Zidane hails historic Real Madrid win, vows to stay at Bernabeu

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane accepted that his team had “made history” by beating Juventus 4-1 in Saturday night’s final in Cardiff to become the first team to retain the Champions League title in its modern, expanded format.
Two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo as well as further strikes from Casemiro and Marco Asensio were more than enough as Madrid powered past Juventus with a superb second-half performance, with Mario Mandzukic’s excellent, acrobatic equaliser before the break not even much of a consolation for the well-beaten Italian champions.
Speaking at the postgame news conference at the Principality Stadium, Zidane said his players had deserved to complete the club’s first La Liga and European Cup double since 1958.
“They have made history, for sure,” Zidane, whose club won their third UCL title in four seasons, said. “Nobody has done it, and now we have. Today is a historic day for all Madridistas, for the players, for me,

Griezmann confirms Atletico stay after transfer ban upheld

Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann has told Telefoot that he now plans to stay at Atletico Madrid after the club were handed a transfer ban until January 2018.
ESPN FC reported that Manchester United have cooled their interest in the France striker and Griezmann had given mixed messages over his plans over recent months but expressed his support for Atletico shortly after it was confirmed that they will not be able to make any new signings until 2018 as the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected their appeal over a transfer ban.
Last week Griezmann, who had said this week he was happy at Atletico and that his future will be decided

It all went wrong for us against Real Madrid – Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said he was hugely disappointed after his side crumbled in the second half to lose 4-1 to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Buffon failed to beat Paolo Maldini’s record as the oldest player to win the UEFA Champions League (39 years, 126 days old) as his side fell to defeat, thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo brace.
Juventus had conceded just three goals in 12 games before the final and were unlucky as two of Madrid’s goals came from deflections.
“It’s a big disappointment, because we thought that we’d done everything necessary to play this final and finally win it,” Buffon, who has never won the Champions League, told Mediaset Premium.
“We had an excellent first half, where we caused Real Madrid huge problems, so it leaves you open-mouthed in shock that incidents never go our way. That’s disappointing. Evidently in order to win a

Cavs may be doing Heat and Wizards big favor in playoff race by resting LeBron James and Kyrie Irving

Cavs may be doing Heat and Wizards big favor in playoff race by resting LeBron James and Kyrie Irving

The Cavs are doing the Miami Heat a major favor on Monday night by resting starters LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson as they play their penultimate game of the 2016-17 regular season. They may also be helping out the Washington Wizards, depending on how you look at it.
Basically, the Cavs are giving the Heat a break in a game Miami needs to win as they fight for the eighth playoff spot. And why that could be good for the Wizards is because the Cavs are currently tied for the best record in the East with the Celtics. The Cavs have the tiebreaker, so as of now they would face the Wizards

Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Wenger 'will stay at Arsenal and get £200m transfer budget', Liverpool 'target £35m Ox', De Gea 'unsettled at Man Utd'

Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Arsene Wenger, Wilfried Zaha

When Arsene Wenger promised he would make an announcement about his Arsenal future “soon”, he wasn’t lying as such. It’s just that he probably imagined he would declare his intention to sign a two-year contract extension in a triumphant manner, perhaps after a resounding Gunners win had propelled his side towards Champions League qualification for the 19th successive year. “Two more years!” he would yell with a grin, as adoring Gunners fan hoisted him aloft and took him on a lap of honour around the Emirates pitch, repeating the mantra, “Two more years! Two more years!”

But instead, Arsenal just keep losing every week. So it’s kind of never been the right moment.

Therefore, “soon” has now become “the end of the season”.

The Times reports that Arsenal are “stalling” over making a public announcement on Wenger’s future due to “a drastic loss of form” and “increased hostility” among the club’s fan base.

Dele Alli MUST follow Bale's lead and move abroad

Dele Alli

What had you accomplished by your 21st birthday? You might have mastered the art of beer pong. or worked out the various different discounts on your student card. Perhaps you’d finally stopped buying fishbowls of brightly coloured alcohol at nightclubs or got your own Netflix password. Dele Alli at this age however, is an established Premier League star. He might even be the brightest young midfielder in Europe

Having turned 21 on Tuesday the Spurs number 20 is a wunderkind no longer. As he moves deeper into his 20s more will be expected of Alli, with a certain maturity still to be instilled in him. But consider what he has already achieved and there is no reason to believe he won’t fulfil his potential as the greatest English talent of his generation.

Alli has had a hand in more Premier League goals before turning 21 (40) than David Beckham (12), Steven Gerrard (13) and Frank Lampard (15) combined. He’s netted 19 times in all competitions just this season. Spurs are mounting a belated title challenge, with Mauricio Pochettino closer to Premier League pace-setters Chelsea than anyone else, and Alli has been the driving force behind that challenge, particularly with Harry Kane sidelined through injury.

He is undoubtedly the most exciting young talent to call White Hart Lane home since Gareth Bale, with some

Didier Drogba joins Phoenix Rising FC, eyes getting USL club in MLS

Didier Drogba joins Phoenix Rising FC, eyes getting USL club in MLS

Didier Drogba has opted to extend his playing career, announcing he's signed with Phoenix Rising FC on Wednesday. The Arizona-based club, currently in its fourth season with theUnited Soccer League (USL), has designs on joining Major League Soccer in the coming years of expansion.
Drogba intends to help them see out that goal. The 39-year-old Ivorian will play for the club before transitioning to an executive role.
"After seeing first hand the potential for expansion of the sport in North America and getting to know the ownership group in Phoenix, I am convinced that I can help them develop their organization on and off the pitch," Drogba said in a team statement. "I look forward to their continued success in the USL, and no city is better positioned than Phoenix for expansion into the MLS."
Drogba's role as a player and part-owner is certainly unusual, but the former Chelsea player says he's

Luis Enrique shoulders blame following Barca defeat

We’ve seen this scenario before but Barcelona is still in a very precarious position as it heads into its UEFA Champions League quarterfinals second leg against Juventus.

The La Liga side fell 3-0 to Juventus on Tuesday after Paulo Dybala’s brace and Giorgio Chiellini added a third for the Italian side.

While there were some chances to be had for Barcelona, particularly over the second half of the match, manager Luis Enrique refused to blame his players following the defeat at the Juventus Stadium.

Report: Steven Gerrard to manage Liverpool U-18 team next season

A familiar face could be making a full-time return to Anfield next season, but it won’t be with the senior team for Steven Gerrard.

According to several outlets, the former Liverpool midfielder will manage the Reds’ Under-18 team next

Report: Real Madrid to target four Chelsea stars

A report from Spanish outlet Don Balon claims Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on four Chelsea stars ahead of the summer transfer window.

The players who are said to be interesting the reigning European champs are Eden Hazard (Real are long-time admirers of his), plus N'Golo Kante, Thibaut Courtois and Marcos Alonso.
Rumors of Hazard and Courtois swapping Stamford Bridge for the Santiago Bernabeu have been circulating for the past few months, while the report about Zinedine Zidane wanting to sign Kante last summer but being shut down by Real’s president Florentino Perez suggests they may go back in for the France superstar after his stunning debut season for Chelsea.

'Diego Costa is a big-game player' - Alonso warns Man Utd ahead of Chelsea visit

The Blues are due at Old Trafford on Sunday, with their 18-goal top scorer looking to end a five-match run without finding the target

Marcos Alonso considers Diego Costa to be “a big-game player” as Chelsea prepare to face Manchester United in the Premier League.

The Spain international has been a key figure for the Blues this season, with his 18-goal return helping to guide them to the top of the table.

He has, however, suffered a dip in form since becoming embroiled in a distracting transfer saga during the winter transfer window and is on a five-game drought at club level, having scored just four times in 2017.

Alonso, though, is adamant that the 28-year-old remains a talismanic figure, telling the Evening Standard:

Cristiano Ronaldo leads Real Madrid trip to face Bayern Munich but Pepe and Raphael Varane are out

Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has taken all his 22 first-team available players to travel to Germany ahead of the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals with Bayern Munich on Wednesday night (12 April).

Dani Carvajal has finally made the squad despite missing the Monday's training session so Raphael Varane and Pepe are the only two major absentees due to injuries.

Zidane is expected to make few changes to face Carlo Ancelotti's side after Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema already led the line-up in the weekend's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid.

Yet, the derby was expected to be a crucial game in the La Liga title race with Barcelona and the Real

Manchester United: Jose Mourinho Has ‘Concerns’ Over David De Gea

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea.

Sergio Romero will play in goal for Manchester United in its UEFA Europa League quarterfinal against Anderlecht on Thursday evening amid reported worries over the form and fitness of regular goalkeeper David De Gea.

Neymar will be seeking redemption in Champions League

FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi, left, and Neymar da Silva from Brazil, right, gesture during their match against CF Malaga in a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Malaga and Barcelona in Malaga, Spain, Saturday April 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Daniel Tejedor)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — One month after leading the most improbable of comebacks, Neymar earned himself the scorn of Barcelona's fans with a pair of senseless bookings.

He'll get a chance to redeem himself on Tuesday when his team faces Juventus in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Neymar picked up a pair of unnecessary yellow cards on Saturday and got sent off with 25 minutes left and his team trailing by a goal at Malaga. Without him, the undermanned side lost 2-0 and squandered an opportunity to close in on Spanish league leader Real Madrid, which was held to 1-1 by Atletico Madrid.

Neymar's infractions bordered on the absurd. Or tragicomic.

The Brazilian got his first yellow card for bending over to tie his boot laces and not giving space for a Malaga player to cleanly take a free kick. Then, knowing he was one false step from leaving his team with 10 men, Neymar charged into a Malaga player with no real chance to win back the ball.

Explosion hits Borussia Dortmund team bus ahead of Champions League tie, Marc Bartra hospitalised

German authorities have confirmed reports of three explosions involving the Borussia Dortmund team bus