Elena Sadiku has challenged Celtic to play with “swagger” as they attempt to upset the odds to open their Champions League Group B account against Real Madrid.The Scottish champions face the Liga F runners-up at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Thursday evening with both sides having lost their opening fixture.Sadiku admits the hosts will be firm favourites but has agreed with keepe...Full Story »

Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor has warned against getting carried away as his side look to maintain their impressive start to the season at St Polten in the Champions League.City head to Austria top of the Women’s Super League after a stoppage-time goal from Khadija Shaw earned a 2-1 win at Liverpool on Sunday.That came after Taylor’s side marked their return to the Champions ...Full Story »

Scotland manager Steve Clarke will look for answers over their disrupted preparations for Sunday’s Nations League clash in Portugal after arriving in Lisbon almost two hours late following a 110-mile road trip.Scotland trained at Lesser Hampden on Saturday morning before flying from Glasgow to Beja Airport, a former military airbase which hosts no commercial flights in between the Portugue...Full Story »

Turkey Football Federation president Mehmet Buyukeksi has called Merih Demiral’s two-match ban “unlawful” and a “political decision”.Demiral is suspended for Turkey’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Netherlands after being sanctioned over a wolf salute he made towards the crowd during the last-16 match with Austria in Leipzig on Tuesday.The salute is recognise...Full Story »

Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini feels his team must produce their A-game to overcome Marseille and reach the Europa League final.The Serie A club begin their two-legged semi-final against the French side at Stade Velodrome on the back of conquering Liverpool in the last round.“I expect nothing short of a strong outfit,” Gasperini told his club’s website ahead of Thursday&...Full Story »

Daniele De Rossi admitted Roma “should fear everything” about Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.While a Jose Mourinho-led Roma edged out Leverkusen at the exact same stage of the competition 12 months ago, the German side are an entirely different proposition under Xabi Alonso this season.Leverkusen have already swept to the Bundesliga title, k...Full Story »

Chelsea forward Erin Cuthbert still finds herself dreaming of a first Champions League trophy despite boss Emma Hayes’ firm reality-rooted approach to the competition.The Blues, who face Ajax at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena on Tuesday night in the first of their two-leg last-eight encounter, remain on course to become just the second English side to complete a quadruple – wit...Full Story »

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes does not expect her players to be intimidated by a partisan home crowd in Paris in their final Women’s Champions League group match.Hayes’ side, who secured their place in the knockout stages by beating Real Madrid 2-1 last week to finish top of Group D, face a Paris FC side who can also progress with victory.Paris must win at the Sebastien Charlety Stadium on...Full Story »

Cape Verde coach Bubista is taking nothing for granted when they face fellow underdogs Mauritania in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations.Both countries were surprise qualifiers from the group stage, with Cape Verde beating Ghana and Mozambique and earning a draw with Egypt.Mauritania, meanwhile, finished third in Group D courtesy of a shock win over Algeria.Bubista, speaking at his pre-matc...Full Story »

Midfielder Marwan Attia insists Egypt can cope with the “great loss” of Mohamed Salah as they gear up for their Africa Cup of Nations last-16 clash with DR Congo in San Pedro.Salah is back at Liverpool for treatment on the hamstring injury he picked up in the second group game, with the hope he might be able to rejoin the national team should they reach the latter stages of the tourn...Full Story »