SPORTS

Madrid, Spain | AFP |  Lionel Messi was rugby tackled and then scored a penalty as Barcelona put the pressure back on Real Madrid by easing to a 2-0 victory over Leganes at an empty Camp Nou on Tuesday. Messi was hauled to the ground in the first half by a …

Niort, France | AFP | Former Uganda coach Sebastien Desabre has been appointed as the new manager of French Ligue 2 outfit Niort on a two-year-deal, the club announced Tuesday. Desabre, 43, takes over a team that finished 18th in the second division this season, which was brought to a premature end in April. The …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Pep Guardiola fears his Manchester City players are not ready for the gruelling demands of the Premier League restart. Guardiola’s reigning champions host Arsenal behind closed doors on Wednesday in the second game of the Premier League’s return to action following the coronavirus hiatus. City play again on Monday …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s government on Tuesday bowed to demands by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford to change its policy on free school meals for the poorest children, amid growing concerns about the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on low-income families. The England international drew on his own experience of growing up …

Paris, France | AFP |  As football around Europe returns after a long suspension, UEFA is set to announce the format for the latter stages of the Champions League at a key meeting on Wednesday which will also raise the thorny issue of the postponed, pan-continental Euro 2020. The Champions League …

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 …