Sports

Parma (Italy), Sept. 20, 2020 Napoli’s coach Gennaro Gattuso on Sunday dished out rare praises on new Nigerian signing Victor Osimhen, describing him as “a young lad with the head of a 40-year-old”. Osimhen became Napoli’s record signing when he joined from Lille in the summer for a reported 70 …

Barcelona (Spain), Sept. 20, 2020 FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says he does not wish to have any more disputes with club captain Lionel Messi. This was after the Argentina captain reluctantly opted to stay at the club this month after failing to force through a move. “I won’t …

Manchester (UK), Sept. 19, 2020 Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero could miss the first two months of the 2020/2021 English Premier League (EPL) season, manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday. Guardiola said this was because Aguero was yet to train with the club since suffering a knee injury in June. …

Paris, Sept. 13, 2020 Olympique Marseille earned a smash-and-grab 1-0 win at Ligue 1 champions Paris St-Germain (PSG) on Sunday in a match which saw five players sent off and two goals disallowed. Forward Florian Thauvin struck in the 31st minute of a pulsating though ill-tempered match at the Parc …

Buenos Aires, Sept. 11, 2020 Lionel Messi can play in Argentina’s opening 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier next month, Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), said on Thursday. Tapia said this was because the statute of limitations (barring him from playing) has run out on the ban …

Stockholm, Sept. 8, 2020 Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 100th goal for Portugal in their Nations League clash away to Sweden on Tuesday. The goal scored by Ronaldo meant he joined Iran’s Ali Daei as the only male player to score 100 goals or more in international soccer. Having been denied …

Amsterdam, Sept. 7, 2020 Italy returned to winning ways as Nicolo Barella’s header, just before half-time, secured a 1-0 victory away to a below-par Netherlands in their UEFA Nations League clash on Monday. At an empty Johan Cruyff Arena, Italy showed the greater urgency and quality throughout and were full …

Barcelona, Sept. 3, 2020 Lionel Messi’s father and agent met Barcelona Club President Josep Maria Bartomeu on Wednesday to discuss the player’s wish to leave the club but the talks ended in stalemate, Spanish media reported. Earlier, Jorge Messi said it would be “difficult” for his son to remain with …

London, Aug. 29, 2020 Arsenal beat Liverpool 5-4 on penalties on Saturday to lift the Community Shield, the curtain-raiser for the English domestic season, after the two sides played out a 1-1 draw on a chilly afternoon at Wembley. Gunners captain and match goal-scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang blasted home the final …

Buenos Aires, Aug. 27, 2020 The news that Lionel Messi wants to leave FC Barcelona may have shocked the football world but his fellow Argentines back his decision. Now they are excited by growing reports of a reunion with coach Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. One of Argentina’s top newspapers …

Barcelona (Spain), Aug. 25, 2020 Captain Lionel Messi has told FC Barcelona he wishes to leave the club immediately, a source confirmed on Tuesday. The club source said Messi, who has spent his entire career at FC Barcelona, informed the club about his desire to leave by sending a burofax, …

Lisbon, Aug. 21, 2020 After four thrilling quarter-finals, the upsets stopped at the last four stage in the UEFA Champions League, setting up Sunday’s final between Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain (PSG). Five-times winners Bayern Munich are back in the final for the first time since 2013. This was after …

Barcelona (Spain), Aug. 19, 2020 FC Barcelona have appointed Ronald Koeman as their next coach, the club said in a statement on Wednesday. Koeman, who has left his role as manager of the Netherlands, has signed a two-year-deal with FC Barcelona. The club had sacked Quique Setien on Monday after …

Barcelona (Spain), Aug. 18, 2020 FC Barcelona said on Tuesday they have sacked sporting director Eric Abidal, a day after dispensing with coach Quique Setien. Setien’s sacking was in response to the club’s ouster from the UEFA Champions League last week after an 8-2 drubbing by Bayern Munich. This latest …

Cologne (Germany), Aug. 17, 2020 Sevilla carved out an opportunity to win a record-extending sixth Europa League title after coming from behind to beat Manchester United 2-1 in the semi-finals on Sunday. The Spanish side will meet in Friday’s final in Cologne either Inter Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk, who play …

Bern (Switzerland), Aug. 14, 2020 FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the subject of criminal proceedings in Switzerland, enjoys the unconditional support of football associations around the world. The global football body’s general secretary, Fatma Samoura, gave this assessment on Friday. Swiss authorities said last month that proceedings had been launched against …

Madrid, Aug. 10, 2020 Atletico Madrid’s fears of further disruption to their trip to the UEFA Champions League “Final Eight’’ tournament in Lisbon have been eased. This came after the rest of the squad tested negative for COVID-19, following two positives the previous day. The club’s morning training session was …

London, Aug. 9, 2020 Brazilian midfielder Willian has confirmed he would leave Chelsea after seven “wonderful” years at Stamford Bridge. The 32-year-old, linked with a move across town to Arsenal, posted a farewell letter to the club’s fans on Twitter. “The time has now come to move on. I am …

Barcelona (Spain), Aug. 8, 2020 A fired-up Lionel Messi led Barcelona to a 3-1 win at home to Napoli on Saturday for a 4-2 aggregate victory which took the club into the Champions League quarter-finals. It is Barcelona’s 13th consecutive time of reaching the last eight and they will face …

Asunción, Aug. 8, 2020 Former World Cup winner Ronaldinho Gaucho moved a step closer to ending his Paraguayan ordeal on Friday. This came about when prosecutors said they would not oppose a “conditional suspension” of the case that would allow him to return to Brazil. The twice World Player of …

Manchester (England), Aug. 5, 2020 Former Europa League winners Manchester United booked a quarter-final spot in the tournament after their second-string side laboured to a 2-1 home win over LASK Linz on Wednesday to seal a 7-1 aggregate rout of the Austrian side. United’s reward is a clash with FC …

Manchester (UK), Aug. 4, 2020 Manchester City announced on Tuesday they have signed Spanish winger Ferran Torres from Valencia, with the 20-year-old putting pen to paper on a five-year deal. Financial details were not disclosed by the English Premier League (EPL) clubside, but British media reported the transfer fee was …

Bern (Switzerland), Aug. 2, 2020 Global football ruling body FIFA says there is no reason for Swiss authorities to launch criminal proceedings against its president, Gianni Infantino, who will continue in his role as normal. Swiss authorities said on Thursday that proceedings had been launched against the current FIFA boss …

London, Aug. 1, 2020 Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice to help his side secure a 2-1 win over Chelsea in the 2019/2020 English FA Cup final match on Saturday. The win helped them to a record-extending 14th crown in the competition —— and a spot in next season’s UEFA …

Manchester (UK), July 26, 2020 Manchester City wrapped up their 2019/2020 English Premier League (EPL) campaign with an emphatic 5-0 victory over already-relegated Norwich City on Sunday. The win was more fitting as it came in midfielder David Silva’s final league game for last season’s champions. Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus …