World Cup winner White set for Montpellier role: L'Equipe

Paris (AFP) - South Africa's 2007 World Cup winning coach Jake White is set to be named manager of Top 14 side Montpellier according to L'Equipe on Thursday.

The 51-year-old -- a two-time IRB world coach of the year -- has signed a six month contract according to a well-informed source.

Coming second is like being last - Ibrahimovic

Stockholm (AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic did not take kindly to being voted Sweden's second greatest sportsman of all time.

Simeone wants more of the same from 'fabulous' Griezmann

MADRID (Reuters) - Antoine Griezmann has taken time to settle at Atletico Madrid but the Franceforward's fine hat-trick at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday was more evidence he could be a key man for the Spanish champions this season.

Griezmann hat-trick leads Atletico to comeback triumph

Madrid (AFP) - France international Antoine Griezmann scored a hat-trick as Atletico Madrid produced a stunning second-half display to hammer Athletic Bilbao 4-1 away on Sunday and move to within four points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid.

The Spanish champions looked on course for back-to-back league defeats for the first time since April 2012 when Mikel Rico gave Athletic a deserved half-time lead.

Marseille end year on top ahead of five-star Lyon

Paris (AFP) - Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi scored the winner as Marseille beat Lille 2-1 on Sunday to ensure that they will top the table at Christmas ahead of Lyon, who hammered Bordeaux 5-0.

Batshuayi secured OM's ninth consecutive home victory, their most impressive run of results at the Stade Velodrome since 1990/91, after Idrissa Gueye had cancelled out the Nolan Roux own-goal which gave the home side the lead.

Soccer-Ligue 1 top scorers

Dec 21 (Infostrada Sports) - Top scorers of the Ligue 1 on Sunday

Soccer-Ligue 1 results and standings

Dec 21 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Ligue 1 matches on Sunday

Sunday, December 21

Soccer-Ligue 1 summaries

Dec 21 (Infostrada Sports) - Summaries from the Ligue 1 matches on Sunday

Marseille head into break as leaders after beating Lille

PARIS (Reuters) - Olympique de Marseille will lead Ligue 1 into the two-week break thanks to Michy Batshuayi's half-volleyed winner in a 2-1 home victory over Lille on Sunday.

PSG miss out on top spot after Montpellier draw

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris St Germain missed the chance to claim provisional top spot in Ligue 1 when they were held to a lacklustre 0-0 draw at home to Montpellier on Saturday.

The French champions, who had lost two of their last three competitive games, lacked inspiration and head into the mid-season break with low morale.

Holders Real Madrid face Schalke rematch, Bayern Munich meet Shakhtar

Nyon, Switzerland (dpa) - Title holders Real Madrid have been paired with Schalke in Monday's draw for the last 16 of the Champions League while Bayern Munich take on Shaktar Donetsk.

As a non-seeded team, Schalke would have expected a tough task but

Two PSG fans knifed after Barcelona game

Barcelona (AFP) - Two Paris Saint-Germain supporters were stabbed in two separate incidents near Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium on Wednesday following a Champions League

Liverpool and Man City face nervous path to CL knock-out phase

Berlin (dpa) - Reigning English champions Manchester City and five-time European champions Liverpool face nervous matches this midweek as they try to salvage disappointing Champions League campaigns to reach the knock-out phase.

Liverpool, at home to Basel in Group B, know nothing less than a win will suffice while Manchester City are likely to need victory away to Roma

Madrid sets club record for wins, Chelsea stumbles

LONDON (AP) -- Cristiano Ronaldo set up two goals Saturday to help Real Madrid set a club record with its 16th straight victory across all competitions, while Premier League leader Chelsea stumbled to a scoreless draw at Sunderland in

Paris officials reject 'new' Parc des Princes plan

A senior French local government official on Wednesday dismissed a plan by Paris Saint-Germain's Qatari owners to knock down the historic Parc des Princes and build a new stadium in its place, calling it unworkable.

Bakambu extends Sochaux stay

Sochaux striker Cedric Bakambu has extended his contract with the Ligue 1 side for two years until June 2015, the French club announced on Tuesday.

Montpellier win maiden title on chaotic final day

Montpellier claimed the first French league title in their history after winning 2-1 at Auxerre on an extraordinary final day of the season on Sunday, after a game twice delayed due to protests by the home fans.

Second-placed Paris Saint-Germain did all they could by winning 2-1 at Lorient, and the delays at Auxerre meant that Rene Girard's side had to endure a nervous wait before their title success was confirmed.

Montpellier finished the season three points clear of PSG in the final standings, which gave the southern club -- 14th in Ligue 1 last season -- their first major honour since the 1990 French Cup.

Montpellier wary of slip-up as title beckons

Montpellier celebrated like champions after beating Lille 1-0 in dramatic circumstances last weekend, but they still require a point at relegated Auxerre on Sunday to claim the first Ligue 1 title in their history.

Karim Ait-Fana's injury-time goal at Stade de la Mosson last Sunday eliminated defending champions Lille from the title race and left Montpellier three points clear of

Reims, Troyes promoted to French top flight

Reims and Troyes were both promoted to France's Ligue 1 championship from the second-tier Ligue 2 on Friday.

Second-place Reims defeated Amiens 2-0 and third-place Troyes won by the same scoreline at Monaco, with fourth-place Clermont's 3-1 loss at Guingamp guaranteeing that neither side can be overhauled.

They will join Ligue 2 champions Bastia in next season's French top flight.

No contact with Higuain or Kaka, says Leonardo

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo on Friday dismissed reports that his club have made contact with Real Madridpair Kaka and Gonzalo Higuain over moves to the French capital.