SPORTS

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick believes a revamped Champions League format could be an ‘advantage’ for his side, who are still in the hunt for the treble this season. The Bavarian giants are just one win from an eighth straight Bundesliga title and Flick can win the German league in …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Real Madrid and Barcelona will have tougher tests to come but emphatic victories on their return to action at the weekend suggest there may not be much margin for error in what is left of La Liga’s title race. Leaders Barca hammered Real Mallorca 4-0 on …

Paris, France | AFP | The European club football trophies should already be stowed in the cabinets, instead most of the top leagues are only just resuming after the coronavirus interruption. While the Germans returned on May 16, the top two Spanish divisions have only just resumed, and the English Premier …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  Tanzania this weekend became the first African country to resume a national league suspended during March because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Young Africans, who have been champions a record 22 times, won 1-0 away to Mwadui and Coastal Union overcame a two-goal deficit to …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  When the 100 day-wait for Premier League football comes to an end on Wednesday, the anticipation will be felt as keenly in Mumbai and Beijing as in Manchester and Birmingham. The global reach of the English top-flight has helped secure its position as the wealthiest …

Madrid, Spain | AFP |  Lionel Messi returned without a beard and with a goal and two assists as Barcelona resumed their La Liga title challenge on Saturday with a thumping 4-0 victory over Real Mallorca. After three months away because of the coronavirus pandemic, Barca exploded into the lead with …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Zinedine Zidane wants Real Madrid to treat their remaining 11 games in La Liga like a World Cup as they aim to overhaul Barcelona to win their second league title in eight years. Real sit two points behind Barca and return after three months away against Eibar on Sunday, when …

Paris, France | AFP |  Brazil’s 1970 World Cup triumph in Mexico is seen as Pele’s crowning glory. He was the star of what is often considered the best side the world has ever seen, but while Pele’s superstardom endures to this day as he approaches his 80th birthday, others faded …

Paris, France | AFP |  Fifty years ago this month, modern football was born at the World Cup in Mexico, kicking and yelling, and live in vibrant colour for a global audience. This weekend marks the anniversary of the quarter-finals of that tournament as a star-studded cast played a thrilling series of knock-out games which built …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | From cardboard cut-outs in the stands to Zoom watch parties, the return of the Premier League will be a bizarre experience for locked-out supporters. The English top-flight resumes behind closed doors on Wednesday, with fans forced to adapt to an unsettling new normal due to …