Ranieri delighted 'king' Vardy is staying 6:51 AM GMT Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has said he is delighted Jamie Vardy opted to stay with the club, adding that the striker "is a king." Vardy, 29, was targeted by Arsenal this summer with Leicester's Premier League rivals activating his £22 million release clause after he netted 24 top-flight goals in 2015-16. However, the … [Read more...]

Problems mount for Ahly before must-win game Johannesburg (AFP) – A blunder-prone goalkeeper and the loss of star attackers have added to the problems confronting Al Ahly coach Martin Jol ahead of a must-win CAF Champions League clash this weekend. The Egyptian and African giants host Group A leaders Wydad Casablanca from Morocco Saturday desperate for maximum points after a disastrous start to … [Read more...]

Marseille president ‘out’ before new season Marseille (AFP) – Marseille president Vincent Labrune says he will leave the club before the start of the new season, regional daily La Provence reported on Thursday. The club is owned by Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, widow of the former owner Robert Louis-Dreyfus, and with no potential buyer in sight ahead of the August 8 Ligue 1 season opener. “I won’t be … [Read more...]

Swansea kicks off American tour with win against Charlotte Independence On a beautiful summer evening in Charlotte, Swansea City played its first preseason match Wednesday in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,116, which set an attendance record for the USL Club’s Ramblewood Stadium. Swansea began its preseason campaign in comfortable fashion with a 4-0 victory against the third-tier opposition. … [Read more...]

Fergie: Ronaldo special player of generation 2:13 PM GMT Arindam Rej Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as the "special footballer" of his generation. Ronaldo, 31, won the Champions League and three Premier League titles in six hugely successful years under Ferguson at Old Trafford, and has gone on to win two more Champions Leagues … [Read more...]

BVB CEO: We have more appeal than City 12:46 PM GMT Stephan Uersfeld Borussia Dortmund have more appeal but less financial power than Manchester City, CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told reporters. Dortmund have lost three key players this summer, with Ilkay Gundogan opting to join City, Mats Hummels heading for Bayern Munich and Henrikh Mkhitaryan joining Manchester United. Earlier this week, … [Read more...]

La Liga boss: Leo Messi is not 'a criminal' 3:59 AM GMT La Liga president Javier Tebas has spoken out in support of Lionel Messi, saying that he does not consider the Barcelona star "a criminal." Messi, and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud earlier this month and were handed 21-month suspended jail sentences. Tebas, however, believes that … [Read more...]

Stiff CAF Cup challenge looms for Mazembe Johannesburg (AFP) – Leaders TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo face their toughest CAF Confederation Cup Group A test when they tackle second-place Mouloudia Bejaia in Algeria this weekend.  Both are unbeaten after two matchdays in the second-tier African club competition with Mazembe winning at home to Medeama of Ghana and away to Young … [Read more...]

Jordan women take to football pitch to end stereotypes Amman (AFP) – Line’s dream is about to become a reality, the 14-year-old Jordanian girl will make history later this year when she takes part in her first ever football world cup. FIFA’s U-17 Women’s World Cup will kick off on September 30 in Jordan, the first time a Middle Eastern country hosts an international women’s football competition. … [Read more...]

Ronaldo, Wambach, Giovinco win ESPYS 5:08 AM GMT Cristiano Ronaldo finished off a memorable week by being honoured with the ESPY for Best International Athlete on Wednesday. Just three days after winning the European Championship, the Portugal star won the award ahead of the likes of Novak Djokovic (Tennis), Lydia Ko (Golf), Canelo Alvarez (Boxing) and fellow La Liga star Luis Suarez. It's the … [Read more...]