GENEVA (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaïfi was acquitted in Switzerland on Friday for a second time in a retrial of alleged wrongdoing linked to former FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke.
American investor John Textor became the main shareholder of French soccer club Lyon on Tuesday and immediately targeted the dominance of Qatar-funded rival Paris Saint-Germain.
Lyon last won the French title in 2008 and has struggled to compete as PSG spent lavishly to win Ligue 1 in eight of the past 10 seasons.
LONDON (AP) — Morocco defender Nayef Aguerd joined West Ham from French club Rennes for a reported fee of 30 million pounds ($36.7 million) on Monday.
The 26-year-old Aguerd will add competition to the center-back positions and, as a left-footed player, might also fill in at left back.
GENEVA (AP) — UEFA cleared its own executive committee member Nasser al-Khelaifi of any punishment on Friday despite finding his club Paris Saint-Germain guilty of misconduct for confrontations with match officials after losing in the Champions League.
PARIS (AP) — Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain begins its bid for a record 11th French league title at modest Clermont in a season where games will be played on New Year's Day.
LONDON (AP) — Tottenham strengthened its midfield options ahead of the team's return to the Champions League by signing Mali international Yves Bissouma from fellow English Premier League club Brighton on Friday.
MADRID (AP) — The Spanish league has filed a complaint to UEFA against Paris Saint-Germain, saying Wednesday the French club broke financial fair play rules when it gave Kylian Mbappé a new deal that convinced him to reject a move to Real Madrid.
MADRID (AP) — Aurélien Tchouaméni said nothing steered him away from fulfilling his dream of playing for Real Madrid. Not even a chat with Kylian Mbappé.
The promising France midfielder made his move to Madrid official on Tuesday, saying he had no doubts about where he wanted to play despite having offers from other clubs and discussing a possible transfer to Paris Saint-Germain with Mbappé, who recently decided to stay with the French club after showing interest in playing for Madrid.
Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan have been included on the U.S. roster for next month's CONCACAF W Championship, which will determine four of the region's teams in the 2023 Women's World Cup.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid is signing another young, highly rated French midfielder after reaching agreement with Monaco for the transfer of Aurélien Tchouaméni on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Tchouaméni will join for six seasons, Madrid said, and will be presented on Tuesday once he passes his medical examination.
PARIS (AP) — French champion Paris Saint-Germain continued its restructuring by hiring renowned talent scout Luis Campos as its football adviser on Friday.
The 57-year-old Campos was a former tactical advisor at Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho, but really made his name as Monaco's sporting director from 2013-16.
LYON, France (AP) — France striker Alexandre Lacazette is going back to Lyon.
The 31-year-old forward, who would have been out of contract with Arsenal at the end of this month, returned to the seven-time French champion on a three-year deal on Thursday.
U.S. national team forward Catarina Macario injured her anterior cruciate ligament in a match with French club team Lyon and will miss World Cup qualifying next month.
Macario was injured 13 minutes into Lyon's season finale Wednesday, a 4-0 victory over Issy.
BUENOS AIRES (AP) — According to Lionel Messi, there is “no doubt” that Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema deserves to win his first Ballon d’Or award this year.
Messi has won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards as the world's best player, but saw his new club Paris Saint-Germain eliminated by Madrid in the round of 16 of the Champions League this year — after Benzema scored a hat trick in the second half of the return leg.
MADRID (AP) — A Real Madrid fan at the Champions League final held a Paris Saint-Germain shirt with Kylian Mbappé’s name and the number of European titles the France forward has won: Zero.
Back in Spain, Madrid supporters celebrating the club's 14th European title kept reminding Mbappé that he probably made a mistake by not joining their club.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:
ENGLAND
Nottingham Forest takes on Huddersfield in the Championship playoff final for the right to play in the Premier League next season.
PARIS (AP) — The French league has written to Spanish competition president Javier Tebas complaining about his attacks on Paris Saint-Germain's finances after Kylian Mbappé chose to stay with the team rather than join Real Madrid.
MADRID (AP) — The last time Karim Benzema was in a Champions League final, it was in a supporting role to Cristiano Ronaldo.
He was just another forward on a Real Madrid team in which Ronaldo attracted most of the attention.
One is a chest-beating, arm-waving, emotionally fuelled leader whose team’s high-energy style is in his own image.
The other is unruffled, unflappable, so nonchalant he almost appears uncaring, transmitting calm all around him with his seen-it-all-done-it-all approach.
Mohamed Salah could easily have given the kind of diplomatic answer trotted out by most soccer players.
He just couldn’t.
Was there a preference, Salah was asked minutes after Liverpool reached the Champions League final three weeks ago, over which team he faced in the title match in suburban Paris?
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid wants to quickly forget about Kylian Mbappé and turn its focus back on the Champions League final against Liverpool.
Four days before the final in suburban Paris, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti and his players tried their best to avoid talking about the France forward and his decision to stay with Paris Saint-Germain.
Kylian Mbappé's decision to reject Real Madrid and commit to Paris Saint-Germain for three more seasons marks the start of a large rebuilding project at the French league champion.
Since cash-rich Qatari investors took over in 2011, PSG has been a dominant force in France but has consistently failed to replicate that success on the European stage despite spending massive amounts on star players.
MILAN (AP) — Ageing forwards mixed with young players and a coach who had never won anything. AC Milan wasn’t expected to win the scudetto.
Indeed, Stefano Pioli was almost fired and replaced by Ralf Rangnick two years ago, with Milan in advanced negotiations with the German coach before changing its mind.
PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappé's decision to stay with Paris Saint-Germain was widely celebrated in the French league, even by coaches who still have to defend against the prolific forward next season.
MADRID (AP) — For Real Madrid and its fans, it was not about whether it would happen. It was just a matter of when it would happen.
Signing Kylian Mbappé was seen as a done deal in the Spanish capital.
PARIS (AP) — Three more years, three more goals.
Kylian Mbappe celebrated a new-three year deal to stay at Paris Saint-Germain with a hat trick for the French champions against struggling Metz on Saturday, taking his league-leading tally to 28 and his PSG total to 171.
PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappé celebrated with fans at Parc des Princes then scored a hat trick after signing a new three-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday and turning down the chance again to join Real Madrid.
TURIN, Italy (AP) — Lyon has its trophy back.
The French club beat defending champion and favorite Barcelona 3-1 on Saturday to earn a record-extending eighth Women’s Champions League trophy.
MADRID (AP) — The Spanish league will file a complaint against Paris Saint-Germain over the renewal of Kylian Mbappé's contract, saying the “scandalous" agreement attacks the economic stability of European soccer.
PARIS (AP) — Angel Di Maria is leaving Paris Saint-Germain after seven seasons with the club.
The Argentina winger's contract is expiring and the French champions announced his departure late Friday night.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Striker Paulo Dybala was in the Argentina squad for the friendly against Italy on June 1 at Wembley Stadium.
The recovering Leandro Paredes was left out on Friday.
PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino said Friday he has no idea whether Kylian Mbappé will leave the club amid widespread speculation he could join Real Madrid.
Mbappé, whose contract expires in June, has made clear that he will make his decision public before the end of the month.
Ada Hegerberg's comeback season has her, and her Lyon teammates, back in yet another Women's Champions League final.
The seven-time champions will face defending titlist Barcelona in Turin on Saturday in a repeat of the 2019 final.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid has signed a stadium management deal for the Santiago Bernabéu worth 360 million euros ($381 million), the club said Thursday.
The agreement was reached with investment firm Sixth Street and “experiences company” Legends, which specializes in organizing sports and other events and is partly owned by Sixth Street.
PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappe may play his last game for Paris Saint-Germain when the French league season ends on Saturday.
The champions will host struggling Metz with Mbappe looking to add to his league-leading 25 goals and his overall tally of 168 since joining PSG from Monaco five years ago for 180 million euros ($190 million).
PARIS (AP) — Veteran forward Olivier Giroud was left out of the France squad and uncapped Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara summoned on Thursday for Nations League games.
AC Milan striker Giroud, who is on the verge of winning the Italian league, is only three behind Thierry Henry's national scoring record of 51 goals.
PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye has been asked by the French soccer federation why he sat out a game in which players wore jerseys with rainbow-colored numbers to denounce homophobia.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku were all called back into the 32-man Belgium squad on Wednesday ahead of upcoming Nations League matches.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez had rested the Red Devils' big names for matches in March to focus on players with fewer than 50 international appearances.
A group fighting homophobia in soccer has called on the French league and Paris Saint-Germain to ask player Idrissa Gueye for an explanation after he missed a game last week amid reports that he refused to play because he did not want to wear a rainbow-colored number on the back of his jersey.