Football

Fiorentina have completed the permanent signing of forward Mauro Zarate from West Ham United, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

Banned UEFA president Michel Platini will continue to be paid “until further notice” despite being unable to carry out his duties, European soccer's governing body said on Tuesday.

After tests were carried out on Real Madrid forward Bale, he has been diagnosed with a soleus muscle injury in his right leg.

Platini's lawyer Thibaud d'Ales said that the UEFA president had received the reasons behind the ban, and they would "analyse them and launch an appeal on Monday".

Liverpool striker Divock Origi is set for a month on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a knee problem as the club's injury woes continue.

Having won an unprecedented fifth FIFA Ballon d'Or award, Argentine football legend Lionel Messi has asserted that he intends to finish his career at his present club FC Barcelona.

United States World Cup-winning captain Carli Lloyd has won the FIFA women's world player of the year award for 2015.

Messi ended Cristiano Ronaldo's two-year hold on the Ballon d'Or trophy, football's top individual honor. The Barcelona forward regained the prize after his club won five major titles last year, leaving Ronaldo's Real Madrid with nothing.

Napoli are halfway to their first Serie A title since Diego Maradona led the club to the 1990 championship.

Premier League struggler Swansea were humbled in a 3-2 loss at fourth-tier Oxford on Sunday for the first big shock in the third round of the FA Cup.

Arsenal are bidding to become the first team since Blackburn in 1884-86 to win the FA Cup in three straight years, and to extend their record-setting haul of FA Cup titles to 13.

Manuel Pellegrini has said he would choose winning the Premier League with Manchester City and being shown the door over continuing as the team's manager for an extended period without any major success.

New Real Madrid head coach French legend Zinedine Zidane has said "a coach has to be close to his players - that is the most important thing, a good relationship with them all".

Newly-appointed coach Zidane says he wants Real Madrid players to play football with a personal touch and aggressively.

"The reason I'm not staying at Bayern is very simple: I want to coach in England in the Premier League. That's the only reason I'm not extending my contract," Guardiola said.

Manchester United's 2-1 Premier League win over relegation-threatened Swansea City on Saturday has eased the pressure on their "angry" players, manager Louis van Gaal has said.