Chinese police have detained three more former top football officials including a one-time head of the national association in a widening gambling and match-fixing probe, state press said Tuesday.

Former Chinese Football Association chief Xie Yalong was taken into police custody last week for questioning along with a former top Team China official and a CFA official who headed the referee commission, the Beijing News said.

China s professional leagues have been plagued with allegations of gambling, match-fixing and crooked referees for years.

That, coupled with the national side s poor performances, have long made the beautiful game a source of chagrin for diehard fans.

Early this year, the scandal exploded when Xie s successor Nan Yong and two of his to…

Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos has suggested he would be open to a transfer to Barcelona at the end of the season.

The 21-year-old was heavily linked with Barca before the start of this season, and it is thought that the Spanish and European champions are continuing to keep tabs on him.

I am very happy that a big team like Barcelona are showing an interest in me, Marquinhos told Globo Esporte.

We will evaluate my situation at the end of the season and make a decision.

Barcelona are a great team that won the Champions League last season. It is very pleasing to be linked with them. It shows that I am doing well.

For now, I am focused on doing well with PSG until the end of the season. I want to keep on doing a great job. And then we …

England goalkeeper Ben Foster has refuted the suggestion his temporary retirement was a sulk.

The West Bromwich Albion custodian made himself available for national selection in February 2013, months after former club boss Roy Hodgson accepted the England coaching role.

Foster had previously announced his international retirement in May 2011, claiming at the time it was to preserve his body and to avoid injury.

The 31-year-old shot-stopper is the back-up option behind Joe Hart, but refuted the notion he quit the international scene for a lack of opportunity claiming family reasons were also involved.

Hodgson is set to throw Foster his seventh international cap on Wednesday with Hart to be rested when England take on Ecuador in a FIFA World Cup warm-up friendly in…

Jurgen Klopp has suggested Bayern Munich took advantage of some fortunate circumstances to win the Champions League.

Bayern completed a treble on Saturday when Kingsley Coman s second-half header secured a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon.

Hansi Flick s side had already won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, with their domestic season concluding at the start of July, a whole month before the Champions League campaign resumed.

PSG and semi-finalists Lyon had four months without a game as the Ligue 1 season, which was halted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, did not resume, while clubs such as Barcelona and Manchester City picked up their Champions League campaigns after hectic endings to their domestic seasons.

Liverpool boss Klopp there…

Philippe Clement insists Rangers will park encouraging European ambitions to concentrate on the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup tie against Hibernian on Sunday.

There is little respite for the Light Blues, who drew 2-2 with Benfica in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie in Lisbon on Thursday night, with the return game at Ibrox next week.

The cinch Premiership leaders are now preparing for the last-eight clash with the Hibees at Easter Road, where Clement believes their focus will be “200 per cent. No doubt about that”.

Philippe Clement spoke to the media ahead of Sunday s match against Hibernian.

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC)

The Belgian boss, whose side beat Hibernian 4-0 at Ibrox in his first game in charge of the Govan …

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Looking to claim a welcomed Premier League boost on Wednesday night, Bournemouth will welcome relegation scrappers Luton to the Vitality.

Bournemouth

Starting with the hosts, while Bournemouth might have mounted a dramatic late comeback at home against Sheffield United over the weekend, Andoni Iraola’s men will know that they missed out on a golden opportunity. Eventually having to settle for a 2-2 stalemate at the Vitality, it appears that the Cherries are seeking a recent boost. Although they might have gained plenty of plaudits prior to opening the New Year, Bournemouth have largely come crashing back down to earth. In fact, Wednesday’s hosts have claimed just a single win from any of their previous nine straight Premier League …

Feyenoord coach Fred Rutten cast doubt on the club s chances of signing Barcelona s Ibrahim Afellay, claiming they cannot afford him.

Afellay has been linked with a move away from Barcelona ahead of the 2014-15 season with the 28-year-old s career having gone backwards at Camp Nou.

Rutten was Afellay s coach at PSV, prior to a high-profile move to Spain in January 2011, with Dutch press reports claiming the duo are set for a reunion at De Kuip.

Although Rutten would love to sign his former protege, he believes Feyenoord would struggle to pay Afellay what he is worth.

Ibrahim is welcome but I cannot imagine that we can pay players of that calibre, the 51-year-old coach said.

Afellay has only managed 21 appearances in La Liga since joining Barcelon…

Malaga have completed the signing of Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa on a three-year contract.

The 29-year-old was a free agent after his deal with French side Ajaccio expired at the end of last season.

Ochoa was in demand after a string of impressive performances at the World Cup in Brazil and has opted for a new challenge in La Liga.

Malaga Club de Futbol has reached an agreement to sign one of the best goalkeepers from the recent World Cup in Brazil, Guillermo Ochoa, read a statement on the club s official website.

He will wear the Blue and Whites shirt for the next three seasons. Ochoa has successfully passed the routine medical checks.

Ochoa began his career with America in his homeland and made over 300 appearances during his stay at t…

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has conceded Mohamed Salah could have scored more this season, as the Egyptian struggles to hit the heights of his debut campaign on Merseyside.

Salah scored 44 goals in all competitions last season and, while his nine in 20 matches this term remains an impressive haul, it does not measure up to his staggering figures for the 2017-18 campaign.

Klopp is frustrated by the attacker s critics but does admit that Salah should perhaps boast a greater return for the number of chances he has had so far this term.

How people judge it, I have no influence on, he told a news conference.  That’s how it is. It s a free world and we can judge things however.

It s all good. I think he has scored seven so far in the league. Who has…

Germany have returned to the top of the FIFA world rankings two years after being dethroned as the number one team.

The world champions were rewarded for winning the Confederations Cup in Russia – despite resting a host of star names by jumping from third to first, leapfrogging previous leaders Brazil and Argentina, the side who ended their previous reign in 2015.

It means Brazil s stint at the top lasted only three months. They had taken the number one position from their continental rivals the Albiceleste back in April, the first time they had sat first in seven years.

Beaten Confederations Cup finalists Chile drop three places to seven, with the top six now completed by Portugal, Switzerland and Poland, all of whom move up four positions.

Sixth posi…