville comeback put on hold (Nov 06, 2007)
Manchester United captain Gary Neville is out of Wednesday's Champions League tie against Dynamo Kiev with a calf injury. . . . more . . .
Liverpool's new stadium gets green light (Nov 06, 2007)
Liverpool have been given the green light to build their redesigned 400 million pounds stadium. . . . more . . .
Nedved apologises over Figo tackle (Nov 06, 2007)
Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved has openly apologised for his tackle which left Inter Milan's veteran Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo requiring leg surgery. . . . more . . .
Loew to decide if Lehmann stays Germany's No 1 (Nov 06, 2007)
Germany's coach Joachim Loew admitted on Tuesday he will sit down with Arsenal's veteran goalkeeper Jens Lehmann later this year to discuss whether he goes to Euro 2008 next summer as first-choice shot-stopper. . . . more . . .
Less Saturday Night Fever behaviour Mancini tells Adriano (Nov 06, 2007)
Inter Milan's party-mad Brazilian striker Adriano has been told by coach Roberto Mancini to tone down his behaviour if he wants to regain his place in the Italian champions side. . . . more . . .
Man Utd's Ferguson looks for second Champions League victory (Nov 06, 2007)
Alex Ferguson is convinced his Manchester United squad is now strong enough to deliver the second Champions League triumph of the Scot's 21-year reign at Old Trafford. . . . more . . .
Everton fans to miss UEFA clash as Nuremberg voids 1,500 tickets (Nov 06, 2007)
Hundreds of Everton fans face being turned away at the turnstiles before their side's UEFA Cup clash in Nuremberg on Thursday after their tickets were cancelled due to fears of crowd trouble. . . . more . . .
Wales' captain Bellamy to miss final Euro 2008 qualifiers (Nov 06, 2007)
Injured Wales captain Craig Bellamy will miss his country's final two European Championship qualifiers later this month. . . . more . . .
Real to invite Beckham back to Madrid for challenge match against Galaxy (Nov 06, 2007)
Real Madrid are set to give former player David Beckham the ultimate compliment by inviting his Los Angeles Galaxy side to Spain for a challenge match in December, according to a report here Tuesday. . . . more . . .
Portugal's Leiria appoints new coach after poor start to season (Nov 06, 2007)
Vitor Oliveira is the new coach of first division side Uniao de Leiria, taking over from Paulo Duarte who resigned on Monday after a fourth consecutive defeat. . . . more . . .
Man Utd and Arsenal managers clash over foreign player quotas (Nov 06, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson has lent his support to FIFA's plans to limit the number of foreign players in each team -- and he feels that title rivals Arsenal would protest the loudest at such a rule. . . . more . . .
Australia to go easy on injured stars for friendly against Nigeria (Nov 06, 2007)
English-based stars Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill are expected to have limited game time in Australia's football friendly this month against Nigeria in London. . . . more . . .
Liverpool's Champions League hopes rest on Besiktas match (Nov 06, 2007)
Rafael Benitez insists it will not be the end of the world if Liverpool are effectively eliminated from the Champions League following Tuesday's encounter with Besiktas. . . . more . . .
Schalke's plans for Chelsea defeat in doubt as top striker injured (Nov 06, 2007)
Schalke 04 are hoping that a revenge win against Chelsea will revive their flagging Champions League campaign, but their chances of success were looking doubtful after top striker Kevin Kuranyi was injured at the weekend. . . . more . . .
World Cup "can heal Africa's wounds" (Nov 06, 2007)
The first World Cup to be held in Africa can be the glue which binds a continent too often riven by conflict, according to the man in charge of organising the world's most popular sporting event. . . . more . . .
Arena resigns as Red Bulls manager (Nov 05, 2007)
Former US national team coach Bruce Arena resigned on Monday as manager of Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls. . . . more . . .
Ireland strike hoists City into third (Nov 05, 2007)
A second-half strike by Irish international Stephen Ireland saw Manchester City defeat Sunderland 1-0 and move into third in the Premiership. . . . more . . .
Figo to undergo leg surgery (Nov 05, 2007)
Inter Milan's veteran midfielder Luis Figo will undergo surgery Tuesday on a fractured fibula suffered in his club's 1-1 draw with Juventus at the weekend. . . . more . . .
Villarreal's Rossi out for six weeks (Nov 05, 2007)
Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi underwent right knee surgery Monday and will be out of action for the next six weeks, his Spanish club announced. . . . more . . .
Luzhny appointed Dynamo Kiev interim manager (Nov 05, 2007)
Former Soviet and Ukrainian international defender Oleg Luzhny was appointed interim manager of Ukraine's champions Dynamo Kiev after Josef Szabo was hospitalised with a heart attack, the club announced on Monday. . . . more . . .
Uniao de Leiria coach resigns amid worst start in 25 years (Nov 05, 2007)
Uniao de Leiria coach Paulo Duarte has resigned after blaming himself for the Portuguese first division side's worst start to the season in 25 years. . . . more . . .
Football bet shops shut down across Asia in Interpol swoop (Nov 05, 2007)
Dozens of illegal football betting houses across Asia have been shut down in an operation coordinated by Interpol, the global police organisation announced Monday. . . . more . . .
Bremen hit by Sanogo injury (Nov 05, 2007)
Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen suffered a blow on Monday as it was announced that their leading scorer Ivorian international striker Boubacar Sanogo would be out for up to three weeks. . . . more . . .
Euro 2008 fate in our hands - Domenech (Nov 05, 2007)
France manager Raymond Domenech insisted Monday that France should not rely on Italy beating Scotland this month to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals. . . . more . . .
Former Swedish football legend dies (Nov 05, 2007)
Nils Liedholm, who captained Sweden at the 1958 World Cup finals and as a coach guided AC Milan and Roma to Serie A titles, has died at the age of 85, ANSA reported on Monday. . . . more . . .
Schalke striker Kuranyi misses Chelsea visit (Nov 05, 2007)
Schalke 04's hopes of reviving their flagging Champions League campaign suffered a blow on Monday after striker Kevin Kuranyi was ruled out of Tuesday's clash with Chelsea. . . . more . . .
Croatian football fans 'used Nazi symbols' during matches (Nov 05, 2007)
Croatian police were investigating reports Monday that fans of local football club Hajduk Split sold and wore T-shirts bearing Nazi symbols. . . . more . . .
Totti out of Roma's Champions League clash with Sporting (Nov 05, 2007)
Roma will be without their emblematic captain Francesco Totti for the Champions League group F encounter with Sporting in Lisbon on Wednesday, the Italian side have confirmed Monday. . . . more . . .
Wigan sack manager Hutchings (Nov 05, 2007)
English Premier League strugglers Wigan Athletic sacked manager Chris Hutchings on Monday. . . . more . . .
Liverpool stare into soccer abyss (Nov 05, 2007)
Rafael Benitez insists it will not be the end of the world if Liverpool are effectively eliminated from the Champions League following Tuesday's encounter with Besiktas. . . . more . . .
Lens out of danger after stirring comeback (Nov 04, 2007)
Struggling Lens hauled themselves out of the relegation zone with a stirring come from behind 3-2 win against Saint Etienne on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Nolan earns Bolton a precious point (Nov 04, 2007)
Kevin Nolan struck deep in injury time to earn Bolton a 1-1 draw and a precious Premier League point at West Ham on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Rijkaard lauds Ronaldinho as Barca close gap (Nov 04, 2007)
A rejuvenated Ronaldinho scored two trademark free-kicks as Barcelona moved to within one point of tabletoppers Real Madrid courtesy of a 3-0 win over Real Betis on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Karlsruhe stay fourth as Bayern's lead is cut (Nov 04, 2007)
Bayern Munich's lead at the top of the Bundesliga has been cut to just two points while Karlsruhe kept up their impressive form with a 1-0 win at home to strugglers Duisburg on Sunday. . . . more . . .
Hibernian denied victory in Edinburgh derby against Hearts (Nov 04, 2007)
A second-half goal by Christian Nade saw Hearts share the spoils 1-1 with city rivals Hibernian here on Sunday in their Scottish Premiership clash. . . . more . . .
Honours even in 'Italian derby' (Nov 04, 2007)
Italian giants Juventus and Inter Milan played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olympico on Sunday. . . . more . . .
AC Milan striker Ronaldo expected on the bench for clash with Shakhtar (Nov 04, 2007)
Brazil striker Ronaldo has been included by Carlo Ancelotti in the mis-firing AC Milan squad for Tuesday's Champions League trip to Shakhtar Donetsk. . . . more . . .
Slavia Prague hit by Vlcek injury (Nov 04, 2007)
Slavia Prague's slim hopes of beating Premiership leaders Arsenal in their Champions League clash on Wednesday suffered a serious blow on Sunday as it was revealed the Czech league's leading scorer Stanislav Vlcek would miss the match. . . . more . . .
Greece coach Rehhagel to decide on future after Euro 2008 (Nov 04, 2007)
Veteran German coach Otto Rehhagel said on Sunday he would not make up his mind over his future until after Greece had defended their European title next year. . . . more . . .
Kuranyi in doubt for Chelsea clash (Nov 04, 2007)
Schalke 04's hopes of reviving their Champions League campaign suffered a blow on Sunday as it was revealed that German international striker Kevin Kuranyi was a major doubt for their match with Chelsea on Tuesday. . . . more . . .
AC Milan cry foul over refereeing (Nov 04, 2007)
Ailing Italian giants AC Milan complained on Sunday that their Serie A woes were down to poor refereeing. . . . more . . .
Bayern boss regrets missed opportunities (Nov 04, 2007)
Bayern Munich boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said his side were kicking themselves after their failure to hit the target against Eintracht Frankfurt allowed Hamburg to cut their league lead to just two points. . . . more . . .
Frustrated Benitez rues missed opportunities (Nov 04, 2007)
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez admitted he was disappointed to see his team lose the opportunity to gain ground on the Premier League leaders after their 0-0 draw with Blackburn. . . . more . . .
African Nations could kill our European dream says Redknapp (Nov 04, 2007)
Harry Redknapp fears the African Nations Cup could wreck Portsmouth's European ambitions after his side's impressive 4-1 victory over Newcastle strengthened their top four credentials. . . . more . . .
Honours even but Gunners claim moral victory (Nov 04, 2007)
If the respective reactions of the two managers is any guide, Arsenal emerged from their showdown with Manchester United with more to celebrate than the Premier League's reigning champions. . . . more . . .
Miserable Marseille remain in relegation zone (Nov 03, 2007)
Marseille's miserable league season failed to improve a whole lot on Saturday when the relegation-threatened south coast 'giants' had to settle for a goalless draw against Lorient at the Stade Velodrome. . . . more . . .
Sevilla bring ten-man Real back down to earth (Nov 03, 2007)
Sevilla showed there is life after Juande Ramos turning in a terrific display to down in-form champions Real Madrid 2-0 late on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Home woes continue for Milan as Fiorentina remain unbeaten (Nov 03, 2007)
AC Milan's dismal home league form continued Saturday as Torino frustrated the San Siro faithful by holding out for a 0-0 draw. . . . more . . .
Wasteful Liverpool forced to settle for a stalemate (Nov 03, 2007)
Liverpool's grandstand finish was not sufficient to earn them anything more than a point in Saturday's 0-0 draw against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park - another disappointment in a season of several so far for boss Rafa Benitez. . . . more . . .
Platini still pushing for five referees (Nov 03, 2007)
UEFA president Michel Platini said on Saturday he is still keen to increase the number of on-field match-day officials in football from three to five. . . . more . . .
Hamburg's Reinhardt strikes to trim Bayern's lead (Nov 03, 2007)
Hamburg defender Bastian Reinhardt struck nine minutes from time to seal a 2-1 win over Hertha Berlin and close the gap behind dominant Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to just two points on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Derby remain bottom as away-day woes continue (Nov 03, 2007)
Derby remain rooted to the foot of the Premier League as their miserable away form continued with a 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Benjani helps Portsmouth rout Newcastle (Nov 03, 2007)
Zimbabwean striker Benjani Mwaruwari added to his new-found reputation as one of the Premier League's most lethal finishers to help Portsmouth sweep emphatically past Newcastle 4-1 on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Everton late show sinks Birmingham (Nov 03, 2007)
Everton snatched a dramatic 3-1 victory over Birmingham thanks to two injury-time goals on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Lampard keeps Chelsea rolling (Nov 03, 2007)
Chelsea closed the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to three points after goals from Frank Lampard and Juliano Belletti gave them a comfortable 2-0 win at struggling Wigan on Saturday. . . . more . . .
'Supersub' Healy gives Sanchez lifeline (Nov 03, 2007)
Northern Ireland striker David Healy proved an inspired substitution as he lifted Fulham to their first Premiership win since August 15 in beating Reading 2-1 on Saturday and give manager Lawrie Sanchez some breathing space. . . . more . . .
Young denies Ramos his first league win (Nov 03, 2007)
Luke Young scored his first goal for Middlesbrough to earn a 1-1 draw against Tottenham and deny Juande Ramos a first Premier League win. . . . more . . .
Gers see off Caley to stay on Celtic tails (Nov 03, 2007)
Rangers won 2-0 at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle to stay three points behind Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Sports Minister slams "obscene" money in football (Nov 03, 2007)
Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has stood by his assertion that top footballers in England are being paid too much money despite admitting that he got his figures wrong. . . . more . . .
Zenit remain top of Russian league (Nov 03, 2007)
Saint Petersburg side Zenit are within one match of winning their first ever Russian title after a hard-fought 1-0 home win over FC Moscow on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Chelsea line up Liverpool in League Cup quarter-final draw (Nov 03, 2007)
Chelsea have a chance to avenge their series of cup defeats to Liverpool after being handed a League Cup quarter-final clash against Rafa Benitez's side. . . . more . . .
Gallas hails Arsenal's never say die spirit (Nov 03, 2007)
Arsenal captain William Gallas insisted his side's dramatic 2-2 draw against Manchester United showed they have the fighting spirit to win the Premier League. . . . more . . .
Inter Milan's Mancini confident ahead of Juventus clash (Nov 03, 2007)
Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini has been boasting about the strength in depth of his squad ahead of this weekend's crucial trip to Juventus. . . . more . . .
Sevilla the next stop on Real Madrid's away day express (Nov 03, 2007)
Spanish league leaders Real Madrid will be looking to maintain the style that took them to a 5-1 mid-week win at Valencia when they visit Sevilla on Saturday. . . . more . . .
Player quits club over racist abuse (Nov 02, 2007)
A black African player at FC Brussels has walked out after allegedly being racially abused by the Belgian club's president Johan Vermeersch. . . . more . . .
Baros caught in speed trap (Nov 02, 2007)
Czech international striker Milan Baros was clocked doing 271 kilometres an hour (168 miles an hour) in his Ferrari on a motorway east of here on Thursday, police sources said on Friday. . . . more . . .
Wenger reveals grudging respect for Fergie (Nov 02, 2007)
Arsene Wenger is never likely to count Sir Alex Ferguson among his close friends but the Arsenal manager admits his old rival's all-consuming passion for Manchester United strikes a chord with him. . . . more . . .
Dunga to coach Brazil Olympic team (Nov 02, 2007)
Brazil coach Dunga told local television on Friday that he will also take charge of the country's Olympic team next year in Beijing. . . . more . . .
New Valencia coach Koeman confident of making up lost ground (Nov 02, 2007)
New Valencia coach Ronald Koeman said Friday he believes the club can make up the lost ground behind league leaders Real Madrid in La Liga. . . . more . . .
Frei to go under the knife (Nov 02, 2007)
Swiss international striker Alexander Frei is to go under the knife on Tuesday to cure a calf problem, his club Borussia Dortmund said on Friday. . . . more . . .
Ronaldo due back soon, says Ancelotti (Nov 02, 2007)
AC Milan's Brazil forward Ronaldo is close to making his comeback from a thigh injury, the club's coach Carlo Ancelotti said Friday. . . . more . . .
Fergie sings Gunners praises (Nov 02, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson has praised Arsene Wenger for masterminding Arsenal's Premier League recovery ahead of Saturday's showdown between the two clubs at the Emirates Stadium. . . . more . . .
Keep clean sheet and Rooney and co. will do the rest: Vidic (Nov 02, 2007)
Nemanja Vidic believes another clean sheet can provide the foundation for a Manchester United victory in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal. . . . more . . .
Barca disappoint again and are held by lowly Valladolid (Nov 01, 2007)
Barcelona slipped back in the Spanish championship race when they were held to a 1-1 draw by lowly Valladolid on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Barcelona's Eto'o back by end of November (Nov 01, 2007)
Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o is set to return to action before the end of November, the Catalan club announced on Thursday. . . . more . . .
Mokoena relief for Rovers (Nov 01, 2007)
Aaron Mokoena could be back in action for Blackburn as early as this weekend after an x-ray confirmed that he had not broken his leg, as had been feared. . . . more . . .
Berlin bad boy set for anger-management classes (Nov 01, 2007)
Hertha Berlin defender Josip Simunic is to be sent to anger management classes by the Bundesliga club after picking up his fourth red card in eight months. . . . more . . .
Repeat knee injury keeps Frings out till 2008 (Nov 01, 2007)
German international midfielder Torsten Frings will be out for the rest of the year after aggravating the same knee injury which kept him out for three months at the start of the season. . . . more . . .
Fergie doubtful of Mourinho return to England (Nov 01, 2007)
Sir Alex Ferguson believes he will next cross swords with Jose Mourinho in the Champions League rather than the Premiership. . . . more . . .
Neville set for Man Utd comeback (Nov 01, 2007)
Manchester United will welcome back captain Gary Neville at Stockport on Thursday night in what will be his first game in seven months. . . . more . . .
Football manager Strachan shocked by Celtic losing heart (Nov 01, 2007)
Celtic may have crashed out of the Scottish League Cup - after a 2-0 defeat against Hearts - but manager Gordon Strachan insists his players can be proud of their efforts. . . . more . . .
Liverpool player Kewell's as good as new - again... (Nov 01, 2007)
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez reckons Harry Kewell can be like a new signing after the Australia winger put six months of injury misery behind him to help his side reach the League Cup quarter-finals. . . . more . . .
McCarthy's Blackburn football goal joy marred by Mokoena injury (Nov 01, 2007)
Benni McCarthy shot Blackburn to League Cup victory at Portsmouth but an injury to his South African team-mate Aaron Mokoena spoiled the prolific striker's evening. . . . more . . .
Tottenham football boss Ramos demands improvement despite debut win (Nov 01, 2007)
New Tottenham manager Juande Ramos demanded improvement in all areas of his team's performance after seeing it progress to the quarter-finals of the English League Cup. . . . more . . .
Lampard hat-trick for Chelsea, Ramos gets winning start in League Cup soccer (Nov 01, 2007)
Avram Grant admitted Frank Lampard had saved Chelsea's blushes after the England midfielder's hat-trick inspired a dramatic 4-3 League Cup win over Leicester. . . . more . . .
Giberto could be back for United showdown says Wenger (Nov 01, 2007)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could hand a shock recall to Brazil's 2002 World Cup winner Gilberto Silva for Saturday's crunch clash with Manchester United to prove once and for all that he hasn't fallen out with him. . . . more . . .
