Manchester City reached the second qualifying round of this season's UEFA Cup with a 2-0 win over part-timers EB/Streymur from the Faroe Islands that gave the Premier League side a 4-0 aggregate victory.

World soccer’s governing body
FIFA has offered an interim deal to the Turkish Cypriot Football
Association that could allow the disputed northern territory to
stage friendly international matches.

Poland’s Legia Warsaw recovered
from a poor first-leg display to reach the UEFA Cup second
qualifying round on a night with bags of goals and no real
shocks on Thursday.

Javi Garcia said Thursday that he is returning to Spanish champions Real Madrid after one season at Osasuna as a much improved player.

The U.S. Soccer Federation has suspended Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco from U.S. Open Cup play for at least two years. The organization’s disciplinary panel banned Blanco after he punched United midfielder Clyde Simms in the stomach and poked him in the eye July 8 during an Open Cup quarterfinal game against D.C.

Valencia vice-president Fernando Gomez said Thursday that the financially troubled Spanish club would do everything it can to keep their star players David Villa and David Silva.

Real Madrid's Portuguese defender Pepe said Thursday that he has been inspired by reading seven-time tour de France winner Lance Armstrong's best-selling book on his struggles with cancer.

Ethiopian soccer
authorities said on Thursday a suspension by FIFA was illegal
and that they would take their case to the Court of Arbitration
for Sport (CAS).

UEFA President Michel Platini
urged the international community on Thursday to back Ukraine
and Poland in organising Euro 2012 despite doubts the
ex-communist states, especially Ukraine, are able to do so.

Controversial footballer Joey Barton was charged Thursday by the Football Association (FA) with violent conduct.