Sergio Ramos has urged the Santiago Bernabeu crowd to put club loyalties aside and show respect to Gerard Pique during Spain s crucial World Cup qualifier against Italy.
Real Madrid captain Ramos and Barcelona defender Pique are foes in LaLiga but the pair will come together for Saturday s international fixture in the Spanish capital.
Often outspoken, Pique has been targeted by boo boys during his time with the national team and Ramos pleaded with the Madrid supporters not to follow suit.
To Pique or to anybody else you must always respect the players, Ramos told reporters.
[I ask the fans] to support us, it will be a tense and difficult match.
We want to perform well and play a good game.
Spain and Italy are level on 16 points atop th…
Pep Guardiola insisted a desire to win the Champions League was not his only motivation for signing a new Manchester City contract, but he accepts the job would feel incomplete without a European triumph.
Guardiola secured an extension at City last month, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2024-25 season.
City have enjoyed vast domestic success under the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach, winning the Premier League four times out of the past five seasons.
However, a Champions League win has eluded them. They lost to Chelsea in the 2021 final and succumbed to Real Madrid in last season s semi-finals.
Guardiola knows it will be a blemish on his record if City cannot end their bad luck in the competition before he leaves.
I admit it…
As for the visitors, putting in a thumping performance in their 5-0 win over Eibar on Saturday, Barcelona have found a route back to the top of the La Liga table and find themselves in an almost identical position to Tuesday s hosts. While the Spanish giants may have shown some signs of a struggle after bringing in now boss Quique Setién, they have landed three wins on the bounce since their shock Copa del Rey defeat at Atletico Bilbao earlier in the month. Despite still showing some inconsistencies at the back, Barca did end their Champions League group stage with back-to-back victories against Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan and they are still seen to be one of their leading contenders to lift their first European crown since 2015. Unsurprisingly, if the reigning La Liga champions …
Mikel Arteta hailed a “special night” for Arsenal after Declan Rice’s headed goal seven minutes into stoppage time secured a sensational 4-3 win against Luton at Kenilworth Road.
Rice climbed to nod home Martin Odegaard’s cross and seal a victory that sent his team five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
That outcome had looked unlikely when Ross Barkley squeezed a shot through goalkeeper David Raya to put the hosts 3-2 up early in the second half and send home fans into delirium.
But Arteta said: “I really enjoyed it, especially the end.
Zinny is all of us right now
— Arsenal (@Arsenal)
“It’s the incredible thing about football, emotions and the moments that you live together. It was a special night.
…
Borussia Dortmund have told Youssoufa Moukoko to finalise his future plans this week with the Bundesliga club wanting the draw a line under contract negotiations.
The 18-year-old striker s deal expires at the end of the season and Dortmund say they have presented him with a very attractive offer to renew.
According to sporting director Sebastian Kehl, the club have now issued Moukoko and his advisor with an ultimatum so the player can devote himself entirely to the sporting challenges before the Bundesliga resumes this weekend.
Speaking to Kicker Magazine, Kehl said: We have put together a very attractive offer that gives him a lot of room for development. That should lead to a decision. He has to make it with his environment and his advisor.
Youssoufa c…
Dinamo Zagreb struck twice in extra time to book their place in the Champions League group stages at the expense of Bodo/Glimt following a 4-2 aggregate success.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, the hosts struck twice in the first half at Stadion Maksimir with Mislav Orsic and Bruno Petkovic turning the tie on its head.
Yet Albert Gronbaek levelled the tie with 20 minutes remaining as last season s Europa Conference League quarter-finalists forced extra-time.
But it was the Croatians who secured their first group stage appearance in three years; Josip Drmic edging them back in front before turning provider for Petar Bockaj in the dying moments.
Meanwhile, Copenhagen sealed their return to the group stages, having last appeared in the 2016-17 season.
…
The Turkish government and football federation have pledged to act swiftly and decisively after a referee was attacked during a top-flight match on Monday.
Referee Halil Umut Meler was approached on the pitch and hit by the president of MKE Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, after a stoppage-time equaliser for their Turkish Super Lig opponents Caykur Rizespor.
Players and officials joined the melee or tried to intervene, and it has since been confirmed that Meler suffered a broken bone as a result of the attack.
Meler, who has officiated in UEFA matches in the past, including West Ham’s Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against AZ Alkmaar last season, was visited in hospital by the country’s interior minister and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) preside…
Antonio Conte has no problem with Son Heung-min s form as he backed the Tottenham forward to hit the goal trail following a barren start to the season.
While Tottenham have begun the new Premier League campaign well, taking seven points from their first three outings, Son has struggled to replicate his fine form from last season.
Son shared the Premier League s Golden Boot with Liverpool s Mohamed Salah after scoring 23 goals last term but is yet to find the net in 2022-23.
Speaking ahead of Sunday s trip to promoted Nottingham Forest, however, Conte praised the attitude of the South Korea international and insisted the goals will come.
You know very well we re talking about a really, really important player for me and for the club, he said.
F…
Liverpool have recently re-signed a number of key players in their squad, but talks are under way with star forward Mohamed Salah.
The two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner has less than two years remaining on his current deal with the Reds.
Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and skipper Jordan Henderson all recently committed their long-term futures to Liverpool, as well as full-back pair Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.
Mo Salah demands half a million pounds a week to stay at Liverpool amid transfer interest
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball)
TOP STORY SALAH DEMANDS BUMPER LIVERPOOL DEAL
Salah is demanding a major pay rise to re-commit to Liverpool, claims The Mirror.
The Egyptian forward, according to …
LaLiga has struck a 15-year deal with multinational media, sports and entertainment company Relevent which looks set to bring a Spanish top-flight match to the United States for the first time.
Thursday s announcement sees LaLiga partner with Relevent, the company behind the International Champions Cup, in a move that aims to promote the division in the US and Canada.
The idea of major European leagues being hosted in other parts of the world is not a new phenomenon, with the Premier League discussing in 2008 potentially having an international round , but that never came to fruition.
With LaLiga North America set up as a new organisation, Relevent say the agreement will boost Spanish football s growth in the USA and Canada through consumer-related activities, in…