Soccer's European Championship kicks off on Friday with the 24 teams' battle for glory accompanied by off-field conflict over the anti-racism gesture of "taking the knee".
England were booed by some of their fans in two friendlies while Ireland were jeered in Hungary for kneeling before kickoff in a move borrowed from American NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and popularised by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Olympique Lyonnais, one of the best sports dynasties ever, has been dethroned.
After 14 straight D1 Féminine titles — which coincided with seven Champions League crowns — Lyon will end the 2020-21 season without either trophy, a remarkable end to one of the most dominant teams we’ve ever seen.
Up until France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in the final of the 2018 World Cup, Les Bleus were criticized for playing with the sort of pragmatic control that wins you titles but few admirers.
Half of the front four (Olivier Giroud and Blaise Matuidi) were employed in yeoman’s work, while the left flank of Lucas Hernandez, N'Golo Kanté and Matuidi was there to destroy any fleeting moments of opposition joy.
Across Europe, there are still games to be played and honors to be won. Besides the Champions League, several leagues are still in the midst of promotion playoffs. But the mayhem of managerial turnover is well underway.
Nike Inc said on Thursday it ended its partnership with Brazilian soccer star Neymar last year because he refused to cooperate in an investigation into sexual assault allegations leveled against him by a Nike employee.
Neymar, who currently plays for Paris St. Germain, denies the allegations, his spokeswoman said in a statement.
The world's largest sportswear maker said in a statement it viewed the allegations about an incident in 2016 as "credible" but also said an independent investigation it commissioned was inconclusive.
PARIS — Lille clinched their first Ligue 1 title since 2011 as they beat Angers 2-1 away on Sunday, becoming only the second club since 2013 to break Paris St. Germain's dominance.
A goal by Jonathan David and a Burak Yilmaz penalty put Christophe Galtier's side on 83 points, one ahead of defending champions PSG, who had won seven of the eight previous titles and snatched a 2-0 win at Stade Brest.
PARIS - Kylian Mbappé said he is delighted at the prospect of teaming up with Karim Benzema in the French side at next month’s European Championship.
Real Madrid striker Benzema was included in the squad on Tuesday after he and coach Didier Deschamps resolved their differences. His return ended a six-year absence from the French team, including missing out of their World Cup triumph in Russia in 2018.
Paris Saint-Germain knocked off Monaco 2-0 in the Coupe de France final to claim its second trophy this season. Kylian Mbappé was the star of the show, recording a goal, an assist, showcasing flashy skill moves and being responsible for breaking commentator Ray Hudson.
It was clear from the jump that the French Cup final was going to be special with a remote-controlled car delivering the game ball.
The Covid-19 pandemic had many sporting casualties in 2020. While nothing compares to the immense (and ongoing) loss of life, U.S. soccer fans were denied the opportunity to pay NFL-level prices to watch preseason friendlies between indifferent European clubs in the International Champions Cup. Similarly, the less-promoted but far-more-interesting Women’s International Champions Cup was canceled in 2020.
France is going to be endless entertainment at this summer’s Euros. On top of its ludicrous list of stars, head coach Didier Deschamps has added a bountiful amount of spice with addition of Karim Benzema to the roster.