APRNEWS - Croatian international and Real Madrid midfielder, Luka Modric, has been named the best European player by the continent’s football governing body, UEFA.

APRNEWS - Kevin De Bruyne will be hard to replace, said Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola after it was announced the Belgian would be out of action for three months because of a knee injury.

APRNEWS - Following a threat by FIFA to ban Ghana, the government on Thursday reached a deal with the global football governing body to clean up football administration in the country, effectiving shelving plans to dissolve its graft-ridden football federation.

APRNEWS - Spanish football heads into the post-Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta era as the 2018-19 La Liga season begins this weekend.
With these two greats of the modern age having moved on, AFP Sport picks out six new signings to watch in the coming campaign.

THOMAS LEMAR (ATLETICO MADRID)
Age: 22

APRNEWS - Retired Brazilian striker Ronaldo left a clinic in Ibiza on Tuesday following a four-night stay for treatment for a flu infection.

"He left this morning at 10:30am, not wanting to depart from the side where the press were waiting," said a spokesman for the clinic in the centre of Ibiza.

APRNEWS - Dozens of screaming fans welcomed Brazil star Neymar on Thursday as he flew in to China to rejoin Paris Saint-Germain after his disappointing World Cup.

The world’s most expensive player, wearing a canary-yellow hoodie, posed for pictures with airport staff before his noisy welcome in the arrivals hall.

APRNEWS - Neymar has tackled critics who derided his play-acting at the World Cup, admitting he "overreacts" and blaming his "brat" like behaviour on his inner child.

The Brazilian superstar was widely lambasted in Russia for his theatrical reactions to challenges which often left the world's most expensive footballer wincing and rolling on the ground.

APRNEWS - Mesut Ozil thanked Arsenal fans for their “love” at a pre-season friendly after a torrid week following his racism allegations against Germany’s football body.

Ozil watched Arsenal’s penalties defeat to Atletico Madrid on Thursday from the bench but he received one of the biggest cheers of the night when his image was flashed up on the big screen.

APRNEWS - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, hailed Mohamed Salah’s impact as the playmaker made a scoring return in their 2-1 pre-season win over Premier League rivals Manchester City on Thursday.

APRNEWS - hahahaSorrySpain's taxman wants Bayern Munich's Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez to pay 11.65 million euros ($13.64m) for evading taxes when he played at Real Madrid, the El Mundo daily reported Thursday.