
Bayern coach Heynckes heaps praise on Lionel Messi
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes compared Lionel Messi to some of football greatest players. "He is a phenomenon. He is in the league of Zinedine ...

Maduro takes narrowing lead into Sunday vote
Red-shirted backers of Hugo Chavez's chosen heir transformed downtown Caracas into a raucous festival on the final day of campaigning for the weekend ...

Italy invites Argentina to match dedicated to pope
Italy has officially invited Argentina to play a friendly in Rome on Aug. 14 that coach Cesare Prandelli hopes will be preceded by an audience for ...

Italy wants Argentina friendly dedicated to pope
Lionel Messi's Argentina playing Mario Balotelli's Italy in a friendly dedicated to newly elected Pope Francis. That's something Italy coach Cesare ...

Pope Francis: Protect the poor and the Earth
After a week marked by acts of simplicity and openness, Pope Francis finally let his words do the talking as he officially began his stewardship of ...

HAND OF GOD
What connects the new pope with Diego Maradona? Both are Argentines who have felt the "hand of God," soccer fans around the world jokingly reflected.

Napoli has chance to reopen Serie A title race
Napoli's match with Serie A leader Juventus on Friday could represent the last chance for the southern club to reopen the title race. Juventus holds ...

Maradona appeals to clear name in Italian tax case
Diego Maradona has issued a verbal appeal to Italian authorities to clear his name in a tax evasion case, even offering to meet with the country's ...

Maradona returns to Italy after 8-year tax exile
Diego Maradona returned to Italy on Monday in a bid to clear his name in a tax evasion case. The 1986 World Cup winner with Argentina landed in Rome ...

Messi-Ibra showdown as Sweden hosts Argentina
The much-anticipated showdown between Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Argentina's friendly against Sweden on Wednesday may not last more than ...

Napoli beats Catania 2-0, moves level with Juve
Napoli moved provisionally level with Juventus atop the Serie A with a 2-0 win over visiting Catania on Saturday, marking the first time in 23 years ...
Maradona's lawyers warned over claims of tax win
Italy's tax collection agency has threatened to sue lawyers for Diego Maradona who claimed he won his 20-year battle over tax debts. Maradona lawyer ...

Napoli lunges toward summit with 2-1 win at Parma
Napoli's up and down season took another lunge toward the summit Sunday with a 2-1 win at Parma, which hadn't lost at home all season. Edinson Cavani ...
Napoli's 2-point penalty rescinded on appeal
Italy's football federation has rescinded a two-point penalty given to Napoli for match-fixing and lifted bans imposed on captain Paolo Cannavaro and ...

Column: Ronaldo, not Messi, should be Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or went to the wrong guy. Lionel Messi most definitely is the world's best footballer. He will, for many fans of football become the best ...

Messi aims for historic 4th world player award
Lionel Messi can break another footballing record on Monday by being named the world's best player for an unprecedented fourth time. The Barcelona and ...

Napoli penalized 2 points for match-fixing
Napoli was penalized two points in the Serie A standings for match-fixing after its former goalkeeper confessed to arranging the result of a game ...

Column: Only 1 athlete of the year in 2012, Messi
'Tis the season for making merry and for choosing our top sports men and women of the year, two distinctly separate annual rituals that in fact ...

Column: Will Messi get to finish his masterpiece?
Art snobs must forgive the analogy, but when Lionel Messi collapsed in pain and fear on the Camp Nou turf clutching the back of his priceless left ...

Napoli routs last-place Pescara 5-1 in Serie A
Chasing its first title since Diego Maradona played for the club, Napoli thrashed 10-man Pescara 5-1 Sunday to move back within two points of Serie ...

Juve's grip on Serie A lead could be in question
Juventus' grip on the Serie A lead doesn't appear so firm anymore, and there's more than one club within striking distance of the defending champions ...

Napoli moves back into title contention with win
Napoli moved back into title contention with a 1-0 win at Cagliari on Monday, placing the southern club two points behind Italian league leader ...