• The Canadian Press

    Fan fervor assured at rare Champions League home games for Newcastle, Lens and Union Berlin

    For their first home games in the Champions League in more than 20 years, Newcastle and Lens will walk out to rousing ovations in their famously noisy stadiums this week. Union Berlin makes its Champions League debut in the borrowed 75,000-capacity Olympic Stadium that will be a raucous home in the competition for a team that played in the German third tier as recently as 2010. Don’t tell fans at these three clubs the Champions League group-stage format that is being dumped next year became stal

  • The Canadian Press

    MATCHDAY: Monaco hosts Nice in French league. Lecce looks to continue surprising start in Italy

    A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Friday: FRANCE Monaco is the surprise leader of Ligue 1 after five games and hosts third-place Nice in a meeting of two teams that have benefited from Paris Saint-Germain’s uneven start to the season. Nice is coming off a surprise 3-2 win over PSG last week that included two goals from Nigerian forward Terem Moffi. Monaco’s attack is excelling and Japan forward Takumi Minamino was named the league’s best player for August. ITALY Lecce will be look

  • The Canadian Press

    Marseille in crisis again as it prepares to face PSG in French league

    PARIS (AP) — Marseille is in crisis again as it prepares to face bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain in the French league on Sunday. A quick glance at the standings shows that undefeated Marseille is in fourth place and is one point above PSG in fifth. Hardly awful. Yet a chaotic week saw Spanish manager Marcelino step down on Wednesday after only a handful of games in charge of Marseille. He had replaced Igor Tudor, who left after just one season. Marcelino's departure came after a tense board mee

  • The Canadian Press

    Neymar says not 100% fit for Brazil, compares Saudi league to French

    SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil striker Neymar said he is not fully fit to play in the two opening rounds of World Cup qualifying due to the right ankle injury that has sidelined him since February. Neymar left Paris Saint-Germain for Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal but hasn't yet played for his new club. He said in a press conference Thursday that the Saudi Pro League could be as good as France's Ligue 1 — if not better. Brazil will play its first match in World Cup qualifying on Friday in the Amazon city of B