Milan, Italy | AFP | Serie A hopes of following Germany and Spain back onto the pitch will be decided on Thursday during a meeting with the Italian government which will determine the fate of the season in football-mad Italy. Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora will tell Italian football federation and Lega …
Read More »Ramsey first back at Juve training, Ronaldo in quarantine
Milan, Italy | AFP | Welsh international Aaron Ramsey was the first Juventus player to return to individual training at the team’s sports centre in Turin on Tuesday as Cristiano Ronaldo began two weeks’ quarantine after returning to Italy. Ronaldo flew back to northern Italy by private jet on Monday night …
Read More »Juventus duo Matuidi, Rugani cleared of coronavirus
Rome, Italy | AFP | Juventus said Wednesday that French midfielder Blaise Matuidi and Italian defender Daniele Rugani had recovered from coronavirus after testing positive for it last month. Rugani was the first Italian top-flight footballer diagnosed with the virus on March 11. World Cup winner Matuidi also tested positive for COVID-19 a few days …
Read More »Lyon down Juventus in Champions League last 16, first leg
Lyon, France | AFP | French side Lyon claimed a surprise 1-0 victory over Italian champions Juventus in their Champions League last-16 first leg at the Groupama Stadium on Wednesday. Lucas Tousart volleyed Lyon into a deserved 31st-minute lead from Houssem Aouar’s cross, and although Juventus piled on the pressure in the second half, Rudi …
Read More »Lyon face up to Ronaldo and Juventus as Juninho era struggles for lift-off
Lyon, France | AFP | Anthony Lopes describes Cristiano Ronaldo as “extraordinary”, and the Lyon goalkeeper knows how big a job he faces keeping his Portuguese international colleague quiet when the French side face Juventus in the Champions League this week. “I have been lucky enough to play alongside him. He …
Read More »Talking points in European football this weekend
Paris, France | AFP | Barcelona won their first game under Quique Setien, Erling Braut Haaland enjoyed a dream debut with Borussia Dortmund and Juventus ominously extended their lead at the top of Serie A at the weekend. AFP Sport looks back at some of the main talking points from around …
Read More »Ronaldo scores first Serie A hat-trick as Ibrahimovic returns to Italy
Milan, Italy | AFP | Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first Serie A hat-trick to lift Juventus top of the table with a 4-0 win over Cagliari on Monday, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic made an “emotional” return for AC Milan in a goalless draw against Sampdoria. Ronaldo struck for the fifth consecutive league …
Read More »‘Magical’ Lazio down Juventus in Saudi for Super Cup win
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Lazio won the Italian Super Cup for a fifth time on Sunday, defeating Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus 3-1 in a game played in the Saudi Arabia capital of Riyadh. “We did something magical tonight,” said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi. Lazio, the only team to have defeated …
Read More »Flying Ronaldo fires Juve top as Buffon equals Maldini’s Serie A record
Genoa, Italy | AFP | Cristiano Ronaldo continued his hot streak as his towering header gave Juventus a 2-1 win at Parma to put Juventus top of the table as Gianluigi Buffon equalled Paolo Maldini’s Serie A appearance record. Ronaldo met Alex Sandro’s looping cross with an incredible leap and header …
Read More »Five things we learned from European football
Paris, France | AFP | It was a disastrous weekend for Lyon and Netherlands striker Memphis Depay who is now likely to miss Euro 2020 but an excellent one for Philippe Coutinho who is proving his worth for Bayern Munich. Here, AFP Sport takes a look at five things we learned …
Read More »