Soccer

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain's bid to go unbeaten in Ligue 1 was ruined on Friday when it lost to Nice 3-1.

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Relegation-threatened Heidenheim scored in the 89th minute to win at Stuttgart 1-0 on Friday and grab a vital three points in its fight to avoid the Bundesliga drop.

LONDON (AP) — American TV executive David Gandler has become the new majority shareholder at English third-tier soccer club Leyton Orient.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona and Real Madrid meet in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday with more than just the trophy on the line.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The referee for the Copa del Rey final got emotional on Friday when he described the verbal abuse his child suffers because of criticism his profession receives from soccer’s top clubs — in his case led by Real Madrid.

NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Eddie Howe acknowledged he was “not 100%” after returning to work as Newcastle manager for the last crucial rounds of the Premier League.

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — The family of Ecuadorian soccer player Jackson Rodríguez was rescued after being kidnapped from their home in the coastal city of Guayaquil, police authorities reported on Friday.

LONDON (AP) — A soccer player in England's fourth tier was banned for 13 matches on Friday and ordered to attend an education program after using a sexual reference when abusing an opponent.

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Erling Haaland and Rodri, Manchester City’s two star players, are closing in on a return after long injury absences. Just not in time for the FA Cup semifinals this weekend.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot rejected the notion that his team’s imminent Premier League title triumph has come easy, saying Friday that it is harder than ever to win games in England’s top division.