football talk, video, fixtures and results

Judging by widespread reports over the last six months, it seems increasingly likely that  Manchester United  will launch a bid to sign Antoine Griezmann from  Atletico Madrid  this summer. The 25-year-old Frenchman has an £85 million release clause in his contract with  los Conchoneros  and the Red Devils are supposedly willing to fork out such a figure to secure their primary transfer target. Griezmann’s qualities are unquestionable, and his form over the last two years puts him among the best players in the world. There are, however, reasons why signing the forward might not be the no-brainer it initially seems – most of which stem from doubts over whether he and Paul Pogba can both thrive in the same team. Pogba is set to lose something this summer, anyway – and that's according to his own manager. “I think next summer will bring a few surprises at this level and probably Paul will lose his status as the world’...

One week after toppling  Big Show and decimating  Roman Reigns , Braun Strowman  demanded that Raw General Manager  Mick Foley organize a contract signing to render their Fastlane bout ironclad and prevent Reigns from backing out. Though Foley, who’d been demeaned by Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon  all night, briefly got the better of Strowman in a verbal confrontation, The Monster Among Men was, once again, the night’s big winner when things turned physical. Reigns resurfaced to take the fight to his monstrous opponent, and briefly seemed to come out on top — though it took a fight through the crowd and a Spear that took out Strowman, the barricade  and   a security guy to do it. Strowman ultimately rose from the ruins and got the last word, driving Reigns so hard into the turnbuckle that the whole top row of ropes snapped off the ring. His work done, The Gift of Destruction departed the ring, but Reigns still managed to grab ho...

Jamie Vardy scored twice as Leicester City climbed out of the relegation zone. Leicester striker Vardy struck in each half as the fallen champions finally decided to turn up with a much-needed performance just four days after Claudio Ranieri had been sacked. Danny Drinkwater also scored a spectacular first half effort as Leicester overwhelmed Liverpool as the King Power Stadium came alive again. Leicester fans chanted Ranieri’s name, held banners and even organised a march through the city centre while the players forgot all about him to produce a victory reminiscent of last season’s title success. Philippe Coutinho grabbed a late consolation for Liverpool but it was Leicester’s night with only their second win of 2017.

David Haye has vowed to end Tony Bellew’s career when the pair meet at The O2 on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports Box Office. After weeks of tense build-up, the pair faced off at a heated press conference in Liverpool on Monday during which Haye (28-2-26KO) received a raucous welcome from the largely pro-Bellew crowd in attendance. That reception served to further heighten a growing sense of irritation in Haye and he has vowed to take his frustrations out on WBC cruiserweight champion Bellew (28-2-1-18KO) this weekend. The fact that he chased me around and the fact that he jumped out of the ring after the BJ Flores fight and tried to attack me - that is stuff people don't normally do to me. "It has definitely generated the interest and got the fight here but I don't know what he is going to do to survive the first couple of rounds. "I am hoping and praying he does so it is a good fight for the fans, but I don't know what he can do. Maybe tuck up really tig...

In case there weren’t already enough reasons to be jealous of Cristiano Ronaldo, the soccer superstar even gets to drive absurd supercars before everyone else. The goal-scoring, supermodel-dating, abs of steel-possessing, Ronaldo became one of the first people in the world to drive the  about-to-drop Bugatti Chiron recently, causing envy levels to spike considerably among anyone who loves cars. While news of the Chiron has been circulating since one was  spied in the wild  two years ago, the select few who received the privilege of spending $2 plus million on the new Bugatti are only now preparing to take delivery of the car. As Andy Wallace, Bugatti test driver (how sweet of a job is that?) explains, “Before we hand the Chiron over to our customers, it should be tested and approved by a champion.” That’s where Ronaldo comes in. As you can see from his garage at the beginning of the this video, the Real Madrid and Portugese national team star already has a fleet of imp...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the late hero as Manchester United edged Southampton 3-2 in a thrilling EFL Cup final at Wembley. Ibrahimovic gave the Red Devils the lead with a trademark precision free-kick, while Jese Lingard doubled the advantage with a composed finish. However, Manolo Gabbiadini’s goal just before the break livened the tie up, and he levelled proceedings early in the second half. With less than five minutes on the clock, Ibrahimovic popped up again, heading home unmarked from close range to win the cup for Jose Mourinho’s men. Wembley bore witness to a superb encounter as expectant United faced a Saints side looking to win just the second major trophy in their history, the first having come 41 years ago when the sides met in the FA Cup final. Manolo Gabbiadini’s brace had Southampton dreaming as Ibrahimovic and Jesse Lingard strikes were cancelled out, only for Ibrahimovic to head home three minutes time to clinch a hard-fought 3-2 win. Europa Le...

Rafinha gave Barca the lead when Luis Suarez - who had an effort ruled out - took a shot which ricocheted off two defenders to land at his feet. Diego Godin levelled when he headed home Koke's free-kick. But Messi pounced in the 86th minute to win the game for the champions after his initial effort was blocked by defender Stefan Savic. Real Madrid, who have two games in hand, will go back to the top if they beat Villarreal at 19:45 GMT. Messi is Barca's saviour again Barca were far from their best again, but they have now followed their 4-0 Champions League humbling by Paris St-Germain with two 2-1 victories in La Liga - with Messi scoring a late winner in each of them. Atletico dominated the first half, with Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen making a multitude of saves. The visitors improved after the break but looked destined to be held until Messi's late intervention. The Argentine, who had earlier forced a brilliant Jan Oblak save from a free-ki...

It hasn’t been the best couple of years for Vitor Belfort, who is currently on a two fight skid after suffering back-to-back defeats to Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo Souza, losing three of four overall since 2015. But don’t you dare tell “The Phenom” that he’s in a rut, as he says losing against some of the best mixed martial arts (MMA) has to offer is nothing to be ashamed of and doesn’t signify a decline. "Who said it’s complicated? I fought the two best fighters in the division, so it’s actually not complicated, it’s an opportunity for me to rewrite my story,” Belfort told  MMA Fighting . "It was a misstep. That’s the problem in fight (business). People have the loss as the worst moment, but it's the best moment, the time where I can rewrite my story again,” said Vitor. To hear the Brazilian bomber tell it, it seems the easy thing to do is to try and bury someone when they are down instead of seeing the posi...

Gomes has endured a difficult first season at Barcelona since signing from Valencia in the summer. But despite his erratic displays, manager Luis Enrique continues to persist with him. His selection is said to be causing frictions in the dressing room with Messi particularly annoyed. And Spanish outlet DiarioGol claim the Argentina international has demanded Gomes be dropped with immediate effect. Messi and fellow forwards Neymar and Luis Suarez are said to be appalled at Enrique's faith in Gomes. They believe their failure to hit top form is down to the 23-year-old lacklustre displays in the middle of the park. The midfielder's inclusion has come at a price with Ivan Rakitic forced to settle for a place on the bench. And Rakitic is now being Linked with a move to Real Madrid having grown tired of life out in the cold. 

Gomes has endured a difficult first season at Barcelona since signing from Valencia in the summer. But despite his erratic displays, manager Luis Enrique continues to persist with him. His selection is said to be causing frictions in the dressing room with Messi particularly annoyed. And Spanish outlet DiarioGol claim the Argentina international has demanded Gomes be dropped with immediate effect. Messi and fellow forwards Neymar and Luis Suarez are said to be appalled at Enrique's faith in Gomes. They believe their failure to hit top form is down to the 23-year-old lacklustre displays in the middle of the park. The midfielder's inclusion has come at a price with Ivan Rakitic forced to settle for a place on the bench. And Rakitic is now being Linked with a move to Real Madrid having grown tired of life out in the cold. 

One of the Bundesliga’s mottos in the United States is, “more goals. more action.” Well, when it comes to a Bayern Munich vs. Hamburg affair, that is definitely the case. On Saturday, the Bundesliga champions put a world of hurt on the relegation candidates, to the tune of an 8-0 steamrolling. Arturo Vidal teed up Bayern’s first (which technically is the match-winner) with a stripe from the edge of the box. Robert Lewandowski got rolling with a penalty in the 24th minute, then picked up a hat trick by the 54th. Not one to miss out on a party, David Alaba added his name to the scoresheet two minutes later. With the game already well out of reach, Bayern went to the bench and let the youngsters get some playing time. The infusion of youth didn’t change Hamburg’s fortunes, however. Kingsley Coman came on in the 60th minute and in less than 10 minutes the 20-year-old had a brace. Mr. Reliable, Arjen Robben, popped up on his famed left peg to curl home No. 8 a few minutes before ...

Sunderland manager David Moyes believes that stopping the threat of Romelu Lukaku will be key if his team are to gain points from his teams match against the Toffees on Saturday. Moyes spent 11 years with the Merseyside club and returns to Goodison Park for the second time. The first was during his unsuccessful 10 month stint with Manchester United. Lukaku has been on top form this season and boasts 22 goals in 29 games in all competitions for club and country this season. He is expected to start Saturday’s fixture. “I have incredible memories of Everton but I also go back knowing I had a great chairman and great people around me,” said Moyes.”It was the rebuilding of a football club and we went on to qualify for the Champions League with a very limited budget.” Sunderland are back in action after a team bonding trip in New York. They will need to get as many points as possible between now and the end of the season if they wish to survive relegatio...

AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti blasted Claudio Ranieri’s sacking as a “scandal” as the Italian press lambasted Premier League champions Leicester and the “ungrateful English”. Ranieri’s dismissal comes just nine months after guiding the unfashionable English club to a first Premier League title but follows a series of disastrous results which have seen the team slide towards the relegation zone. “It’s inexplicable, there is no recognition,” Spalletti told a press conference after hearing of his compatriot’s dismissal on Thursday night. Spalletti later defended his compatriot on Roma TV. “He was the one who created this chemistry in the team and the locker room that made it possible to win the championship,” he said. “And when you win an English championship against City, United and Chelsea, if you have a little dignity, you even accept to be relegated without touching anything. “It should be such a...

Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is the bookmakers’ favourite to replace compatriot Claudio Ranieri as Leicester City manager after the Italian was sacked by the Premier League champions on Thursday. British bookmaker Sky Bet was offering odds of 6/4 on Mancini taking over relegation-threatened Leicester, while William Hill had the 2011-12 Premier League-winning coach at 13/8 as of 0520 GMT on Friday. Mancini, who left Inter Milan last August, won the Premier League with City in 2012. Former Leicester manager Nigel Pearson is second-favourite for the job, with Alan Pardew, Guus Hiddink, Neil Lennon, Frank de Boer and Gary Rowett the other leading contenders. The affable Ranieri is a hugely popular figure after leading 5,000-1 outsiders Leicester to the title last season, even though the team is currently just a point and a place above the relegation zone. In England, well-known soccer pundits were quick to criticise his dismissal, with former Liverpool defender ...

On paper, the sides are a mismatch both in terms of history and current line ups, but somehow destiny has contrived to place Manchester United and Southampton in the EFL Cup final on Sunday. And much as the teams they helm, their managers have had drastically different careers, with success finding Jose Mourinho on great many occasions than his opposite number, Claude Puel. Having said that, no match was ever won on paper and whether United romp home or Southampton script a seismic upset, the battle will be won in the minds of the two tacticians on the touchline.   So how do the two managers compare? Let’s find out.     Jose Mourinho    After the great Ronaldo-Messi debate, perhaps the biggest, most burning question in world football is: Is Jose Mourinho as great as he claims?    To be fair to him, after a disastrous second season in his second spell at Chelsea, the Portuguese tactician has mellowed down a bit.    Serial wi...

Real Madrid  were put to the sword by Simone Zaza as Valencia ruined Cristiano Ronaldo’s 700th club football appearance winning 2-1 at Mestalla. Ronaldo scored with a towering header but the night belonged to the Italian international whose sensational first half strike will have West Ham supporters scratching their heads as to which Zaza it was they signed on loan last summer. This was the chance for Real Madrid to go four points clear of Barcelona in the first of two games in hand but it was Zaza voom after just five minutes when the West Ham flop, who failed to score in 11 games in England, got his second goal in two games for his new club.  And what a goal it was. Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves launched his team first real attack down the right and Munir El Haddadi crossed for Zaza who made light of having his back to goal and Raphael Varane for close company by spinning 180 degrees and firing into Keylor Navas’ top right-hand corner in one movement. Four ...

Manchester United secured Europa League progress at a cost, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan limping off shortly after opening the scoring against St Etienne to put his EFL Cup final hopes in jeopardy. Jose Mourinho named a surprisingly-strong line-up considering they arrived in France boasting a 3-0 lead for the last-32 return leg – a bold decision that backfired somewhat. In-form Mkhitaryan limped off after 25 minutes in St Etienne holding the back of his right leg, having already set United on course for a 1-0 second-leg win on a night when Eric Bailly was sent off for quick-fire bookings.

For  Juan Martin Del Potro, Roger Federer  is not only an inspiration but a great friend too. Many times the Argentinean tennis player said that when he was out of competition due to the wrist injury, Roger supported him through messages on WhatsApp, and now that also Federer, who was out six months due to a knee injury, is back at his best level winning Australian Open, a comment by Del Potro about it couldn't await. ' I think it was fantastic for us [players] and for fans'  Del Potro told ESPN about the epic five sets battle won by Federer against Nadal  -  I woke up at 5:00 AM  only to watch the final, and if there were other players I don't think I wouldn't have done it. From them you can learn a lot day by day, you can beat them too because they are normal (smiles). When you have a natural talent like Federer's, you only need to be doing well physically. If I managed to comeback and to do a good pre-season after a long injury, imagine him th...

Manchester City 5-3 Monaco. One of  the  very greatest Champions League games of all time. Say what you like about some of the defending from both sides in the gripping encounter but some of the attacking play on display was utterly mesmerising. Each and every fan in the stadium was witness to an absolute classic and will be able to tell future generations: 'I was there'. Those watching at home will also look back on the game in the same way we talk about the Newcastle/Liverpool classics. But many of those were enjoying the match on television from a neutral standpoint were rather startled by the fact that City fans in the stands were decidedly unstartled. That's right - they found a way of mocking the Blues even on such a great night. After John Stones dramatically put the home side in the lead to make it 4-3, the camera panned across the fans behind the goal, and they were hardly reacting in a matter you'd expect. Instead of riotous goonage and limbs everywhere, th...

Media sports sections are alive with rumours of a fight between the retired boxing megastar Floyd Mayweather and the UFC champion Conor McGregor. Some are adamant it will never happen – The Toronto Star’s sports writer Morgan Campbell, for instance. Others are more positive, such as the veteran boxing promoter Freddie Roach, who said on the MMA digital TV channel on Monday: "It looks like it’s gonna happen. Everything is pointing in the right direction. I think Conor will have his hands full with a boxer like Floyd. But he’s sellable, he’s making some noise." It seems everyone in sport has an opinion on what would be the most intriguing matchup since Muhammad Ali faced the Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki in 1976. In boxing money does not just talk, it screams. Promoters, fighters and everyone else involved in the business compete ruthlessly for their own piece of the financial pie and this is one of the reasons that negotiations can be ...

WWE boss Vince McMahon The wrestling legend had been backstage at the company’s flagship programme all day,  working on scenes for Fighting With My Family  – about WWE superstar Paige and her family. And – although not appearing during the live show – he walked out before Raw kicked off to film a few shots for the film. After a couple of minutes entertaining the crowd with his iconic catchphrases, McMahon’s entrance music hit and he came out to “fire” The Rock – real name Dwayne Johnson. The 71-year-old then gave Johnson his marching orders and the pair were seen storming off the stage. There was no indication such a moment was going to happen and the WWE Universe were stunned that one of the label’s all-time greats would no longer be appearing in the ring. “Can’t believe Vince fired The Rock,” one fan tweeted. Another wrote: “@TheRock I am reading sources you got fired by WWE. I hope it...

The Manchester United skipper suffered a muscle injury in United’s 3-0 win away to Leicester City, and is yet to recover since. He has missed three games after that, and looks all set to be on the sidelines for at least a week more. Jose Mourinho revealed in his pre-match press conference on Monday that Rooney will miss the Europa League tie against Saint-Étienne, and there is no guarantee that he will play on Sunday. England defender, Phil Jones, is also injured. The Portuguese said, as quoted by The Times : Rooney is injured and Phil Jones is injured. I don’t think they will recover [to face Saint-Étienne]. Rooney and Jones haven’t trained with the team yet so I don’t think they will be there.” When asked if Rooney could miss Sunday’s match, Mourinho replied: “I don’t know.” United face Chelsea in their next FA Cup tie, and odds are against them to beat the  Premier League  leaders in the quart...

Atletico Madrid are in pole position for a Champions League quarter-final berth after recording a 4-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their last-16 tie at the BayArena. Leverkusen were gunning for revenge after their European elimination at the hands of Atleti in 2014-15, and they had every reason to be confident following an eight-game unbeaten run in the Champions League, with only Real Madrid on a longer streak. However, the visitors made an electric start, Saul Niguez and Antoine Griezmann putting them two goals up at half-time, before Karim Bellarabi pulled one back early in the second half. Stefan Savic's own-goal after a Kevin Gameiro penalty prompted a late onslaught from Leverkusen, but Atleti were always dangerous on the break and Fernando Torres' late header restored their two-goal cushion. A heavy home defeat leaves Leverkusen's chances of progression hanging by a thread in an underwhelming season that has seen head coach Roger Schmidt fight of...

The first competitive meeting between Manchester City and Monaco will live long in the memory as the sides shared eight goals. Manchester City claimed a remarkable 5-3 victory over Monaco in an all-time Champions League classic at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. The first competitive meeting between the two sides will live long in the memory after goals inside the final 13 minutes from John Stones – atoning for an earlier error – and Leroy Sane put City in command of the last-16 tie. Sergio Aguero and Radamel Falcao had scored two apiece – the latter also missing a penalty – while Raheem Sterling and Kylian Mbappe also got in on the act. Leonardo Jardim's side, who have scored over 100 goals in all competitions this season, will rue the moment Falcao squandered a chance to make it 3-1 from the spot, as City hit back. It was Sterling who opened the scoring 26 minutes in, but City quickly surrendered their advantage to Falcao's diving header following a p...

Wayne Rooney returns to Manchester United training ahead of tonight's Europa League match and EFL Cup final on Sunday.

The Dutch football association KNVB is to look into reports that Vitesse fans made monkey noises directed at Ajax keeper Andre Onana during their match last weekend. The investigation followed a video on YouTube in which the sounds can be heard clearly behind the Ajax goal, where hardened Vitesse fans were sitting. The part of the video with the noise has now been removed but the KNVB has the original recording, website Nu.nl said. ‘Racism has no place in the stadium and must be tackled,’ the KNVB said on Twitter on Tuesday. ‘The KNVB has approached Vitesse to take steps.’ Nu.nl said the KNVB will decide on the basis of the clubs and the referees reports whether to start a formal investigation. A spokesman for the Arnhem club told the Telegraaf that ‘unfortunately’ a small group of people had ‘audibly misbehaved’. ‘There is no room for this sort of behaviour in our stadium. We will try and identify the perpetrators via the video,...

An Indonesian tsunami survivor and Cristiano Ronaldo protege has been forced to take a break from his football career over a knee injury, he told AFP on Tuesday.  nineteen -year-old Martunis, sometimes described as Ronaldo's "adopted son", said he was quitting Java-based PS TNI to return to his home province of Aceh. Martunis, then aged seven, was found alone and wearing a Portugal shirt on a beach days after the quake-triggered 2004 tsunami ravaged Aceh. Images of the boy, whose siblings and mother were killed in the disaster, prompted Ronaldo to travel to Aceh to meet him in 2005. The pair have met several times since and in 2015 Martunis joined the Sporting Lisbon academy, where Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo's career began. On his return to Indonesia last year, Martunis, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, joined the under-21 side of Java-based club PS TNI, which plays in the country's main football championship. But after getting injured in Dece...

According to  TMZ , the three members of New Day, Big E,  Kofi Kingston , and  Xavier Woods  broke the news on TMZ Live that they’ll be serving as the hosts for WrestleMania 33  on April 2nd. They told TMZ the following… “Our main goal is to have as much fun as possible because if were having fun, everybody’s having fun!”

The Gunners are into the last eight of the FA Cup after goals from Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott at Gander Green Lane Arsenal  avoided an  FA Cup  upset of giant proportions as they beat Sutton 2-0 to move into the quarter-finals. There was to be no fairytale story for Arsenal's non-league opponents as goals from Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott sealed the Gunners' progress after a torrid few days. The win won't repair the damage done by last week's humiliating loss to Bayern Munich, but an FA Cup semi-final spot is now firmly in their sights with another non-league outfit, Lincoln City, next up in the last eight.

The oddsmakers aren't giving Conor McGregor a very good shot at beating Floyd Mayweather if the two combat sports superstars ever meet in the ring, but that doesn't deter the UFC champion from displaying his usual brand of confidence ahead of the potential super fight. According to the  Westgate sports book  in Las Vegas, Mayweather would be a whopping 25-to-1 favorite to beat McGregor as he looks to move his perfect boxing record to 50-0 with his next match.

The  Cleveland Cavaliers  and  Golden State Warriors have met in the NBA Finals the past two seasons, and  LeBron James  and Stephen Curry  are two of the biggest names in the NBA. James is a four-time MVP. Curry has won the past two MVP awards, and last year he was the league's first unanimous choice. But despite the similarities and the classic Finals clashes, James doesn't view Curry as a rival of his. "I don't have a rivalry with Steph Curry," James said after Saturday's All-Star practice session. "There's no way you can say, 'Let's talk about rivalries,' and you say, 'Bird and Magic. Carolina, Duke. Ohio State, Michigan,' and then say 'LeBron and Steph.' "It's disrespectful to those other three that I just named that you would even try to put us in the class with that. We haven't had enough battles, and who's to say we will have future battles. We'll see, but to put us in a category with [them...

The  Cleveland Cavaliers  and  Golden State Warriors have met in the NBA Finals the past two seasons, and  LeBron James  and Stephen Curry  are two of the biggest names in the NBA. James is a four-time MVP. Curry has won the past two MVP awards, and last year he was the league's first unanimous choice. But despite the similarities and the classic Finals clashes, James doesn't view Curry as a rival of his. "I don't have a rivalry with Steph Curry," James said after Saturday's All-Star practice session. "There's no way you can say, 'Let's talk about rivalries,' and you say, 'Bird and Magic. Carolina, Duke. Ohio State, Michigan,' and then say 'LeBron and Steph.' "It's disrespectful to those other three that I just named that you would even try to put us in the class with that. We haven't had enough battles, and who's to say we will have future battles. We'll see, but to put us in a category with [them...

Tony Bellew has admitted his hatred of training after David Haye claimed he is enjoying preparations for next month’s grudge fight. The Merseysider is just a few weeks away from his heavyweight clash against Haye at The O2 on March 4, Haye returned to Britain last week following his training camp in Miami and suggested he was in a "happy, positive place." But Bellew's mood is a stark contrast after pushing his body to the limit with trainer David Coldwell in Rotherham. I'll be honest, my camp has been horrible, horrendous. I have killed myself in the gym, time and time again,said Bellew "If I put it into comparison to his, what I heard him saying: 'I love this camp, it's been absolutely fantastic. I wish I could stay for longer and the camp could just keep going on and on.' "Well, I'll be honest, my camp has been horrible, horrendous. I have killed myself in the gym, time and time again. I've had about four heart attacks. I died on ...