Sports

Under-pressure Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez believes there is a campaign against him and the club and that the team is not playing as badly as is being made out ahead of the La Liga game against Real Sociedad on Wednesday.

“There is a campaign against (president) Florentino (Perez), Real Madrid and me,” Benitez told a news conference.

Robert, 19, has already won a legion of admirers in Brazil despite making just a handful of appearances for Fluminense's first team.

Bookmakers were busy slashing the odds on Louis van Gaal to be replaced in the Manchester United hotseat by Jose Mourinho on Saturday after a 2-1 home defeat to struggling Norwich City in the Premier League.

Guus Hiddink is back at Chelsea for a second spell as manager, succeeding Jose Mourinho until the end of the current Premier League season.

FIFA interim president Issa Hayatou and interim general secretary Markus Kattner have published an open message to "friends of football" in which they support comprehensive reforms as "the only way to deter future wrongdoing and to restore faith" in the w...

Former Costa Rican Football Federation President Eduardo Li on Friday pleaded not guilty in Brooklyn federal court to corruption charges connected to the ongoing scandal around FIFA.

The Argentina international admits any deal would cost a lot of money but insists the Parisians have the financial capability to sign his compatriot who is a four-time "World FIFA Player of the Year" award winner.

Real Madrid's football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has said he prefers Madrid to Paris and it feels good to live in the Spanish capital, but joked that "maybe one day things will change".

FIFA's ethics judges are set to hear a defence in the allegations against UEFA chief Michel Platini on Friday, although the Frenchman will not be there to argue his case after vowing to boycott the hearing.

Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick, including an exquisite second goal, as Barcelona strolled into the Club World Cup final with a 3-0 win over Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande on Thursday.

English Premier League side Manchester United's first fan-focussed event in the country, ILOVEUNITEDINDIA will be held on January 17 at Amphitheatre, UB city in Bangalore.

The Swiss Justice Ministry has frozen millions of Swiss francs related to world soccer body FIFA, a spokesman said on Thursday, confirming a media report.

Michel Platini has decided not to attend his hearing before FIFA's ethics committee in Zurich, scheduled for Friday, his lawyers told AFP on Wednesday.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez expects to retain all his key performers in the January transfer window and believes the value of English players will rise at the end of the season.

Having lost the first leg semi-final in Delhi by a solitary goal, Zico's boys came out all guns blazing against Roberto Carlos's out-of-sorts outfit.