Posts

The LaLiga giants have reappointed Zinedine Zidane - with whom Bale had a difficult relationship - after Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari both failed at the Santiago Bernabeu. Bale was a surprise starter and found the net as Madrid beat struggling Celta Vigo 2-0 in Zidane’s first game back in charge, with the similarly recalled Isco also on the scoresheet. It was only Bale’s 17th LaLiga start of the campaign, with the Wales forward having struggled to nail down a regular place in the Madrid team this season....

The 28-year-old has not played since limping out of Madrid’s 3-1 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund at the end of September with a calf injury. He returned to training soon after that, but strained an adductor muscle in his left leg and has been sidelined since. Los Blancos host Malaga on Saturday and while the game will likely come too soon for Bale, Zidane hopes to be able to welcome the 28-year-old’s strength and pace back into his side imminently....

Coleman is widely expected to take charge at Championship strugglers Sunderland after a largely successful tenure in charge of his national side. The former defender took charge in the wake of Gary Speed’s death, but continued the good work done by his predecessor and secured qualification to Euro 2016, backed by key players like Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen. Wales confounded all expectations in France, reaching the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners Portugal....

The Barcelona superstar climbed four places from his 2018 ranking as he beat runner-up Van Dijk and third-placed Cristiano Ronaldo to the most prestigious individual accolade in European club football. Messi’s win, announced at a ceremony in Paris, is his first since 2015 and moves him one ahead of long-time rival Ronaldo. Luka Modric ended the pair’s monopoly 12 months ago but even a Champions League triumph for Liverpool defender Van Dijk failed to keep Messi from reclaiming his crown....

It is too early to answer definitively, but the signs are looking good for Brendan Rodgers and his players. The Reds’ trip to White Hart Lane on Sunday was billed as the barometer of their capacity to compete this term following the sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona and last week’s defeat at Manchester City. The answer was emphatic as Liverpool dismantled Spurs with a dominant 3-0 victory in north London....

It was the moment Steven Gerrard had been “craving” after consuming Champions League football as a spectator rather than a participant for four seasons, during which he was filled with “jealousy and envy.” Liverpool 4/6 to beat Sevilla And, typically, it was the captain that ensured the Merseysiders edged Ludogorets on matchday one with a penalty at the death after Mario Balotelli’s fine hold-off and finish was cancelled out by Dani Abalo on 91 minutes....

AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli has been suspended for three matches by the Italian league’s disciplinary committee on Tuesday after insulting an assistant referee. The Italy international was given a one-match ban after picking up a fourth yellow card of the season in last Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Fiorentina. He was banned for a further two games after insulting a linesman at the end of the match, the league said in a statement....

This match will start at 7:15 PM IST at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium of Abu Dhabi. You can follow ball-by-ball scorecard updates of the match right here. Bangla Tigers have played some quality cricket in this tournament and the three all-rounders David Wiese, Thisara Perera and Robbie Frylinck have been instrumental in the team’s success. While the Tigers are reliant on their multi-skilled players, the Maratha Arabians rely a lot on their batsmen....

The 24-year-old seamer has played 4 Tests, 9 ODIs and 9 T20Is so far. The right-arm seamer was reported after his team went down against hosts West Indies by 10 wickets in the first Test of the two-match series at Kingstown. The bowler went wicketless in his both innings and conceded 52 runs. The seamer is the sixth bowler to be reported since July and first who isn’t an off-spinner....

The Camp Nou side started the game on a strong note and forced Juan Carlos into some early saves before Philippe Coutinho broke the deadlock midway through the first half. It was no less than what Barcelona deserved for their dominant start. Not long thereafter, captain Lionel Messi doubled his team’s advantage right on the stroke of half-time, with a fine finish from outside the box. Girona halved the deficit with virtually the first kick of the second half, but Messi was on hand to restore Barcelona’s two-goal advantage just five minutes later....

Jordi Alba is a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia, but failed to gain a first team spot and departed for Cornella in 2005, from where he moved to Valencia in 2007. Alba had long been linked with Barcelona as a replacement for Eric Abidal, and other clubs including Manchester United were said to be monitoring his availability. 0 votes

Why Dybala is not Messi’s heir Dybala is yet to sign a new deal in Turin after lengthy negotiations with Juve, but remains under contract until 2020. That has not stopped speculation linking him with Barca and Real, though, with the 23-year-old already emerging as one of the game’s biggest stars since his €40million move to the Italian champions from Palermo in 2015. Dybala will come up against Barca in the first leg of Juve’s Champions League quarter-final in Turin on Tuesday and Zambrotta, who previously played for both clubs, thinks Camp Nou would be a better eventual destination than Madrid....

A day after sealing their 25th LaLiga title and seventh in 10 seasons, Barca showed off their two trophies aboard an open-top bus through the city’s streets. Unbeaten leaders Barca reclaimed the LaLiga crown from bitter rivals Real Madrid courtesy of a 4-2 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday, having sealed a fourth successive Copa del Rey triumph a week earlier against Sevilla. The likes of Messi, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Marc-Andre ter Stegen were in jovial moods following their double-winning campaign....

The 32-year-old has spent a large part of the week travelling to Madrid due to the involvement of his company Kosmos in the revamped international tennis team event. Head coach Ernesto Valverde gave Pique permission to make the trips to the Spanish capital, but he publicly warned the centre-back he would not play against Leganes on Saturday if his focus was not on Barcelona. After playing a full part in Barca’s 2-1 win at Estadio Municipal de Butarque, Pique explained his extra-curricular activities have had no impact on his performances on the field....

Abidal, who represented LaLiga’s champions between 2007 and 2013 and is now the club’s technical secretary, underwent a transplant in 2012 after the discovery of a tumour on his liver. Spanish press on Wednesday alleged that Rosell, who was arrested in 2017 as part of a money-laundering investigation, purchased the organ. Barca have rejected claims of any wrongdoing, while the allegations have also been denied by Abidal and the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, where the former France international underwent the procedure....

According to multiple sources, the midfielder is willing to spend the upcoming season in the stands at Camp Nou. This is with the aim that he can leave the club as a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the 2021-2022 campaign. It’s been a really tense situation between the player and Barcelona this summer. The Blaugrana are said to have tabled multiple offers before Moriba but the 18-year-old has refused to commit his future to the club as he insists on having his wages increased massively....

Baffert told “PodcastOne Sports Now” co-hosts Jim Litke and Tim Dahlberg that Justify — the early favorite for Saturday’s race — should be fine despite having only run three races in his life. Baffert said Justify has shown an ability to adjust quickly to race conditions, and he expects that to continue in the Derby. Baffert is seeking his fifth Derby win with Justify, which won the Santa Anita Derby last month....

The conference Thursday voted 7-3 to approve a measure that allows athletes who don’t have scholarships to transfer from one Big 12 school to another without losing a year of eligibility. MORE: Sooners will need more than Mayfield | Kyler Murray lights it up Had the measure not passed, the 2016 season would have been Mayfield’s last. He transferred to Oklahoma in 2013 as a walk-on from Texas Tech. Another year of Mayfield can only mean more headaches for Big 12 defensive coordinators who have to deal with the leader of Oklahoma’s vaunted “Air Raid” offense....

During Oklahoma’s Pro Day, the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner didn’t run, jump or participate in any other agility tests. Rather, Mayfield showed off his arm in a series of throwing drills — and the results were strong. He completed 62 of 70 scripted throws, with one drop. “I think I put myself in a good position today,” Mayfield said. NFL DRAFT: Top 50 prospects of 2018 class Other than a drunken arrest in Arkansas last winter, a cocky moment of celebration with an OU flag at Ohio Stadium and a loss of composure on the sideline at Kansas, Mayfield’s stock has been trending up since his senior season got underway....