PSG

SINGAPORE: Mesut Ozil enjoyed a successful return to action at the end of a tumultuous week as the German midfielder scored the opening goal for Arsenal in a 5-1 victory over a makeshift Paris St Germain side in a pre-season friendly in Singapore on Saturday. Ozil sensationally quit the national side on Sunday citing “racism and disrespect” for his Turkish roots as he bore the brunt of criticism following Germany’s disastrous World Cup, but he looked relaxed and focused against the French champions. Arsenal…

PARIS: French football champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Friday announced that the signing of Italian veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon on a one-year contract, with one additional year as an option for the former Juventus captain. “It is with a great feeling of happiness that I join Paris Saint-Germain,” reacted Buffon following the signature of his contract, reports Xinhua news agency. Buffon, 40, joined PSG from Serie A champions Juventus where his contract expired on June 30, 2018. He was elected best…

SAO PAULO: Brazilian superstar Neymar said on Tuesday that he won't be back playing at least until the second half of May, when he is scheduled to have his final medical exam following foot surgery. "The last exam is on May 17 and from there I will see," the Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil forward told a press conference in Sao Paulo. "It has not been decided." The timing leaves the world's most expensive footballer in a tight race to feature again for PSG with the freshly crowned French champion's season ending on May…

NYON, Switzerland: Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid stand in the way of Neymar's Paris Saint-Germain after the big-spending duo were drawn together in a mouth-watering Champions League last-16 clash on Monday. Two-time defending champions Madrid are looking to become the first club since Bayern Munich in the mid-1970s to win the European Cup three years running, with this season's final in Kiev in May. After finishing second in their group to Tottenham Hotspur, Zinedine Zidane's side were one of the teams that PSG --…

LILLE, FRANCE: Neymar scored a penalty and missed another as Brazil signalled their intent ahead of next year’s World Cup by outclassing Japan 3-1 in Friday’s international friendly in Lille. The Paris Saint-Germain star rolled in a 10th-minute spot-kick following consultation with the video assistant referee, although Neymar saw a second penalty saved shortly after by Eiji Kawashima. Marcelo rifled in a magnificent second as Brazil doubled their lead on 17 minutes, with Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus rounding off a…

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar will be crucial to the development of fellow new recruit Kylian Mbappe, the club's vice-captain Marquinhos has told AFP. Marquinhos also said he believes Neymar will do more to bring glory to the Qatar-owned Paris club than its former Brazilian number 10 Ronaldinho. Marquinhos and Neymar were on the same gold medal-winning Brazil team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the defender believes the striker's leadership skills will be an important factor as the club go in search of…

DOHA: The TV broadcasting rights deal agreed for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups, which is under investigation by Swiss prosecutors, was "advantageous for FIFA", a beIN spokesman claimed on Saturday. "The financial conditions were the most advantageous for FIFA," the spokesman told AFP, after it was announced on Thursday that beIN Media chief and PSG chairman Nasser al-Khelaifi was under investigation over the sale of the rights. Although no official figure for the broadcasting contract has been officially announced -- or…

Paris Saint-Germain kept their perfect start to the season going on Sunday, but the 2-0 win over Lyon also laid bare certain tensions in their all-star front line. PSG were leading 1-0 at the Parc des Princes when they won a penalty with 10 minutes remaining for a foul on Kylian Mbappe, making his home debut.Having already scored three times from the spot this season, Edinson Cavani assumed the responsibility would once again be his. Neymar tried to get the ball from the Uruguayan but it was Cavani who eventually took it.…

Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian superstar Neymar has moved into a five-storey, 1,000-square-metre (10,800 square foot) mansion in the posh western Paris suburb of Bougival, sources said Friday. The town has been home to a host of celebrities in the past including French actor Gerard Depardieu and Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho, and is just a few kilometres from the PSG training centre in the nearby town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. “The move began last week,” an informed source told AFP. Neymar had been camping in a…

PARIS: FIFA said on Thursday it was investigating Brazilian superstar Neymar's complaint over an unpaid loyalty bonus from Barcelona in the increasingly bitter feud with his former club since his move to Paris Saint-Germain. A FIFA spokesman said the complaint was "pending and being investigated" and he could not comment any further. Barcelona is refusing to pay a 26-million-euro ($30.6 million) bonus to Neymar for signing a five-year contract renewal last year. In a separate issue, the Catalan giants are seeking…