SPORTS

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester City star Raheem Sterling sent a letter to a 13-year-old goalkeeper after hearing he had been racially abused advising him to “stand tall and be proud of who you are”. Sterling himself was the subject of alleged racist abuse from Chelsea fans in a Premier League match in …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Bayern Munich said Friday they will appeal the two-match Champions League suspension handed to Thomas Mueller which means the Germany international will miss both legs of their last-16 tie against Liverpool. European football’s governing body UEFA handed Mueller a two-match ban on Friday following his sending-off in the 3-3 draw …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Las Vegas police have asked football star Cristiano Ronaldo to submit a DNA sample as part of their investigation into rape allegations made against him. The five-time world player of the year — who plays for Italian league champions Juventus — has vehemently denied the accusations, and his …

Doha, Qatar | AFP | Born in an African refugee camp, a Canadian international at 16 and now a Bayern Munich player aged just 18, Alphonso Davies’ life already reads like a movie script. “It’s like something out of a film,” admits Bob Lenarduzzi, president of the Vancouver Whitecaps, referring …

Melbourne, Australia | AFP | A tearful Andy Murray on Friday announced he would likely retire this year due to severe pain from a hip injury, saying next week’s Australian Open could be the last tournament of a glittering career. The former world number one and three-time Grand Slam winner …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Chosen to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt faces a race against time to get ready for the event in five months, but experts say it will meet the challenge. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday said it selected Egypt ahead …

Paris, France | AFP | Jose Mourinho has secured his first job since being sacked as Manchester United coach after joining BeIN Sports as a pundit, the broadcaster announced on Thursday. ‘The Special One’ will be an analyst for Chelsea’s Premier League trip to Arsenal on January 19 as well …

Paris, France | AFP | Paris Saint-Germain were seen as heavy favourites to beat Manchester United when the sides were drawn together in the last 16 of the Champions League less than a month ago, but fans of the French giants may not be so confident right now. While United fired Jose Mourinho in the …

Melbourne, Australia | AFP | World number ones Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep were named top seeds on Thursday for next week’s Australian Open, with 23-time major winner Serena Williams lurking at 16 on the women’s side. Djokovic heads long-time rival Rafael Nadal and defending champion Roger Federer, with young-gun …

Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | Holders Manchester City can look forward to defending the League Cup in next month’s final at Wembley as Gabriel Jesus struck four goals in a 9-0 thrashing of Burton Albion in their semi-final, first leg on Wednesday. Kevin de Bruyne, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, …