Europe

BERLIN — German Bundesliga club St Pauli said on Thursday it was withdrawing from X because the social media platform had become an 'amplifier of hate' that could influence German politics.

Announcing its reasons for withdrawing, the club said in a statement that X's billionaire owner Elon Musk had turned a space for debate into "an amplifier of hate that was capable of influencing the German parliamentary election campaign."

St Pauli X controversy

England skipper Harry Kane has hit out at several players who withdrew from the national team ahead of their Nations League matches against Greece and Ireland, saying on Wednesday that country must always come before club football.

England play Greece away on Thursday followed by Ireland three days later at Wembley but nine players, some of them regular starters, who were called up by interim boss Lee Carsley have pulled out due to injuries.

Soccer legend and senior AC Milan advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave United States men’s national team star Christian Pulisic tons of praise in a recent interview with the UEFA Champions League magazine.

The Ibrahimovic Pulisic comments saw the Swedish icon compliment the American soccer star on his incredible form with the Italian club.

Pulisic is in his second season with Milan and is by far in the best form of his career. The 26-year-old forward has 12 goal contributions (seven goals, five assists) in just 15 games for Milan across all competitions this season.

The Europa League match between Turkish club Besiktas and Maccabi Tel-Aviv from Israel on Nov. 28 will be contested in a neutral territory in Hungary, UEFA said on Monday.

The match was originally a home game for Istanbul-based Besiktas, but the Turkish government had earlier decided not to host it in Turkey. It will now be played at Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen.

Besiktas vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv

MADRID, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr scored a hat-trick to help the LaLiga champions snap a two-game winless run in all competitions with a commanding 4-0 victory over Osasuna on Saturday.

The Brazilian forward opened the scoring in the 34th minute after taking a Jude Bellingham pass in his stride to beat the offside trap and firing an unstoppable strike past goalkeeper Sergio Herrera.

PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain will not face disciplinary proceedings after their fans unfurled a 'Free Palestine' banner before kick-off in Wednesday's Champions League game at home to Atletico Madrid, European soccer's governing body UEFA said.

The 50x20-meter banner was displayed in the Auteuil Kop of the Parc des Princes, prompting France's Interior minister Bruno Retailleau to criticize the Qatar-owned club.

PSG Free Palestine banner

PARIS — France have left Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé out of their squad to face Israel and Italy in this month's two Nations League games, coach Didier Deschamps said on Thursday as his captain's absence now stretches to four matches.

Deschamps did not say whether Mbappe, who played for Real in their Champions League home defeat by AC Milan on Tuesday, was injured, arguing his choice was a "one-off decision" and that the player "wanted to come" and join the team.

Kylian Mbappé France roster exclusion

Aston Villa conceded a bizarre penalty in a 1-0 loss at Club Brugge on Wednesday which ended their perfect start to the Champions League group stage.

What had been a lethargic performance for Villa turned absurd in the 52nd minute when Tyrone Mings inexplicably picked up the ball, believing it was not in play.

Villa keeper Emi Martinez had just lined up a goal kick, sending a short pass to Mings, who then picked up the ball and gave it back to the Argentinian. The referee pointed to the penalty spot, and Hans Vanaken converted.

A Christian Pulisic assist vs Real Madrid opened the scoring of AC Milan’s surprising 3-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Pulisic’s corner kicks have garnered attention this season after he scored an Olimpico goal against Club Brugge in Milan’s previous Champions League game.