Football: Game over for MourinhoLONDON • Jose Mourinho reportedly cried when he heard David Moyes had been chosen over him as the heir to Alex Ferguson's throne in 2013.He was eventually appointed in 2016 but, having finally landed his dream job, his Manchester United tenure also ended in tears.The axe finally fell on...

Football: Japan's historic VAR penalty sinks VietnamDUBAI • Ritsu Doan scored the Asian Cup's first penalty awarded through the video assistant referee (VAR) as Japan beat Vietnam 1-0 to reach the tournament's semi-finals yesterday.VAR is being used for the first time at the Cup from the quarter-final stage. As the technology...

Handsome payouts for Mourinho - three sacks fullLONDON • Another three-year cycle has ended with yet another Jose Mourinho sacking and a handsome payout.The Portuguese manager's reign at Manchester United - despite signing an improved deal to 2020 just 11 months ago - was cut short last Tuesday after the English Premier...

Football: Iran's main stadium to host women's national team, says association's headTEHERAN (AFP) - Iran's largest stadium will host the women's national football team for the first time since the Islamic revolution, the semi-official news agency ISNA reported on Sunday (Dec 30).The team will face Russia at Teheran's Azadi...

One step at a time for Bale as Wales gear up for SlovakiaWREXHAM • Wales manager Ryan Giggs has defended his decision to leave Gareth Bale out of the team who beat Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 in a friendly on Wednesday, saying that he is trying to keep the forward fresh for important matches ahead.The Welsh needed a stoppage-time...

Messi's 'panenka' helps Barca stay 10pts clearBARCELONA • Trust Lionel Messi to pull another wonder strike out of his party bag of tricks.The "panenka" is one of the most impudent techniques in football, and the Barcelona forward took it to another level on Saturday by applying it to a free kick against Espanyol.Social...