Zinedine Zidane praised goal-scorers Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted twice in a 3-1 victory as Real Madrid finally claimed a Champions League win at Borussia Dortmund.

Ronaldo marked his 150th European game with second-half goals after Bale&#39;s stunning early volley gave Real the lead at Dortmund&#39;s Signal Iduna Park

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored Dortmund&#39;s consolation goal with just over half an hour left, but the Germans were simply out-played by holders Real.

Having also netted twice against APOEL, Ronaldo has now scored four goals in just two Champions League games this season.

&quot;I&rsquo;m happy for Cristiano... again! I&rsquo;m delighted for Ronaldo and Bale,&quot; said Zidane.

This is the first time Dortmund have lost at home to Real in seven European games while holders Madrid have now scored in 38 successive Champion League games.

&quot;It is difficult to play in this stadium, we have never won here, so this victory was important to us, and the whole game was good for us from start to finish,&quot; said Zidane.

&quot;We had a lot of ball possession, that was the key.

&quot;Dortmund played as impressively as ever, but we compensated well.&quot;

Dortmund shaded possession and matched Real&#39;s tally of 16 shots on goal and Zidane wanted to see more chances converted.

&quot;We could have scored more. We had chances. The important thing is to score more than our opponents and we did that,&quot; said the Frenchman.

&quot;The side worked hard - Isco, (Luka) Modric, Casemiro and (Toni) Kroos were marvellous.

&quot;Everyone was brilliant. It was a tremendous game.&quot;

The result leaves Real top of Group H, just ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who beat APOEL 3-0 away, with Dortmund third and six points adrift of Spurs, who they also lost 3-1 to in London.

Dortmund coach Peter Bosz gave an honest appraisal of his team, who were better than Real in virtually every statistic - apart from the scoreboard.

&quot;We defend with 11 players and we attack with 11 players,&quot; said the Dutchman, whose Dortmund shaded possession and match Real&#39;s 16 shots on goal.

&quot;We were just too late against a side who barely made a mistake and we have to defend better.

&quot;We didn&#39;t put any pressure on the ball during the game and it&#39;s difficult against an opponent like that.

&quot;We were always too late, we have to analyse the performance and do better in the future.

Dortmund should have been awarded a penalty with 13 minutes gone when Real captain Sergio Ramos cleared Maximilian Philipp&#39;s shot off the line and the ball deflected off his hand.

&quot;That was clearly a handball in the first-half, but we deserved to lose,&quot; admitted Bosz.

Zinedine Zidane praised goal-scorers Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted twice in a 3-1 victory as Real Madrid finally claimed a Champions League win at Borussia Dortmund

Zinedine Zidane praised goal-scorers Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted twice in a 3-1 victory as Real Madrid finally claimed a Champions League win at Borussia Dortmund. Ronaldo marked his 150th European game with second-half goals after Bale's stunning early volley gave Real the lead at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored Dortmund's consolation goal with just over half an hour left, but the Germans were simply out-played by holders Real. Having also netted twice against APOEL, Ronaldo has now scored four goals in just two Champions League games this season. "I’m happy for Cristiano... again! I’m delighted for Ronaldo and Bale," said Zidane. This is the first time Dortmund have lost at home to Real in seven European games while holders Madrid have now scored in 38 successive Champion League games. "It is difficult to play in this stadium, we have never won here, so this victory was important to us, and the whole game was good for us from start to finish," said Zidane. "We had a lot of ball possession, that was the key. "Dortmund played as impressively as ever, but we compensated well." Dortmund shaded possession and matched Real's tally of 16 shots on goal and Zidane wanted to see more chances converted. "We could have scored more. We had chances. The important thing is to score more than our opponents and we did that," said the Frenchman. "The side worked hard - Isco, (Luka) Modric, Casemiro and (Toni) Kroos were marvellous. "Everyone was brilliant. It was a tremendous game." The result leaves Real top of Group H, just ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who beat APOEL 3-0 away, with Dortmund third and six points adrift of Spurs, who they also lost 3-1 to in London. Dortmund coach Peter Bosz gave an honest appraisal of his team, who were better than Real in virtually every statistic - apart from the scoreboard. "We defend with 11 players and we attack with 11 players," said the Dutchman, whose Dortmund shaded possession and match Real's 16 shots on goal. "We were just too late against a side who barely made a mistake and we have to defend better. "We didn't put any pressure on the ball during the game and it's difficult against an opponent like that. "We were always too late, we have to analyse the performance and do better in the future. Dortmund should have been awarded a penalty with 13 minutes gone when Real captain Sergio Ramos cleared Maximilian Philipp's shot off the line and the ball deflected off his hand. "That was clearly a handball in the first-half, but we deserved to lose," admitted Bosz.

Football: Zidane hails Bale, Ronaldo as Real win at Dortmund

The absence of key midfielders due to injury will have no impact on the Manchester&nbsp;United&nbsp;team&#39;s quality in their Champions League match against CSKA Moscow, manager <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/mourinho-ready-to-make-move-for-bale-18682" target="_blank">Jose Mourinho</a> said.

United&nbsp;will be without Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick, leaving Mourinho with Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera as the only experienced central midfielders available for the game on Wednesday.

&quot;We don&#39;t have Fellaini, we don&#39;t have Pogba, we don&#39;t have Carrick. So all three midfield players we lose this match. The solutions are not many,&quot; Mourinho told a news conference on Tuesday.

&quot;We try not to focus on individual battles or specific areas on the pitch. We try to focus on the bigger picture. And we are going to have a team with quality, with balance.&quot;

Mourinho expects Fellaini to be back soon after sustaining an ankle injury in the 1-0 win at Southampton on Saturday.

&quot;It was only when I saw it on TV that I realised that Fellaini was very lucky,&quot; Mourinho added. &quot;I do not expect him to be out for long.&quot;

CSKA Moscow lies fourth in the Russian Premier League with six wins from 11 games but Mourinho believes they are &quot;the best CSKA I am going to play against&quot;.

&quot;I don&#39;t like to speak about opponents,&quot; he said.

&quot;If I speak good, I motivate them. If I speak bad, I motivate them.&quot;

United, unbeaten this season and level on points with&nbsp;Manchester&nbsp;City at the top of the Premier League, started their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win over Basel at Old Trafford.

CSKA beat Benfica 2-1 in Lisbon in their opening match.

Mourinho expects Fellaini to be back soon after sustaining an ankle injury in the 1-0 win at Southampton on Saturday

The absence of key midfielders due to injury will have no impact on the Manchester United team's quality in their Champions League match against CSKA Moscow, manager Jose Mourinho said. United will be without Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick, leaving Mourinho with Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera as the only experienced central midfielders available for the game on Wednesday. "We don't have Fellaini, we don't have Pogba, we don't have Carrick. So all three midfield players we lose this match. The solutions are not many," Mourinho told a news conference on Tuesday. "We try not to focus on individual battles or specific areas on the pitch. We try to focus on the bigger picture. And we are going to have a team with quality, with balance." Mourinho expects Fellaini to be back soon after sustaining an ankle injury in the 1-0 win at Southampton on Saturday. "It was only when I saw it on TV that I realised that Fellaini was very lucky," Mourinho added. "I do not expect him to be out for long." CSKA Moscow lies fourth in the Russian Premier League with six wins from 11 games but Mourinho believes they are "the best CSKA I am going to play against". "I don't like to speak about opponents," he said. "If I speak good, I motivate them. If I speak bad, I motivate them." United, unbeaten this season and level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, started their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win over Basel at Old Trafford. CSKA beat Benfica 2-1 in Lisbon in their opening match.

Manchester United midfield injuries won't affect quality: Mourinho

FIFA has backed down in its row with British football authorities over the wearing of poppies by players in international matches as a tribute to those killed in war.

Football associations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales were fined by FIFA for ignoring warnings not to commemorate Armistice Day during their World Cup qualifiers last November.

FIFA`s stance -- based on a strict interpretation of its laws against the use of personal, political or religious slogans or symbols -- sparked widespread condemnation in Britain, with Prime Minister

Theresa May calling it &quot;utterly outrageous&quot; in Parliament.

But now football`s world governing body has sent its member associations new guidance, which says certain &quot;initiatives&quot; may appear on players` kits.

The document rules out &quot;personal&quot; or &quot;religious... slogans, statements or images&quot; but admits &quot;political&quot; is less clear, although it bans slogans and symbols related to political parties and governments.

It adds: &quot;When commemorating a significant national or international event, the sensibilities of the opposing team (including its supporters) and the general public should be carefully considered.&quot;

It means England, or any other team that wants to wear poppies on their shirts to mark Armistice Day (November 11), can do so, providing they get their opponents` permission and inform the organisers of the match.

If England seal qualification for next summer`s World Cup in their next two games in early October, they are set to play Germany in a friendly at Wembley in November and it is understood they have already been given permission by the German FA to wear poppies.

Football associations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales were fined by FIFA for ignoring warnings not to commemorate Armistice Day during their World Cup qualifiers last November.

FIFA has backed down in its row with British football authorities over the wearing of poppies by players in international matches as a tribute to those killed in war. Football associations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales were fined by FIFA for ignoring warnings not to commemorate Armistice Day during their World Cup qualifiers last November. FIFA`s stance -- based on a strict interpretation of its laws against the use of personal, political or religious slogans or symbols -- sparked widespread condemnation in Britain, with Prime Minister Theresa May calling it "utterly outrageous" in Parliament. But now football`s world governing body has sent its member associations new guidance, which says certain "initiatives" may appear on players` kits. The document rules out "personal" or "religious... slogans, statements or images" but admits "political" is less clear, although it bans slogans and symbols related to political parties and governments. It adds: "When commemorating a significant national or international event, the sensibilities of the opposing team (including its supporters) and the general public should be carefully considered." It means England, or any other team that wants to wear poppies on their shirts to mark Armistice Day (November 11), can do so, providing they get their opponents` permission and inform the organisers of the match. If England seal qualification for next summer`s World Cup in their next two games in early October, they are set to play Germany in a friendly at Wembley in November and it is understood they have already been given permission by the German FA to wear poppies.

FIFA scraps ban on poppies on football shirts

Arsenal manager Arsene&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;denied trying to send a&nbsp;message&nbsp;to Alexis&nbsp;Sanchez by playing him in the League&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;and Europa League and says midweek minutes have helped the Chilean close in on full fitness after an injury-disrupted pre-season.

The striker made his first appearance in the League&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;since September 2015 on Wednesday, playing a full 90 minutes for only the second time this season as Arsenal beat third-tier Doncaster Rovers 1-0 at home.

The 28-year-old failed to secure a move away from the Emirates in the transfer window and injury and illness have limited his involvement to just one other full match - in the Europa League against FC Cologne.

&quot;Look, there&#39;s no disguised attitude on my side,&quot;&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;told reporters on Thursday when asked if he was trying to send a&nbsp;message&nbsp;to&nbsp;Sanchez&nbsp;by not&nbsp;starting him in Arsenal&#39;s last two Premier League matches against Chelsea and Bournemouth.

&quot;I just try to get him back to full fitness and for me, the Europa League and League&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;are important as well.

&quot;Alexis&nbsp;Sanchez&nbsp;has been out injured and I thought he was still a bit short physically. I played him last night to give him competition.... I left him on for 90 minutes because I wanted him to have a real go.&quot;

Arsenal, who are 12th in the league after an indifferent&nbsp;start&nbsp;to the season in which they have won twice and drawn once in their first five games, host 10th-placed West Bromwich Albion on Monday.

West Brom has not won a point at the Emirates since 2010, but&nbsp;Wenger&nbsp;is expecting a strong defensive performance from Tony Pulis&#39; side.

&quot;They have the culture of the Premier League, a manager who knows how the league works. They are very strong on set pieces, solid defensively - it&#39;s tough to score against them,&quot; he added.

Mesut Ozil is back in training after missing Arsenal&#39;s 0-0 draw at Chelsea in their last league outing with a knee injury, but striker Danny Welbeck (groin) and defender Calum Chambers (hip) are out until after next month&#39;s international break.

The striker made his first appearance in the League?Cup?since September 2015 on Wednesday, playing a full 90 minutes for only the second time this season as Arsenal beat third-tier Doncaster Rovers 1-0 at home.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger denied trying to send a message to Alexis Sanchez by playing him in the League Cup and Europa League and says midweek minutes have helped the Chilean close in on full fitness after an injury-disrupted pre-season. The striker made his first appearance in the League Cup since September 2015 on Wednesday, playing a full 90 minutes for only the second time this season as Arsenal beat third-tier Doncaster Rovers 1-0 at home. The 28-year-old failed to secure a move away from the Emirates in the transfer window and injury and illness have limited his involvement to just one other full match - in the Europa League against FC Cologne. "Look, there's no disguised attitude on my side," Wenger told reporters on Thursday when asked if he was trying to send a message to Sanchez by not starting him in Arsenal's last two Premier League matches against Chelsea and Bournemouth. "I just try to get him back to full fitness and for me, the Europa League and League Cup are important as well. "Alexis Sanchez has been out injured and I thought he was still a bit short physically. I played him last night to give him competition.... I left him on for 90 minutes because I wanted him to have a real go." Arsenal, who are 12th in the league after an indifferent start to the season in which they have won twice and drawn once in their first five games, host 10th-placed West Bromwich Albion on Monday. West Brom has not won a point at the Emirates since 2010, but Wenger is expecting a strong defensive performance from Tony Pulis' side. "They have the culture of the Premier League, a manager who knows how the league works. They are very strong on set pieces, solid defensively - it's tough to score against them," he added. Mesut Ozil is back in training after missing Arsenal's 0-0 draw at Chelsea in their last league outing with a knee injury, but striker Danny Welbeck (groin) and defender Calum Chambers (hip) are out until after next month's international break.

Wenger denies sending message to Sanchez with rare Cup start

Everton&nbsp;showed plenty of signs they were improving despite the heavy defeat to Manchester United and the side have the character to&nbsp;turn&nbsp;things&nbsp;around, midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson&nbsp;has said.

Sunday&#39;s 4-0 loss to United was&nbsp;Everton&#39;s third league defeat on the trot with the 3-0 humbling at the hands of Italy&#39;s Atalanta in the Europa League last week adding to their woes.

Sigurdsson,&nbsp;Everton&#39;s record signing who arrived in the close season along with a host of new recruits as the club spent 145 million pounds ($196.23 million), said there were signs the squad was gelling.

&quot;Yes &ndash; it is hard to say that after a 4-0 loss but we will stay together, stay positive and keep working,&quot; the Iceland international told the club&#39;s website (www.evertonfc.com).

&quot;Even though we conceded four goals I think we were more solid as a team and harder to break down. But we are going to have to improve for the next few games.&quot;

Everton, 18th in the league table with four points from five games, host Sunderland in the League Cup on Wednesday before Saturday&#39;s league match against Bournemouth at Goodison Park.

&quot;A lot of us have been in this kind of position before &ndash; where&nbsp;things&nbsp;are not going your way,&quot; Sigurdsson&nbsp;said.

&quot;It does not look too good at the moment but I know we are more than good enough to&nbsp;turn&nbsp;this around.&quot;

Sunday's 4-0 loss to United was?Everton's third league defeat on the trot with the 3-0 humbling at the hands of Italy's Atalanta in the Europa League last week adding to their woes.

Everton showed plenty of signs they were improving despite the heavy defeat to Manchester United and the side have the character to turn things around, midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson has said. Sunday's 4-0 loss to United was Everton's third league defeat on the trot with the 3-0 humbling at the hands of Italy's Atalanta in the Europa League last week adding to their woes. Sigurdsson, Everton's record signing who arrived in the close season along with a host of new recruits as the club spent 145 million pounds ($196.23 million), said there were signs the squad was gelling. "Yes – it is hard to say that after a 4-0 loss but we will stay together, stay positive and keep working," the Iceland international told the club's website (www.evertonfc.com). "Even though we conceded four goals I think we were more solid as a team and harder to break down. But we are going to have to improve for the next few games." Everton, 18th in the league table with four points from five games, host Sunderland in the League Cup on Wednesday before Saturday's league match against Bournemouth at Goodison Park. "A lot of us have been in this kind of position before – where things are not going your way," Sigurdsson said. "It does not look too good at the moment but I know we are more than good enough to turn this around."

Despite loss to Manchester United, Everton can turn things around, says Sigurdsson

Ander&nbsp;Herrera&nbsp;has&nbsp;made just one Premier League start this season but the Manchester United midfielder&nbsp;has&nbsp;no doubts he remains an important part of&nbsp;manager Jose Mourinho&#39;s plans.

The Spaniard earned praise last season for his influence on the side as they won the League Cup and Europa League but&nbsp;has&nbsp;lost his spot to Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic this campaign.

Overlooked on Sunday despite Paul Pogba&#39;s absence through injury,&nbsp;Herrera&nbsp;came on as a 77th-minute substitute against Everton and stabilised&nbsp;United&#39;s&nbsp;midfield. United then scored three times in the final 10 minutes for a 4-0 win.

&quot;I feel as important as I did last season,&quot; the 28-year-old told British media.

&quot;I am a team&nbsp;player and I always say that and if the&nbsp;manager decides to keep me on the bench I will be ready. I said that last season and it is the same now.&quot;

United&#39;s&nbsp;player of the year last season,&nbsp;Herrera&nbsp;said he had no problem watching teammates Matic and Marouane Fellaini from the sidelines.

&quot;I can learn from Nemanja and from &#39;Felly&#39;, he&nbsp;has&nbsp;some abilities that we don&#39;t have in midfield. Paul Pogba is our most free midfielder and I can learn from him as well.

&quot;I will try to enjoy every minute I have on the pitch. I want to win titles and feel part of the team and feel important and I really do feel important because the&nbsp;manager makes me feel important.&quot;

The Spaniard earned praise last season for his influence on the side as they won the League Cup and Europa League but?has?lost his spot to Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic this campaign.

Ander Herrera has made just one Premier League start this season but the Manchester United midfielder has no doubts he remains an important part of manager Jose Mourinho's plans. The Spaniard earned praise last season for his influence on the side as they won the League Cup and Europa League but has lost his spot to Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic this campaign. Overlooked on Sunday despite Paul Pogba's absence through injury, Herrera came on as a 77th-minute substitute against Everton and stabilised United's midfield. United then scored three times in the final 10 minutes for a 4-0 win. "I feel as important as I did last season," the 28-year-old told British media. "I am a team player and I always say that and if the manager decides to keep me on the bench I will be ready. I said that last season and it is the same now." United's player of the year last season, Herrera said he had no problem watching teammates Matic and Marouane Fellaini from the sidelines. "I can learn from Nemanja and from 'Felly', he has some abilities that we don't have in midfield. Paul Pogba is our most free midfielder and I can learn from him as well. "I will try to enjoy every minute I have on the pitch. I want to win titles and feel part of the team and feel important and I really do feel important because the manager makes me feel important."

I want to win titles for Manchester United:?Herrera

Liverpool&nbsp;manager Juergen&nbsp;Klopp&nbsp;believes his side have the&nbsp;depth&nbsp;in the&nbsp;squad&nbsp;to compete in&nbsp;different&nbsp;competitions&nbsp;but did not rule out signing reinforcements in January.

Having missed out on Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk,&nbsp;Klopp&nbsp;brought in Mohammad Salah, Dominic Solanke, Andrew Robertson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the close season.

Ahead of the team&#39;s trip to Leicester City for their League Cup third round clash, the German said he was happy with the personnel at his disposal &quot;at the moment&quot;.

&quot;From today&#39;s perspective, yes - we will see how it is in January,&quot; he told the club&#39;s website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

&quot;I think the&nbsp;squad&nbsp;is wide enough to play in&nbsp;different&nbsp;competitions&nbsp;and to come as far as possible and that&#39;s the plan at the moment.&quot;

Questions have been raised about&nbsp;Liverpool&#39;s back line which&nbsp;has&nbsp;leaked nine goals in five league games. They lost 5-0 to Manchester City before the weekend&#39;s 1-1 draw with Burnley.

The club&#39;s defensive frailties were also exposed in the 2-2 draw with Sevilla in the Champions League last week but&nbsp;Klopp&nbsp;said there was no need to panic.

&quot;We will see how it is in January but, in this moment, I feel comfortable when I think aboutdifferent&nbsp;opportunities to use the players and to bring the players in&nbsp;different&nbsp;games,&quot; he said.

Klopp&nbsp;said Oxlade-Chamberlain&#39;s switch to Merseyside from Arsenal made &quot;complete sense&quot; and that the England international had been roped in as a long-term prospect.

&quot;A new start is... kind of a relief. You are in a situation in your old club... and you accept it at some point and then it&#39;s difficult to make the next step,&quot;&nbsp;Klopp&nbsp;said.

&quot;I thought it made complete sense for Alex to change club, especially to come here. So far, I can see that he&nbsp;has&nbsp;settled in perfectly.&quot;

Having missed out on Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk,?Klopp?brought in Mohammad Salah, Dominic Solanke, Andrew Robertson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the close season.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp believes his side have the depth in the squad to compete in different competitions but did not rule out signing reinforcements in January. Having missed out on Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk, Klopp brought in Mohammad Salah, Dominic Solanke, Andrew Robertson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the close season. Ahead of the team's trip to Leicester City for their League Cup third round clash, the German said he was happy with the personnel at his disposal "at the moment". "From today's perspective, yes - we will see how it is in January," he told the club's website (www.liverpoolfc.com). "I think the squad is wide enough to play in different competitions and to come as far as possible and that's the plan at the moment." Questions have been raised about Liverpool's back line which has leaked nine goals in five league games. They lost 5-0 to Manchester City before the weekend's 1-1 draw with Burnley. The club's defensive frailties were also exposed in the 2-2 draw with Sevilla in the Champions League last week but Klopp said there was no need to panic. "We will see how it is in January but, in this moment, I feel comfortable when I think aboutdifferent opportunities to use the players and to bring the players in different games," he said. Klopp said Oxlade-Chamberlain's switch to Merseyside from Arsenal made "complete sense" and that the England international had been roped in as a long-term prospect. "A new start is... kind of a relief. You are in a situation in your old club... and you accept it at some point and then it's difficult to make the next step," Klopp said. "I thought it made complete sense for Alex to change club, especially to come here. So far, I can see that he has settled in perfectly."

Liverpool squad has depth for different competitions, says Klopp

Manchester&nbsp;United&nbsp;may struggle to maintain their explosive start to the Premier League season if injured midfielder Paul&nbsp;Pogba&nbsp;is out for long, the club&#39;s playmaker Henrik Mkhitaryan&nbsp;has said.

Pogba&nbsp;hurt his hamstring during&nbsp;United&#39;s Champions League win over Basel last week and will undergo further scans to determine his recovery period.

The France international, who captained&nbsp;United&nbsp;against the Swiss champions, limped off in the 3-0 win and some reports have suggested he could be out for 12 weeks with a muscle tear.

But manager Jose Mourinho has said the nature of the injury would not be known until after the results of the scans.

United&nbsp;thumped Everton 4-0 over the weekend with Marouane Fellaini stepping in for&nbsp;Pogba&nbsp;butMkhitaryan&nbsp;said the club would&nbsp;miss&nbsp;Pogba&#39;s creativity that has help them script big victories this season.

&quot;It&#39;s hard, because he&#39;s a top player for us,&quot; he told France&#39;s SFR Sport. &quot;It&#39;s going to be very difficult, but the coach knows how to make up for that and we&#39;re going to help him come back stronger.&quot;

Mourinho&#39;s side share top spot in the Premier League table with Manchester City and have 13 points from five games. Both Manchester clubs have scored 16 goals and conceded only two.

United&nbsp;host Championship side (second tier) Burton Albion in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday before travelling to Southampton in the league on Saturday.

Pogba?hurt his hamstring during?United's Champions League win over Basel last week and will undergo further scans to determine his recovery period.

Manchester United may struggle to maintain their explosive start to the Premier League season if injured midfielder Paul Pogba is out for long, the club's playmaker Henrik Mkhitaryan has said. Pogba hurt his hamstring during United's Champions League win over Basel last week and will undergo further scans to determine his recovery period. The France international, who captained United against the Swiss champions, limped off in the 3-0 win and some reports have suggested he could be out for 12 weeks with a muscle tear. But manager Jose Mourinho has said the nature of the injury would not be known until after the results of the scans. United thumped Everton 4-0 over the weekend with Marouane Fellaini stepping in for Pogba butMkhitaryan said the club would miss Pogba's creativity that has help them script big victories this season. "It's hard, because he's a top player for us," he told France's SFR Sport. "It's going to be very difficult, but the coach knows how to make up for that and we're going to help him come back stronger." Mourinho's side share top spot in the Premier League table with Manchester City and have 13 points from five games. Both Manchester clubs have scored 16 goals and conceded only two. United host Championship side (second tier) Burton Albion in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday before travelling to Southampton in the league on Saturday.

United will miss Pogba, says Mkhitaryan

When Carlos Tevez emerged in airport arrivals in Shanghai he had a bunch of flowers thrust into his hands and his signing was heralded as a coup for Chinese football.

A blue Shanghai Shenhua scarf was thrown around his neck and hundreds of fans mobbed the Argentine forward, who had just sealed a transfer deal making him at that moment the best-paid footballer on the planet.

But just eight months later the 33-year-old has become a symbol of Chinese clubs&#39; largesse that the Beijing government hopes will never be repeated.

Chinese fans and media have an unflattering nickname for Tevez, &quot;Very Homesick Boy&quot;, a play on how his name is pronounced in Chinese and a nod to problems he has had throughout his career settling anywhere.

Tevez, who reportedly pockets about $850,000 a week, has never stuck around for long at any club during a career that started at Boca Juniors in Argentina and took him to Brazil, England, Italy and back to Boca, before his surprise move to China in January.&nbsp;

Nobody expected him to stay long term in Shanghai.

But even his knockers are surprised at how quickly his Chinese adventure has unraveled and how poorly he has done on the pitch during a season dogged by injury and indifferent form.&nbsp;

New Shenhua coach Wu Jingui last week accused Tevez of being too overweight to play, then two days later said he had shown a better attitude and was doing extra training of his own will.

&quot;With his current attitude we will see a different Tevez,&quot; Wu said.

When Tevez was brought on by Wu for the second half of Saturday&#39;s derby at Shanghai SIPG the Argentine was met with a muted reception from the travelling Shenhua fans, though a few booed.

Shenhua were soon 3-0 down and although Tevez scored his third Chinese Super League (CSL) goal, they were hammered 6-1.

Exit looming

Given his travails, fans had been fully expecting Tevez to leave when the season ends in November.

Now it would surprise nobody if Shenhua -- struggling in the bottom quarter of the league -- decided to cut their losses and let him go home before that.

Tevez, a former Argentina international whose past clubs include Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus, has made few public comments.

Shenhua, where former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Gus Poyet quit as manager last week, gave Tevez permission in August to return to Argentina, purportedly for treatment on a leg-muscle injury.

Many did not expect him to come back to China, and few cared if he did.

But while in Argentina he was quoted as saying that a return to Boca would be &quot;very difficult&quot;.

&quot;The Chinese are not stupid,&quot; Tevez reportedly said.

Short honeymoon

The honeymoon period in Shanghai lasted only three months.

In April, Shenhua fans hit out at Tevez when he was spotted at Shanghai Disneyland while his team were playing.

The player countered that he was injured and was entitled to spend time with his family.

A month later Poyet gave an insight into Tevez&#39;s struggles to settle in Shanghai, China&#39;s most cosmopolitan city.

&quot;The language is complicated, but with the food there are people who suffer a little more and that happened to Tevez,&quot; Poyet told Argentina&#39;s La Nacion newspaper.

&quot;At the beginning, he ate almost nothing.

&quot;We had a barbecue with (Shenhua players Fredy) Guarin and (Giovanni) Moreno and we had to remove the Chinese food.&quot;

Shenhua coach Wu is hopeful Tevez will belatedly come good to rescue a team that has lost five CSL matches on the trot and is in crisis.

&quot;His experience and level is not in doubt, it&#39;s not like he needs to prove himself in the CSL,&quot; Wu said.

&quot;In some ways, he had some adaptation problems since he came here, but you can see that his arrival has brought more attention to Shenhua.&quot;

When Carlos Tevez emerged in airport arrivals in Shanghai he had a bunch of flowers thrust into his hands and his signing was heralded as a coup for Chinese football. A blue Shanghai Shenhua scarf was thrown around his neck and hundreds of fans mobbed the Argentine forward, who had just sealed a transfer deal making him at that moment the best-paid footballer on the planet. But just eight months later the 33-year-old has become a symbol of Chinese clubs' largesse that the Beijing government hopes will never be repeated. Chinese fans and media have an unflattering nickname for Tevez, "Very Homesick Boy", a play on how his name is pronounced in Chinese and a nod to problems he has had throughout his career settling anywhere. Tevez, who reportedly pockets about $850,000 a week, has never stuck around for long at any club during a career that started at Boca Juniors in Argentina and took him to Brazil, England, Italy and back to Boca, before his surprise move to China in January. Nobody expected him to stay long term in Shanghai. But even his knockers are surprised at how quickly his Chinese adventure has unraveled and how poorly he has done on the pitch during a season dogged by injury and indifferent form. New Shenhua coach Wu Jingui last week accused Tevez of being too overweight to play, then two days later said he had shown a better attitude and was doing extra training of his own will. "With his current attitude we will see a different Tevez," Wu said. When Tevez was brought on by Wu for the second half of Saturday's derby at Shanghai SIPG the Argentine was met with a muted reception from the travelling Shenhua fans, though a few booed. Shenhua were soon 3-0 down and although Tevez scored his third Chinese Super League (CSL) goal, they were hammered 6-1. Exit looming Given his travails, fans had been fully expecting Tevez to leave when the season ends in November. Now it would surprise nobody if Shenhua -- struggling in the bottom quarter of the league -- decided to cut their losses and let him go home before that. Tevez, a former Argentina international whose past clubs include Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus, has made few public comments. Shenhua, where former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Gus Poyet quit as manager last week, gave Tevez permission in August to return to Argentina, purportedly for treatment on a leg-muscle injury. Many did not expect him to come back to China, and few cared if he did. But while in Argentina he was quoted as saying that a return to Boca would be "very difficult". "The Chinese are not stupid," Tevez reportedly said. Short honeymoon The honeymoon period in Shanghai lasted only three months. In April, Shenhua fans hit out at Tevez when he was spotted at Shanghai Disneyland while his team were playing. The player countered that he was injured and was entitled to spend time with his family. A month later Poyet gave an insight into Tevez's struggles to settle in Shanghai, China's most cosmopolitan city. "The language is complicated, but with the food there are people who suffer a little more and that happened to Tevez," Poyet told Argentina's La Nacion newspaper. "At the beginning, he ate almost nothing. "We had a barbecue with (Shenhua players Fredy) Guarin and (Giovanni) Moreno and we had to remove the Chinese food." Shenhua coach Wu is hopeful Tevez will belatedly come good to rescue a team that has lost five CSL matches on the trot and is in crisis. "His experience and level is not in doubt, it's not like he needs to prove himself in the CSL," Wu said. "In some ways, he had some adaptation problems since he came here, but you can see that his arrival has brought more attention to Shenhua."

Is Carlos Tevez too fat to play?

Stoke City forward Mame&nbsp;Diouf&nbsp;has signed a new three-year contract and is looking forward to helping the Premier League club push for a top-10 finish and a trophy.

Senegal&#39;s&nbsp;Diouf, who joined Stoke from Germany&#39;s Hannover three years ago, has made 90 league appearances for the Staffordshire-based club scoring 17 league goals.

Diouf&nbsp;helped Stoke finish ninth in the league standings in his first two seasons at the club until that run was broken the last term when they finished 13th.

&quot;Another top 10 finish this season is the immediate ambition but we should be targeting the next step, an even higher finish, and success in one of the cup competitions,&quot;&nbsp;Diouf&nbsp;told the club&#39;s website on Thursday.

&quot;There&#39;s no reason why we can&#39;t win a cup; it&#39;s a long time since Stoke City won a trophy and I&#39;d love to be part of the team that did so again.&quot;

Stoke have five points from four matches in the Premier League this season and visit 10th-placed Newcastle United, who have six points, on Saturday.

Stoke City forward Mame Diouf has signed a new three-year contract and is looking forward to helping the Premier League club push for a top-10 finish and a trophy

Stoke City forward Mame Diouf has signed a new three-year contract and is looking forward to helping the Premier League club push for a top-10 finish and a trophy. Senegal's Diouf, who joined Stoke from Germany's Hannover three years ago, has made 90 league appearances for the Staffordshire-based club scoring 17 league goals. Diouf helped Stoke finish ninth in the league standings in his first two seasons at the club until that run was broken the last term when they finished 13th. "Another top 10 finish this season is the immediate ambition but we should be targeting the next step, an even higher finish, and success in one of the cup competitions," Diouf told the club's website on Thursday. "There's no reason why we can't win a cup; it's a long time since Stoke City won a trophy and I'd love to be part of the team that did so again." Stoke have five points from four matches in the Premier League this season and visit 10th-placed Newcastle United, who have six points, on Saturday.

Stoke City's Diouf signs new three-year deal

West Bromwich Albion has signed Scotland international Oliver Burke from Germany&#39;s RB Leipzig, the Premier League club said on Friday.

The 20-year-old winger joins Tony Pulis&#39;s squad on a five-year deal after featuring 25 times in the league last season for Leipzig, who finished runners-up to Bayern Munich.

Burke became the most expensive Scottish player in signing for the German side from Nottingham Forest for a reported 13 million pounds ($16.66 million) in August last year.

Local media said on Friday West Brom had shelled out around 15 million pounds to bring him back to England.

&quot;I feel like it is a time for me to move on and play more games,&quot; Burke said in a statement. &quot;I&#39;m here, I want to impress and I want my name to be first on the team sheet.&quot;

West Brom had shelled out around 15 million pounds to bring him back to England.

West Bromwich Albion has signed Scotland international Oliver Burke from Germany's RB Leipzig, the Premier League club said on Friday. The 20-year-old winger joins Tony Pulis's squad on a five-year deal after featuring 25 times in the league last season for Leipzig, who finished runners-up to Bayern Munich. Burke became the most expensive Scottish player in signing for the German side from Nottingham Forest for a reported 13 million pounds ($16.66 million) in August last year. Local media said on Friday West Brom had shelled out around 15 million pounds to bring him back to England. "I feel like it is a time for me to move on and play more games," Burke said in a statement. "I'm here, I want to impress and I want my name to be first on the team sheet."

West Brom signs Burke, now the most expensive Scottish player

&nbsp;Marcello&nbsp;Lippi&nbsp;will remain as China coach until at least the 2019 Asian Cup finals, the Chinese Football Association said on Thursday.

The Italian, who replaced Gao Hongbo last October, has kept China&#39;s slim hopes of qualifying for the next year&#39;s World Cup finals alive since taking over.

China take&nbsp;on Uzbekistan and Qatar in their final two qualifiers over the coming weeks, withLippi&#39;s team needing to win both and hope other results go their way to have any hope of progressing into the playoffs for a place in Russia.

&quot;We will strictly carry out our contract with&nbsp;Lippi, which expires after the 2019 Asian Cup,&quot; the CFA said in an article posted on their website on Thursday.

&quot;We won&#39;t interfere with his preparation and the line-up. In the meantime, we will support his group as always. We hope to support and trust each other.&quot;

By progressing to the final round of Asia&#39;s World Cup qualifiers, the Chinese have already secured their place at the quadrennial Asian Cup, which has been expanded to feature 24 teams for the first time in the United Arab Emirates in 2019.

China&#39;s best performance in the Asian Cup came on home soil in 2004, when they lost to Japan in the final. They reached the quarter-finals in the most recent edition, in Australia in 2015.

The team has shown some progress under&nbsp;Lippi, securing only their second win over South Korea in March, but their hopes of qualifying for a second World Cup finals were always remote after a poor start under Gao.

&quot;Since October 22 last year,&nbsp;Lippi&nbsp;and his coaching staff have helped China to get one win, two draws and one defeat in the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup,&quot; said the CFA.

&quot;The team has changed a lot tactically and mentally. We hereby take this opportunity to thank them all.&quot;

"We will strictly carry out our contract with?Lippi, which expires after the 2019 Asian Cup," the CFA said in an article posted on their website on Thursday.

Marcello Lippi will remain as China coach until at least the 2019 Asian Cup finals, the Chinese Football Association said on Thursday. The Italian, who replaced Gao Hongbo last October, has kept China's slim hopes of qualifying for the next year's World Cup finals alive since taking over. China take on Uzbekistan and Qatar in their final two qualifiers over the coming weeks, withLippi's team needing to win both and hope other results go their way to have any hope of progressing into the playoffs for a place in Russia. "We will strictly carry out our contract with Lippi, which expires after the 2019 Asian Cup," the CFA said in an article posted on their website on Thursday. "We won't interfere with his preparation and the line-up. In the meantime, we will support his group as always. We hope to support and trust each other." By progressing to the final round of Asia's World Cup qualifiers, the Chinese have already secured their place at the quadrennial Asian Cup, which has been expanded to feature 24 teams for the first time in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. China's best performance in the Asian Cup came on home soil in 2004, when they lost to Japan in the final. They reached the quarter-finals in the most recent edition, in Australia in 2015. The team has shown some progress under Lippi, securing only their second win over South Korea in March, but their hopes of qualifying for a second World Cup finals were always remote after a poor start under Gao. "Since October 22 last year, Lippi and his coaching staff have helped China to get one win, two draws and one defeat in the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup," said the CFA. "The team has changed a lot tactically and mentally. We hereby take this opportunity to thank them all."

Marcello Lippi to remain China's coach until 2019 Asian Cup Finals

Emre Can scored twice as Liverpool defeated Hoffenheim 4-2 in the second leg of Wednesday&#39;s play-off to complete a 6-3 aggregate victory and qualify for the Champions League group stage.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg, a first-half brace from Germany international Emre Can either side of a Mohamed Salah goal put five-time European champions Liverpool 3-0 up at Anfield.

Mark Uth gave Hoffenheim a glimmer of hope but Roberto Firmino converted Liverpool&#39;s fourth just beyond the hour with Sandro Wagner&#39;s late header scant consolation for the visitors.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg, a first-half brace from Germany international Can either side of a Mohamed Salah goal put five-time European champions Liverpool 3-0 up at Anfield.

Emre Can scored twice as Liverpool defeated Hoffenheim 4-2 in the second leg of Wednesday's play-off to complete a 6-3 aggregate victory and qualify for the Champions League group stage. Leading 2-1 from the first leg, a first-half brace from Germany international Emre Can either side of a Mohamed Salah goal put five-time European champions Liverpool 3-0 up at Anfield. Mark Uth gave Hoffenheim a glimmer of hope but Roberto Firmino converted Liverpool's fourth just beyond the hour with Sandro Wagner's late header scant consolation for the visitors.

Football: Liverpool qualify for Champions League group stage

Makoto Hasebe has been recalled for Japan&#39;s crucial World Cup qualifying matches against Australia and Saudi Arabia after the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder was included in head coach Vahid Halilhodzic&#39;s squad on Thursday.

Having missed games against the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Iraq due to surgery on a knee injury, Japan&#39;s captain has made a full recovery to be selected in Halilhodzic&#39;s initial 27-man squad.

&quot;There are a number of players I am concerned about and I have done this because I don&#39;t want to take risks. I want to look first-hand at the players I have got and see what the possibilities are,&quot; Halilhodzic was reported as saying by Kyodo News.

The former Algeria coach has also recalled Getafe midfielder Gaku Shibasaki as well as striker Yoshinori Muto, while there are fitness concerns over Yuya Osako, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa.

Japan lead Group B of Asia&#39;s qualifying competition for the tournament in Russia next year by a solitary point and victory over Australia on Aug. 31 would secure a place in the World Cup finals for a sixth successive time.

However, with the Australians and Saudi Arabia only a point behind, Halilhodzic&#39;s side cannot afford to slip up or risk being forced to continue their qualification quest via a series of playoffs.

&quot;We started the final round of qualifiers on the wrong foot (with a 2-1 home defeat to UAE last September) but we are top of the group,&quot; Halilhodzic said.

&quot;I hear the recent criticism directed my way and it puts pressure on me but this is the kind of situation I like. The more I come under attack and the more criticism I face, the more determined I am to respond.&quot;

&nbsp;

Japan Squad

Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Metz, France), Masaaki Higashiguchi (Gamba Osaka), Kosuke Nakamura (Kashiwa Reysol).

Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan, Italy), Tomoaki Makino (Urawa Reds), Maya Yoshida (Southampton, England), Hiroki Sakai (Marseille, France), Gotoku Sakai (Hamburg, Germany), Gen Shoji (Kashima Antlers), Naomichi Ueda (Kashima Antlers), Genta Miura (Gamba Osaka).

Midfielders: Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Yojiro Takahagi (FC Tokyo), Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Hotaru Yamaguchi (Cerezo Osaka), Yuki Kobayashi (Heerenveen, Holland), Gaku Shibasaki (Getafe, Spain), Yosuke Ideguchi (Gamba Osaka).

Forwards: Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City, England), Keisuke Honda (Pachuca, Mexico), Takashi Inui (Eibar, Spain), Yuya Osako (Cologne, Germany), Genki Haraguchi (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Yoshinori Muto (Mainz, Germany), Kenyu Sugimoto (Cerezo Osaka), Yuya Kubo (Gent, Belgium), Takuma Asano (Stuttgart, Germany).

Japan's captain has made a full recovery to be selected in Halilhodzic's initial 27-man squad.

Makoto Hasebe has been recalled for Japan's crucial World Cup qualifying matches against Australia and Saudi Arabia after the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder was included in head coach Vahid Halilhodzic's squad on Thursday. Having missed games against the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Iraq due to surgery on a knee injury, Japan's captain has made a full recovery to be selected in Halilhodzic's initial 27-man squad. "There are a number of players I am concerned about and I have done this because I don't want to take risks. I want to look first-hand at the players I have got and see what the possibilities are," Halilhodzic was reported as saying by Kyodo News. The former Algeria coach has also recalled Getafe midfielder Gaku Shibasaki as well as striker Yoshinori Muto, while there are fitness concerns over Yuya Osako, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa. Japan lead Group B of Asia's qualifying competition for the tournament in Russia next year by a solitary point and victory over Australia on Aug. 31 would secure a place in the World Cup finals for a sixth successive time. However, with the Australians and Saudi Arabia only a point behind, Halilhodzic's side cannot afford to slip up or risk being forced to continue their qualification quest via a series of playoffs. "We started the final round of qualifiers on the wrong foot (with a 2-1 home defeat to UAE last September) but we are top of the group," Halilhodzic said. "I hear the recent criticism directed my way and it puts pressure on me but this is the kind of situation I like. The more I come under attack and the more criticism I face, the more determined I am to respond." Japan Squad Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Metz, France), Masaaki Higashiguchi (Gamba Osaka), Kosuke Nakamura (Kashiwa Reysol). Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan, Italy), Tomoaki Makino (Urawa Reds), Maya Yoshida (Southampton, England), Hiroki Sakai (Marseille, France), Gotoku Sakai (Hamburg, Germany), Gen Shoji (Kashima Antlers), Naomichi Ueda (Kashima Antlers), Genta Miura (Gamba Osaka). Midfielders: Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Yojiro Takahagi (FC Tokyo), Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Hotaru Yamaguchi (Cerezo Osaka), Yuki Kobayashi (Heerenveen, Holland), Gaku Shibasaki (Getafe, Spain), Yosuke Ideguchi (Gamba Osaka). Forwards: Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City, England), Keisuke Honda (Pachuca, Mexico), Takashi Inui (Eibar, Spain), Yuya Osako (Cologne, Germany), Genki Haraguchi (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Yoshinori Muto (Mainz, Germany), Kenyu Sugimoto (Cerezo Osaka), Yuya Kubo (Gent, Belgium), Takuma Asano (Stuttgart, Germany).

Japan World Cup qualifier: Makoto Hasebe recalled for matches against Australia, Saudi Arabia

West Ham United manager Slaven&nbsp;Bilic&nbsp;is keen to bring in one more player before the transfer window closes on Aug. 31 but admits he may have to rush through another deal if he loses someone from his tight squad.

West Ham have strengthened with five new players including striker Javier Hernandez, defender Pablo Zabaleta and winger Marko Arnautovic but there has been speculation Argentine Manuel Lanzini was being lined up by Liverpool.

&quot;We will see what happens in the last week of the transfer window, if somebody is going to leave or come in,&quot;&nbsp;Bilic&nbsp;told reporters ahead of Wednesday&#39;s League Cup match against Cheltenham Town.

&quot;I&#39;m happy with the squad now. I would like to have one more and after that, if somebody leaves we have to fill that gap because we don&#39;t have a big squad ... We are happy but if somebody leaves we have to be ready to act.&quot;

West Ham, who have lost their opening two league games of the new season, travel to Newcastle United when Premier League action resumes on Saturday.

"We will see what happens in the last week of the transfer window, if somebody is going to leave or come in," Bilic told reporters

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic is keen to bring in one more player before the transfer window closes on Aug. 31 but admits he may have to rush through another deal if he loses someone from his tight squad. West Ham have strengthened with five new players including striker Javier Hernandez, defender Pablo Zabaleta and winger Marko Arnautovic but there has been speculation Argentine Manuel Lanzini was being lined up by Liverpool. "We will see what happens in the last week of the transfer window, if somebody is going to leave or come in," Bilic told reporters ahead of Wednesday's League Cup match against Cheltenham Town. "I'm happy with the squad now. I would like to have one more and after that, if somebody leaves we have to fill that gap because we don't have a big squad ... We are happy but if somebody leaves we have to be ready to act." West Ham, who have lost their opening two league games of the new season, travel to Newcastle United when Premier League action resumes on Saturday.

EPL transfer window: West Ham manager Bilic planning to bring new player

Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s future with&nbsp;Neymar&nbsp;looks good said coach Unai Emery on Wednesday (August 23) after training in preparation for the latest La Ligue game against Saint-Etienne.

The Spanish coach praised <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/neymar-dazzles-on-home-debut-psg-thump-toulouse-6-2-19235">the newly-acquired Brazilian striker</a> performances since his arrival. He has already scored three goals in his two league appearances.

Asked about the Champions&#39; League group draw, Emery said the European championship is one of the main motivations for the club, and that the goal this year was to become one of the best teams in the world.

On the domestic championship, Saint-Etienne represents the first meaningful test for the team, Emery also said. St Etienne has a maximum nine points from three games, along with PSG and Monaco.

It has not all been plain sailing for&nbsp;Neymar&nbsp;since his move. It was reported on Tuesday that Barcelona is suing him for 8.5 million euros ($10.00 million) for breach of contract. The club says they want him to return the bonus he was paid when he signed a new five-year deal just nine months before joining PSG.

The Spanish coach praised the newly-acquired Brazilian striker performances since his arrival. He has already scored three goals in his two league appearances

Paris Saint-Germain's future with Neymar looks good said coach Unai Emery on Wednesday (August 23) after training in preparation for the latest La Ligue game against Saint-Etienne. The Spanish coach praised the newly-acquired Brazilian striker performances since his arrival. He has already scored three goals in his two league appearances. Asked about the Champions' League group draw, Emery said the European championship is one of the main motivations for the club, and that the goal this year was to become one of the best teams in the world. On the domestic championship, Saint-Etienne represents the first meaningful test for the team, Emery also said. St Etienne has a maximum nine points from three games, along with PSG and Monaco. It has not all been plain sailing for Neymar since his move. It was reported on Tuesday that Barcelona is suing him for 8.5 million euros ($10.00 million) for breach of contract. The club says they want him to return the bonus he was paid when he signed a new five-year deal just nine months before joining PSG.

PSG's future good with Neymar: Coach

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/five-match-ban-seems-exaggerated-and-ridiculous-cristiano-ronaldo-19093">Cristiano&nbsp;Ronaldo&nbsp;will have to serve his five-match ban</a> for pushing a referee after the Spanish sports court (TAD) rejected Real Madrid&#39;s appeal against the length of the suspension, Spanish media reported on Tuesday citing court officials.

The Portuguese<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/real-madrid-to-appeal-ronaldo-card-zidane-18952"> forward shoved official Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea</a> after being sent off during Real&#39;s 3-1 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on August&nbsp;13.

As a result, the Spanish Football Federation issued&nbsp;Ronaldo&nbsp;with a $3,543.20&nbsp;fine and a four match suspension in addition to the automatic one game ban the player was due to serve for the red card.

&quot;Another incomprehensible decision. From injustice to injustice, they will never overthrow me,&quot; Ronaldo&nbsp;posted on Instagram.

The ban ruled&nbsp;Ronaldo&nbsp;out of the Super Cup second leg and Madrid&#39;s first La Liga match of the season against Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday. Real won both matches.

The striker will sit out league fixtures against Valencia, Levante and Real Sociedad before making his comeback against Real Betis on September&nbsp;20.

Cristiano Ronaldo will have to serve his five-match ban for pushing a referee after the Spanish sports court (TAD) rejected Real Madrid's appeal against the length of the suspension

Cristiano Ronaldo will have to serve his five-match ban for pushing a referee after the Spanish sports court (TAD) rejected Real Madrid's appeal against the length of the suspension, Spanish media reported on Tuesday citing court officials. The Portuguese forward shoved official Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea after being sent off during Real's 3-1 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on August 13. As a result, the Spanish Football Federation issued Ronaldo with a $3,543.20 fine and a four match suspension in addition to the automatic one game ban the player was due to serve for the red card. "Another incomprehensible decision. From injustice to injustice, they will never overthrow me," Ronaldo posted on Instagram. The ban ruled Ronaldo out of the Super Cup second leg and Madrid's first La Liga match of the season against Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday. Real won both matches. The striker will sit out league fixtures against Valencia, Levante and Real Sociedad before making his comeback against Real Betis on September 20.

From injustice to injustice: Ronaldo blasts Spanish football federation over suspension

Lazio won the Italian Supercup for the fourth time after a stoppage-time goal by substitute Alessandro Murgia gave them a 3-2 victory over last season&#39;s domestic double winners Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

Juve, who beat Lazio 2-0 in the Italian Cup final at the same venue in May after they had also won the league title, came back from a two-goal deficit in a frantic five-minute spell before Murgia netted the winner.

Lazio dominated the opening hour as striker Ciro Immobile fired them ahead with a 32nd-minute penalty after he was brought down by Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon and then headed a delightful Marco Parolo cross into the far corner in the 54th.

Looking out for the count, Juventus staged a late comeback as Argentina forward Paulo Dybala put them on level terms with goals in the 85th and 90th minutes.

Dybala curled in a superb free kick from 25 metres and then converted a penalty, throwing vociferous Juventus fans into raptures as both lots of supporters created a cracking atmosphere on the terraces.

But the Bianconi&#39;s celebrations were short-lived as Murgia swept in a low cross from the left at the death, delighting the Lazio contingent as he settled a rip-roaring curtain raiser to the Italian season.

Juve, who beat Lazio 2-0 in the Italian Cup final at the same venue in May after they had also won the league title, came back from a two-goal deficit in a frantic five-minute spell before Murgia netted the winner

Lazio won the Italian Supercup for the fourth time after a stoppage-time goal by substitute Alessandro Murgia gave them a 3-2 victory over last season's domestic double winners Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday. Juve, who beat Lazio 2-0 in the Italian Cup final at the same venue in May after they had also won the league title, came back from a two-goal deficit in a frantic five-minute spell before Murgia netted the winner. Lazio dominated the opening hour as striker Ciro Immobile fired them ahead with a 32nd-minute penalty after he was brought down by Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon and then headed a delightful Marco Parolo cross into the far corner in the 54th. Looking out for the count, Juventus staged a late comeback as Argentina forward Paulo Dybala put them on level terms with goals in the 85th and 90th minutes. Dybala curled in a superb free kick from 25 metres and then converted a penalty, throwing vociferous Juventus fans into raptures as both lots of supporters created a cracking atmosphere on the terraces. But the Bianconi's celebrations were short-lived as Murgia swept in a low cross from the left at the death, delighting the Lazio contingent as he settled a rip-roaring curtain raiser to the Italian season.

Italian Super Cup: Lazio beat Juventus in dramatic final

The US Treasury on Wednesday accused Rafael Marquez, captain of Mexico&#39;s national football team and a former FC Barcelona player, of being a &quot;front person&quot; for a major drug trafficking organization.

Marquez was one of 22 people and 43 entities the US Treasury placed on a sanctions list in relation to a Guadalajara-based drug trafficking cartel controlled by one Raul Flores Hernandez.

The Treasury said Marquez has a &quot;longstanding relationship&quot; with Flores, has acted as a &quot;front person&quot; for him and held assets on his drug cartel&#39;s behalf.

Also on the list of those in one of the largest single US actions against a Mexican cartel under Washington&#39;s &quot;Kingpin Act&quot; were Flores and members of his family, and Latin Grammy-nominated singer Julion Alvarez.

&quot;Raul Flores Hernandez has operated for decades because of his longstanding relationships with other drug cartels and his use of financial front persons to mask his investments of illegal drug proceeds,&quot; said John Smith, head of the Treasury&#39;s Office of Foreign Assets Control which implements sanctions.

The sanctions freeze any assets, such as bank accounts and property, that a blacklisted person holds in a US jurisdiction, and bans any US individuals or companies from doing business with them.

Known popularly as Rafa, the 38-year-old Marquez made his debut for the national team in February 1997 and has captained his country in the last four World Cups.

He was a young star for the Atlas club before moving to Monaco in 1999.&nbsp;

Four years later he signed with FC Barcelona, becoming the first Mexican player to win a Champions League final with the team&#39;s victory over Arsenal in 2006. The defender spent another four injury-marred years with the team before being released in 2010.

After that, he spent two years with the Red Bulls of US Major League Soccer, and then joined Mexico&#39;s Club Leon, and most recently played for Atlas again.

Still potent despite injuries, he scored the winning goal at the 89th minute in a 2-1 World Cup qualifier victory over the United States last November.

Known popularly as Rafa, the 38-year-old Marquez made his debut for the national team in February 1997 and has captained his country in the last four World Cups

The US Treasury on Wednesday accused Rafael Marquez, captain of Mexico's national football team and a former FC Barcelona player, of being a "front person" for a major drug trafficking organization. Marquez was one of 22 people and 43 entities the US Treasury placed on a sanctions list in relation to a Guadalajara-based drug trafficking cartel controlled by one Raul Flores Hernandez. The Treasury said Marquez has a "longstanding relationship" with Flores, has acted as a "front person" for him and held assets on his drug cartel's behalf. Also on the list of those in one of the largest single US actions against a Mexican cartel under Washington's "Kingpin Act" were Flores and members of his family, and Latin Grammy-nominated singer Julion Alvarez. "Raul Flores Hernandez has operated for decades because of his longstanding relationships with other drug cartels and his use of financial front persons to mask his investments of illegal drug proceeds," said John Smith, head of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control which implements sanctions. The sanctions freeze any assets, such as bank accounts and property, that a blacklisted person holds in a US jurisdiction, and bans any US individuals or companies from doing business with them. Known popularly as Rafa, the 38-year-old Marquez made his debut for the national team in February 1997 and has captained his country in the last four World Cups. He was a young star for the Atlas club before moving to Monaco in 1999. Four years later he signed with FC Barcelona, becoming the first Mexican player to win a Champions League final with the team's victory over Arsenal in 2006. The defender spent another four injury-marred years with the team before being released in 2010. After that, he spent two years with the Red Bulls of US Major League Soccer, and then joined Mexico's Club Leon, and most recently played for Atlas again. Still potent despite injuries, he scored the winning goal at the 89th minute in a 2-1 World Cup qualifier victory over the United States last November.

US sanctions Mexico football captain Rafael Marquez for alleged drug cartel ties

Arsene Wenger brokered a fragile truce with Arsenal&#39;s dissenting fans by winning the FA Cup but has little margin for error ahead of Friday&#39;s Premier League opener against Leicester City.

Last season was by far the most difficult of Wenger&#39;s 21-year tenure as manager, with Arsenal&#39;s on-pitch travails exposing him to furious protests from sections of the club&#39;s support.

Having ended months of speculation by signing a new two-year contract, he is looking forwards and says that if the team put on a united front, the fans will fall in line behind them.

&quot;A lot (of the trouble) was created by my own situation. Maybe I made a mistake,&quot; Wenger said after Arsenal beat Chelsea on penalties in last weekend&#39;s Community Shield.

&quot;Overall I believe that it&#39;s down to us. The trend has always to come from the team.&quot;

Undermining Wenger&#39;s quest for harmony is the uncertainty surrounding several first-team players.

Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere are among the players whose contracts expire at the end of the season.

Sanchez, in particular, has been the subject of intense speculation about his future amid reported interest from the big-spending duo of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Chile forward missed pre-season after being granted extra time off following the Confederations Cup and has been ruled out of Friday&#39;s game due to an abdominal strain.

That Wenger is not going into the new campaign with the fans still at his throat owes much to Arsenal&#39;s strong finish to last season.

After Wenger belatedly adopted a 3-4-2-1 formation -- a tactical trend sparked by champions Chelsea -- Arsenal won seven of their last eight league games and stunned Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final.

They defeated Chelsea again when the teams renewed acquaintances at Wembley in last Sunday&#39;s Community Shield, winning a penalty shootout 4-1 after a 1-1 draw.

As well as the silverware, Arsenal&#39;s supporters have also had a major signing to celebrate after Wenger broke the club&#39;s transfer record to sign prolific French striker Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon.

The 26-year-old set Arsenal backs an initial fee of &pound;46.5 million ($60.3 million, 51.5 million euros) and is expected to lead the line, flanked by Sanchez and Ozil.

Ozil is a doubt against Leicester, however, along with Aaron Ramsey, Per Mertesacker, and Shkodran Mustafi, while Laurent Koscielny is suspended. Gabriel and Santi Cazorla are definitely out.

For the first time since 1997, Arsenal is going into a season without Champions League football and Wenger has pledged to rest players in the Europa League.

He has said he intends &quot;to focus completely on the Premier League&quot;, but if such an approach fails to yield a title challenge, he can expect the protests to ramp up quickly.

After going into last season as defending champions, only for a close shave with relegation to cost manager Claudio Ranieri his job, Leicester is targeting stability under Craig Shakespeare.

They have spent over &pound;50 million, strengthening each squad department with moves for goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic, centre-back Harry Maguire, midfielder Vicente Iborra and striker Kelechi Iheanacho.

Spaniard Iborra has been ruled out of the trip to the Emirates Stadium with a groin strain and joins centre-back Robert Huth and midfielder Danny Drinkwater on the sidelines.

But 20-year-old Nigeria starlet Iheanacho, signed from Manchester City last week, has been passed fit after sustaining a knock in a friendly against Borussia Moenchengladbach.

&quot;You&#39;ve got the season ahead to look forward to and everyone&#39;s raring to go,&quot; said captain Wes Morgan.

&quot;We&#39;ve got our first game this Friday coming and we can&#39;t wait to get started.&quot;

Last season was by far the most difficult of Wenger's 21-year tenure as manager

Arsene Wenger brokered a fragile truce with Arsenal's dissenting fans by winning the FA Cup but has little margin for error ahead of Friday's Premier League opener against Leicester City. Last season was by far the most difficult of Wenger's 21-year tenure as manager, with Arsenal's on-pitch travails exposing him to furious protests from sections of the club's support. Having ended months of speculation by signing a new two-year contract, he is looking forwards and says that if the team put on a united front, the fans will fall in line behind them. "A lot (of the trouble) was created by my own situation. Maybe I made a mistake," Wenger said after Arsenal beat Chelsea on penalties in last weekend's Community Shield. "Overall I believe that it's down to us. The trend has always to come from the team." Undermining Wenger's quest for harmony is the uncertainty surrounding several first-team players. Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere are among the players whose contracts expire at the end of the season. Sanchez, in particular, has been the subject of intense speculation about his future amid reported interest from the big-spending duo of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. The Chile forward missed pre-season after being granted extra time off following the Confederations Cup and has been ruled out of Friday's game due to an abdominal strain. That Wenger is not going into the new campaign with the fans still at his throat owes much to Arsenal's strong finish to last season. After Wenger belatedly adopted a 3-4-2-1 formation -- a tactical trend sparked by champions Chelsea -- Arsenal won seven of their last eight league games and stunned Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final. They defeated Chelsea again when the teams renewed acquaintances at Wembley in last Sunday's Community Shield, winning a penalty shootout 4-1 after a 1-1 draw. As well as the silverware, Arsenal's supporters have also had a major signing to celebrate after Wenger broke the club's transfer record to sign prolific French striker Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon. The 26-year-old set Arsenal backs an initial fee of £46.5 million ($60.3 million, 51.5 million euros) and is expected to lead the line, flanked by Sanchez and Ozil. Ozil is a doubt against Leicester, however, along with Aaron Ramsey, Per Mertesacker, and Shkodran Mustafi, while Laurent Koscielny is suspended. Gabriel and Santi Cazorla are definitely out. For the first time since 1997, Arsenal is going into a season without Champions League football and Wenger has pledged to rest players in the Europa League. He has said he intends "to focus completely on the Premier League", but if such an approach fails to yield a title challenge, he can expect the protests to ramp up quickly. After going into last season as defending champions, only for a close shave with relegation to cost manager Claudio Ranieri his job, Leicester is targeting stability under Craig Shakespeare. They have spent over £50 million, strengthening each squad department with moves for goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic, centre-back Harry Maguire, midfielder Vicente Iborra and striker Kelechi Iheanacho. Spaniard Iborra has been ruled out of the trip to the Emirates Stadium with a groin strain and joins centre-back Robert Huth and midfielder Danny Drinkwater on the sidelines. But 20-year-old Nigeria starlet Iheanacho, signed from Manchester City last week, has been passed fit after sustaining a knock in a friendly against Borussia Moenchengladbach. "You've got the season ahead to look forward to and everyone's raring to go," said captain Wes Morgan. "We've got our first game this Friday coming and we can't wait to get started."

Football: Arsene Wenger braced for knife-edge Arsenal season

Neymar&#39;s world record move to Paris Saint-Germain was completed Thursday when the French club confirmed the Brazilian superstar had signed a five year-deal, earning him an estimated 30 million euros ($35.5 million) a year.

The deal was signed just hours after the 25-year-old paid off his 222 million euro ($264 million) buyout clause to Barcelona.

&quot;I am extremely happy to join Paris Saint-Germain,&quot; said Neymar.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/neymar-transfer-crisis-hit-qatars-soft-power-play-18575">Also </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/neymar-transfer-crisis-hit-qatars-soft-power-play-18575">read:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/neymar-transfer-crisis-hit-qatars-soft-power-play-18575">&nbsp;Neymar transfer crisis-hit Qatar&#39;s &#39;soft power play&#39;</a>

&quot;Since I arrived in Europe, the club has always been one of the most competitive and most ambitious. And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join my new teammates is to help the club to conquer the titles that their fans want.&nbsp;

&quot;Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s ambition attracted me to the club, along with the passion and the energy this brings. I played four seasons in Europe and I feel ready to take the challenge.&nbsp;

&quot;From today, I will do everything I can to help my new teammates, to open up new horizons for my club and to bring happiness to its millions of supporters around the world.&quot;

PSG said that Neymar will be unveiled at a press conference at the club&#39;s Parc des Princes at 1130GMT on Friday.

He will then be presented to fans at the same ground at 1345GMT on Saturday before the season-opening Ligue 1 fixture against promoted Amiens.

PSG wasted no time in pressing Neymar&#39;s commercial value by announcing that shirts bearing his name will be on sale from 0800GMT Friday at the club&#39;s megastore on the city&#39;s iconic Champs Elysees.

The transfer is more than double the previous world record set by Manchester United&#39;s capture of Paul Pogba from Juventus last year for 105 million euros, leaving many commentators aghast at the rampant inflation in football transfer fees.

Leading coaches such as Arsenal&#39;s Arsene Wenger and Manchester United&#39;s Jose Mourinho lamented that the move could cause even greater inflation in transfer fees and player wages.

&quot;It also looks like the inflation is accelerating,&quot; said Wenger, whose 21 years at Arsenal have been characterised by prudent spending.

&quot;It&#39;s beyond calculation and beyond rationality.&quot;

&nbsp;Pele says &#39;good luck&#39;

However, in the French capital there is huge excitement at PSG&#39;s Qatari-backed project having landed a star name to finally make them feared among European football&#39;s elite with even French president Emmanuel Macron enthused.

&quot;It adds attractiveness. Yes, it&#39;s good news,&quot; said Macron.

&quot;Neymar to PSG -- the transfer of the century&quot;, splashed Le Parisien&#39;s front page on Thursday with the first five pages devoted to his impending arrival.

The mood is understandably more sombre in Barcelona where attention has turned to who the Catalans can sign to replace Neymar in the month before the transfer window closes.

Neymar&#39;s Brazilian international teammate Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Ousmane Dembele have both been linked.

There is also scepticism at the role played by PSG&#39;s owners Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) at a time of political crisis for the energy-rich state which has been boycotted by its Gulf neighbours in recent months and will play host to the World Cup in 2022.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo described the move as a &quot;state signing.&quot;

But whilst La Liga protests at losing one of its biggest stars, Barca&#39;s players have continued to wish their now former teammate well.

&quot;My friend I wish you the best in everything that comes!!!&quot; Luis Suarez posted on Instagram alongside a picture of the two hugging.

&quot;Also thank you for your support, for everything that I learned with you and for the unique moments that we spent together!!!! Keep like this and never change love you little bro.&quot;

Football legend Pele congratulated Neymar on his world record move, telling his successor in the famed Brazilian number 10 shirt: &quot;Good luck for your new challenge&quot;.

&quot;Paris is a beautiful city and one of my favourites in the world,&quot; three-time World Cup winner Pele wrote on Twitter.

Earlier Thursday, Spain&#39;s football league threatened to stall the saga by initially refusing to accept the cheque presented by Neymar&#39;s representatives at its Madrid headquarters.

La Liga president Javier Tebas had accused the French club of breaching UEFA&#39;s financial fair play rules.

Clubs can be sanctioned by European football&#39;s governing body for making a loss of more than 30 million euros over a three-year period.

However, UEFA insisted the move will not automatically trigger a failure to comply with FFP regulations.

He will earn $35.5 million a year in Paris

Neymar's world record move to Paris Saint-Germain was completed Thursday when the French club confirmed the Brazilian superstar had signed a five year-deal, earning him an estimated 30 million euros ($35.5 million) a year. The deal was signed just hours after the 25-year-old paid off his 222 million euro ($264 million) buyout clause to Barcelona. "I am extremely happy to join Paris Saint-Germain," said Neymar. Also read: Neymar transfer crisis-hit Qatar's 'soft power play' "Since I arrived in Europe, the club has always been one of the most competitive and most ambitious. And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join my new teammates is to help the club to conquer the titles that their fans want. "Paris Saint-Germain's ambition attracted me to the club, along with the passion and the energy this brings. I played four seasons in Europe and I feel ready to take the challenge. "From today, I will do everything I can to help my new teammates, to open up new horizons for my club and to bring happiness to its millions of supporters around the world." PSG said that Neymar will be unveiled at a press conference at the club's Parc des Princes at 1130GMT on Friday. He will then be presented to fans at the same ground at 1345GMT on Saturday before the season-opening Ligue 1 fixture against promoted Amiens. PSG wasted no time in pressing Neymar's commercial value by announcing that shirts bearing his name will be on sale from 0800GMT Friday at the club's megastore on the city's iconic Champs Elysees. The transfer is more than double the previous world record set by Manchester United's capture of Paul Pogba from Juventus last year for 105 million euros, leaving many commentators aghast at the rampant inflation in football transfer fees. Leading coaches such as Arsenal's Arsene Wenger and Manchester United's Jose Mourinho lamented that the move could cause even greater inflation in transfer fees and player wages. "It also looks like the inflation is accelerating," said Wenger, whose 21 years at Arsenal have been characterised by prudent spending. "It's beyond calculation and beyond rationality." Pele says 'good luck' However, in the French capital there is huge excitement at PSG's Qatari-backed project having landed a star name to finally make them feared among European football's elite with even French president Emmanuel Macron enthused. "It adds attractiveness. Yes, it's good news," said Macron. "Neymar to PSG -- the transfer of the century", splashed Le Parisien's front page on Thursday with the first five pages devoted to his impending arrival. The mood is understandably more sombre in Barcelona where attention has turned to who the Catalans can sign to replace Neymar in the month before the transfer window closes. Neymar's Brazilian international teammate Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele have both been linked. There is also scepticism at the role played by PSG's owners Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) at a time of political crisis for the energy-rich state which has been boycotted by its Gulf neighbours in recent months and will play host to the World Cup in 2022. Spanish newspaper El Mundo described the move as a "state signing." But whilst La Liga protests at losing one of its biggest stars, Barca's players have continued to wish their now former teammate well. "My friend I wish you the best in everything that comes!!!" Luis Suarez posted on Instagram alongside a picture of the two hugging. "Also thank you for your support, for everything that I learned with you and for the unique moments that we spent together!!!! Keep like this and never change love you little bro." Football legend Pele congratulated Neymar on his world record move, telling his successor in the famed Brazilian number 10 shirt: "Good luck for your new challenge". "Paris is a beautiful city and one of my favourites in the world," three-time World Cup winner Pele wrote on Twitter. Earlier Thursday, Spain's football league threatened to stall the saga by initially refusing to accept the cheque presented by Neymar's representatives at its Madrid headquarters. La Liga president Javier Tebas had accused the French club of breaching UEFA's financial fair play rules. Clubs can be sanctioned by European football's governing body for making a loss of more than 30 million euros over a three-year period. However, UEFA insisted the move will not automatically trigger a failure to comply with FFP regulations.

Neymar completes record-breaking $264 million move to PSG

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is set to appear in court in Madrid today over accusations of evading millions of euros in taxes.&nbsp;

Prosecutors have accused Ronaldo of having evaded 14.7 million euros ($17.3 million) in tax.

They accuse the Portuguese footballer of taking &quot;advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities&quot;.

The prosecutors allege that Ronaldo only declared 11.5 million euros of Spanish-related income from 2011 to 2014, while he really earned close to 43 million euros during the time.&nbsp;

He is also accused of &ldquo;voluntarily&rdquo; refusing to include 28.4 million euros in income associated with the sale of his image rights for the 2015 to 2020 period to a Spanish company.

In his defence, Ronaldo has said his &quot;conscience is clear&quot;.

His agent&#39;s company Gestifute has also denied any &quot;fiscal set-up&quot; and said, &quot;the player didn&#39;t hide anything&quot;.

If put on trial and found guilty, the Real Madrid striker risks &quot;a fine of at least 28 million&quot; euros and a possible jail-term of three-and-a-half years, the Gestha union of experts at Spain&#39;s Inland Revenue has said, AFP reported.

Ronaldo is accused of evading 14.7 million euros ($17.3 million) in tax

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is set to appear in court in Madrid today over accusations of evading millions of euros in taxes. Prosecutors have accused Ronaldo of having evaded 14.7 million euros ($17.3 million) in tax. They accuse the Portuguese footballer of taking "advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities". The prosecutors allege that Ronaldo only declared 11.5 million euros of Spanish-related income from 2011 to 2014, while he really earned close to 43 million euros during the time. He is also accused of “voluntarily” refusing to include 28.4 million euros in income associated with the sale of his image rights for the 2015 to 2020 period to a Spanish company. In his defence, Ronaldo has said his "conscience is clear". His agent's company Gestifute has also denied any "fiscal set-up" and said, "the player didn't hide anything". If put on trial and found guilty, the Real Madrid striker risks "a fine of at least 28 million" euros and a possible jail-term of three-and-a-half years, the Gestha union of experts at Spain's Inland Revenue has said, AFP reported.

Football: Ronaldo to appear in court today over tax evasion claims

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was on Tuesday accused of evading 14.7 million euros in tax through offshore companies, the latest footballer to fall foul of fiscal authorities in Spain.

The 32-year-old -- the world&#39;s highest paid athlete according to Forbes magazine -- follows in the steps of FC Barcelona forward and Argentina star Lionel Messi, who was found guilty of the same offence last year although the sums involved were allegedly smaller.

The issue of tax evasion has caused anger in a country only just emerging from a damaging economic crisis that has seen countless people lose their jobs and inequalities rise.

Ronaldo is accused of &quot;four crimes against the public treasury between 2011-14... which involves tax fraud of 14,768,897 euros ($16.5m, &pound;12.9m)&quot;, the office said in a statement.

&quot;The accused took advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities, which is a &#39;voluntary&#39; and &#39;conscious&#39; breach of his fiscal obligations in Spain,&quot; it said.

Prosecutors accuse the Portugal international of evading tax via a shell company based in the British Virgin Islands and another in Ireland, known for its low corporate tax rate.

In addition, they say he only declared 11.5 million euros of Spanish-related income from 2011 to 2014, while what he really earned during that time was close to 43 million euros.

And finally, they accuse him of &quot;voluntarily&quot; refusing to include 28.4 million euros in income linked to the sale of his image rights for the 2015 to 2020 period to a Spanish company.

Football scandals

The football world in Spain has been rocked by charges of tax evasion or corruption pressed against some of its top stars.

Messi was sentenced to a 21-month jail sentence and 2.09-million-euro fine last year for tax fraud.

The prison term will likely be suspended as is common in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying a sentence of less than two years.

The 29-year-old and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were found guilty of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros of Messi&#39;s income earned from his image rights from 2007-09.

The income related to Messi&#39;s image rights that was hidden includes endorsement deals with Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter &amp; Gamble and the Kuwait Food Company.

Former Barca defender Javier Mascherano also agreed a one-year suspended sentence with authorities for tax fraud last year.

Meanwhile Brazil star and Barcelona forward Neymar and his parents are due to stand trial for alleged corruption over his transfer from Santos in 2013.

(AFP)

The issue of tax evasion has caused anger in a country only just emerging from a damaging economic crisis that has seen countless people lose their jobs and inequalities rise

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was on Tuesday accused of evading 14.7 million euros in tax through offshore companies, the latest footballer to fall foul of fiscal authorities in Spain. The 32-year-old -- the world's highest paid athlete according to Forbes magazine -- follows in the steps of FC Barcelona forward and Argentina star Lionel Messi, who was found guilty of the same offence last year although the sums involved were allegedly smaller. The issue of tax evasion has caused anger in a country only just emerging from a damaging economic crisis that has seen countless people lose their jobs and inequalities rise. Ronaldo is accused of "four crimes against the public treasury between 2011-14... which involves tax fraud of 14,768,897 euros ($16.5m, £12.9m)", the office said in a statement. "The accused took advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities, which is a 'voluntary' and 'conscious' breach of his fiscal obligations in Spain," it said. Prosecutors accuse the Portugal international of evading tax via a shell company based in the British Virgin Islands and another in Ireland, known for its low corporate tax rate. In addition, they say he only declared 11.5 million euros of Spanish-related income from 2011 to 2014, while what he really earned during that time was close to 43 million euros. And finally, they accuse him of "voluntarily" refusing to include 28.4 million euros in income linked to the sale of his image rights for the 2015 to 2020 period to a Spanish company. Football scandals The football world in Spain has been rocked by charges of tax evasion or corruption pressed against some of its top stars. Messi was sentenced to a 21-month jail sentence and 2.09-million-euro fine last year for tax fraud. The prison term will likely be suspended as is common in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying a sentence of less than two years. The 29-year-old and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were found guilty of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros of Messi's income earned from his image rights from 2007-09. The income related to Messi's image rights that was hidden includes endorsement deals with Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble and the Kuwait Food Company. Former Barca defender Javier Mascherano also agreed a one-year suspended sentence with authorities for tax fraud last year. Meanwhile Brazil star and Barcelona forward Neymar and his parents are due to stand trial for alleged corruption over his transfer from Santos in 2013. (AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo accused of evading 14.7 million euros in tax

With <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/real-madrid-beat-juventus-to-win-champions-league-16396">Real Madrid defeating Juventus</a>&nbsp;in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season&#39;s European club competitions. Who&#39;s qualified so far from the major football leagues?

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedcl2017.html">22&nbsp;teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages.&nbsp;Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli,&nbsp;will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition.

The first round of qualifying for the Champions League <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2435148.html">starts on</a> June 27, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/rEJVsV2.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedel2017.html">16 teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A&nbsp;total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting&nbsp;for the remaining 32&nbsp;places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2435180.html">starts on</a> June 19, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/uGFpuJa.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

With the Champions League over, we turn our attention to next season's European competitions and who'll be playing in them

With Real Madrid defeating Juventus in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season's European club competitions. Who's qualified so far from the major football leagues? 22 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages. Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli, will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition. The first round of qualifying for the Champions League starts on June 27, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017. 16 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting for the remaining 32 places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying starts on June 19, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

Football: Who's qualified for Europe next season?

Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam in the final of the Europa League tonight in Stockholm. Can their record in previous competitions give us an idea of what&#39;s going to happen? Here&#39;s some numbers to help you make sense of where these clubs have been and where they&#39;re headed.

How many European titles have they won?

Interestingly, Manchester United (Man United) has never won the Europa League or its previous incarnation, the UEFA Cup. Ajax Amsterdam did win the UEFA Cup back in 1992.

Ajax has won four Champions League titles (or European Cups as it used to be called before 1991) while Manchester United has won three.

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What is their record against each other? 

For two clubs with such a history in European competition, they have faced each other just four times, all in the Europa League or UEFA Cup. The first two matches were in 1976 as part of two-leg tie in the first round of the UEFA Cup back in 1976. The next two matches were part of a two-leg tie in 2012 as part of the Round of 32 in the Europa League. Man United won both those ties on aggregate.

How do they perform&nbsp;against teams from each other&#39;s countries?

The last time Man United played a Dutch team was in 2016 when they played Feyenoord in the group stage of the Europa League. Man Utd. won that match at home 4-0. The last time Ajax played an English team was five years ago in 2012 when they played Manchester City in Manchester in the group stage of the Champions League. That match was drawn 2-2. They did beat Manchester City that same year though 3-1&nbsp;in Amsterdam.

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How have they fared in Europe over the past five seasons?

It&#39;s been a long time since Ajax have progressed this far in European competition. Otherwise over the past five seasons, they have gone past the Round of 32 just once in 2014/15. Man United hasn&#39;t done much better either, with the Champions League quarterfinals in 2013/14 the furthest they&#39;ve gone in the past five years.

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How have they done domestically over the past five seasons?

Let&#39;s leave Europe aside for a moment and see if their domestic form gives us any pointers on how strong these teams actually are.&nbsp;Neither side has much to crow about though, as it&#39;s been a long time since either club won their domestic title. The last time Man United won the Premier League was in 2013 and they even&nbsp;placed as low as sixth this season in England. Ajax last won the title in 2014 but have not fallen out of the top two since.

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Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam hoping to win their first European title in nine years. Here are some numbers to give you a perspective on the final

Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam in the final of the Europa League tonight in Stockholm. Can their record in previous competitions give us an idea of what's going to happen? Here's some numbers to help you make sense of where these clubs have been and where they're headed. How many European titles have they won? Interestingly, Manchester United (Man United) has never won the Europa League or its previous incarnation, the UEFA Cup. Ajax Amsterdam did win the UEFA Cup back in 1992. Ajax has won four Champions League titles (or European Cups as it used to be called before 1991) while Manchester United has won three. What is their record against each other? For two clubs with such a history in European competition, they have faced each other just four times, all in the Europa League or UEFA Cup. The first two matches were in 1976 as part of two-leg tie in the first round of the UEFA Cup back in 1976. The next two matches were part of a two-leg tie in 2012 as part of the Round of 32 in the Europa League. Man United won both those ties on aggregate. How do they perform against teams from each other's countries? The last time Man United played a Dutch team was in 2016 when they played Feyenoord in the group stage of the Europa League. Man Utd. won that match at home 4-0. The last time Ajax played an English team was five years ago in 2012 when they played Manchester City in Manchester in the group stage of the Champions League. That match was drawn 2-2. They did beat Manchester City that same year though 3-1 in Amsterdam. How have they fared in Europe over the past five seasons? It's been a long time since Ajax have progressed this far in European competition. Otherwise over the past five seasons, they have gone past the Round of 32 just once in 2014/15. Man United hasn't done much better either, with the Champions League quarterfinals in 2013/14 the furthest they've gone in the past five years. How have they done domestically over the past five seasons? Let's leave Europe aside for a moment and see if their domestic form gives us any pointers on how strong these teams actually are. Neither side has much to crow about though, as it's been a long time since either club won their domestic title. The last time Man United won the Premier League was in 2013 and they even placed as low as sixth this season in England. Ajax last won the title in 2014 but have not fallen out of the top two since.

Analysis: Can Manchester United win the Europa League tonight?

In a forward-thinking move, the ruling body of English football, the Football Association (FA), has <a href="http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39962886">introduced</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/18/football-association-introduce-retrospective-bans-diving-feigning-injury-next-season">bans</a> for players who simulate getting fouled or hurt in order to gain an advantage.

If a player is seen to have deceived a referee into giving a penalty or getting another player sent off, the footage of the incident will be reviewed on Mondays by a <a href="http://www.thefa.com/news/2017/may/18/fa-to-punish-simulation-retrospectively-180517">three-member panel</a> consisting of an ex-player, an ex-manager or an ex-referee. If, in the view of the panel, the player has indeed deceived a referee, the player will get a two-match ban.

Now if such deception happens during a game, and the referee cottons on to what a player is trying to do, he can penalise a player with a yellow card for &#39;unsportsmanlike&#39; conduct.

Instead of just giving a retrospective yellow card for such action, the English FA&#39;s contention is that by giving a more severe punishment such as this two-match ban, it would act as a deterrent.

Now it could be argued that football is played so instinctually and at such a breakneck pace, that a knowledge of such rules would hardly be on people&#39;s minds and affect their decisions during the game.

But more than that, the problem with anything given retrospectively is that the punishments are given after the match is over, long after the player has affected the course of the game and potentially changed what the result would be.

For example, take one of the most historic dives in world football, the dive by German football legend Jurgen Klinsmann in the final of the 1990 World Cup. Here&#39;s a video of the dive:

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LaPZnPzmNPA?ecver=1" width="560"></iframe>

As Argentinian player Pedro Monzon sticks a leg out, Klinsmann soars over it long before Monzon even gets a chance to touch him. The referee gets fooled and sends Monzon off, the first player to be sent off in World Cup final, and Argentina is reduced to 10 men. West Germany eventually won&nbsp;the final 1-0.

Now imagine a scenario where retrospective action for simulation was a part of international football law in 1990. A retrospective ban wouldn&#39;t even begin to make up for the fact that Klinsmann&#39;s dive cost Argentina the World Cup. There is nothing fair and proportionate about this punishment.

If a punishment has to be given, it has to be given during the game, not after it, and for that you have to introduce video replays.

In football, TV viewers around the world can see,&nbsp;immediately after the incident, slow-motion replays of how&nbsp;a player has dived or faked getting hurt. But the lawmakers in football have contrived to keep this away from the people who need it the most, the referees.

One of the arguments against video replays is that it disrupts the flow of the game.&nbsp;But I think taking an extra minute is a small price to play football the way it deserves to be, justly and fairly.

The issue with the retrospective ban for diving is that it penalises players after the game, but the result stays the same

In a forward-thinking move, the ruling body of English football, the Football Association (FA), has introduced bans for players who simulate getting fouled or hurt in order to gain an advantage. If a player is seen to have deceived a referee into giving a penalty or getting another player sent off, the footage of the incident will be reviewed on Mondays by a three-member panel consisting of an ex-player, an ex-manager or an ex-referee. If, in the view of the panel, the player has indeed deceived a referee, the player will get a two-match ban. Now if such deception happens during a game, and the referee cottons on to what a player is trying to do, he can penalise a player with a yellow card for 'unsportsmanlike' conduct. Instead of just giving a retrospective yellow card for such action, the English FA's contention is that by giving a more severe punishment such as this two-match ban, it would act as a deterrent. Now it could be argued that football is played so instinctually and at such a breakneck pace, that a knowledge of such rules would hardly be on people's minds and affect their decisions during the game. But more than that, the problem with anything given retrospectively is that the punishments are given after the match is over, long after the player has affected the course of the game and potentially changed what the result would be. For example, take one of the most historic dives in world football, the dive by German football legend Jurgen Klinsmann in the final of the 1990 World Cup. Here's a video of the dive: As Argentinian player Pedro Monzon sticks a leg out, Klinsmann soars over it long before Monzon even gets a chance to touch him. The referee gets fooled and sends Monzon off, the first player to be sent off in World Cup final, and Argentina is reduced to 10 men. West Germany eventually won the final 1-0. Now imagine a scenario where retrospective action for simulation was a part of international football law in 1990. A retrospective ban wouldn't even begin to make up for the fact that Klinsmann's dive cost Argentina the World Cup. There is nothing fair and proportionate about this punishment. If a punishment has to be given, it has to be given during the game, not after it, and for that you have to introduce video replays. In football, TV viewers around the world can see, immediately after the incident, slow-motion replays of how a player has dived or faked getting hurt. But the lawmakers in football have contrived to keep this away from the people who need it the most, the referees. One of the arguments against video replays is that it disrupts the flow of the game. But I think taking an extra minute is a small price to play football the way it deserves to be, justly and fairly.

Football: Retrospective ban on diving good move, but not enough

Substitute Michy Batshuayi&#39;s late goal clinched the Premier League title for Chelsea as they beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 on Friday but they were made to fight all the way for the victory they craved at The Hawthorns.

Chelsea were suffering late nerves as a dogged West Brom threatened to prolong the title race but Belgian international Batshuayi prodded home the winner after 82 minutes to spark manic celebrations from triumphant manager Antonio Conte.

The victory, Chelsea&#39;s 28th of the season, put the long-time league leaders 10 points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have only three games left to play.

Italian Conte is only the fourth manager to win the Premier League title at the first attempt, emulating his Stamford Bridge predecessors Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti as well as Manuel Pellegrini who achieved the feat with Manchester City.

Conte, who won three consecutive titles as Juventus manager before taking over the Italian national team, danced for joy and was hoisted into the air by his players in front of Chelsea&#39;s ecstatic travelling fans who chanted &quot;Antonio, Antonio&quot;.

Chelsea have now won five Premier League titles since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003, but this one is arguably the most impressive considering they finished a woeful 10th last season.

&quot;You have to cherish these moments, you work so hard all season to be where we are,&quot; said Chelsea defender and stand-in captain Gary Cahill.

&quot;Consistently we have been the best team in the league. There is no better feeling in football. People have written us off as a team and individually and this has shut them up. We are champions. It&#39;s another one in the cabinet.&quot;

JOB DONE

It was not vintage Chelsea on Friday but they got the job done on a tense night in the Midlands.

They dominated possession against eighth-placed West Brom, who had little to play for but pride, and rained in shots before halftime, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro going closest while Diego Costa sent another effort over the bar.

West Brom offered the odd counter-attack but the one-way traffic continued after the break as Victor Moses was denied by a splendid low save by Ben Foster.

Eden Hazard had another effort blocked on the line but as Chelsea strained for the winner they began to look a little vulnerable at the back as West Brom gained in confidence.

The visitors had a huge scare when Salomon Rondon burst clear past David Luiz on the halfway line but his effort was superbly blocked by Cahill.

In the end Chelsea owed it to misfit Batshuayi, a peripheral figure for most of the season, to win the match and the title with only his second league goal since joining the club.

Six minutes after replacing a tiring Pedro, the striker signed from Olympique de Marseille for 33 million pounds ($42.5 million), stuck out a leg to net Cesar Azpilicueta&#39;s cutback, despite a valiant attempt by Foster to keep it out.

The final minutes were interrupted by some scuffling in the stands but nothing could dampen Chelsea&#39;s joy.

&quot;I am happy. Very happy. It is my first Premier League title,&quot; Chelsea defender Luiz, who has been a defensive rock since returning to the club this season after two years in Paris, said. &quot;When I decided to come back here I dreamed to win the Premier League. I am very happy because my dream came true.&quot;

Chelsea will get to celebrate their title success in front of their own fans versus Watford on Monday before finishing the campaign at home to Sunderland. Then it is the small matter of trying to clinch the double in the FA Cup final against Arsenal.

If they achieve that feat it will be the club&#39;s first double since the 2009-10 season under Conte&#39;s compatriot Ancelotti.

(Reuters)

It was not vintage Chelsea on Friday but they got the job done on a tense night in the Midlands

Substitute Michy Batshuayi's late goal clinched the Premier League title for Chelsea as they beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 on Friday but they were made to fight all the way for the victory they craved at The Hawthorns. Chelsea were suffering late nerves as a dogged West Brom threatened to prolong the title race but Belgian international Batshuayi prodded home the winner after 82 minutes to spark manic celebrations from triumphant manager Antonio Conte. The victory, Chelsea's 28th of the season, put the long-time league leaders 10 points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have only three games left to play. Italian Conte is only the fourth manager to win the Premier League title at the first attempt, emulating his Stamford Bridge predecessors Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti as well as Manuel Pellegrini who achieved the feat with Manchester City. Conte, who won three consecutive titles as Juventus manager before taking over the Italian national team, danced for joy and was hoisted into the air by his players in front of Chelsea's ecstatic travelling fans who chanted "Antonio, Antonio". Chelsea have now won five Premier League titles since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003, but this one is arguably the most impressive considering they finished a woeful 10th last season. "You have to cherish these moments, you work so hard all season to be where we are," said Chelsea defender and stand-in captain Gary Cahill. "Consistently we have been the best team in the league. There is no better feeling in football. People have written us off as a team and individually and this has shut them up. We are champions. It's another one in the cabinet." JOB DONE It was not vintage Chelsea on Friday but they got the job done on a tense night in the Midlands. They dominated possession against eighth-placed West Brom, who had little to play for but pride, and rained in shots before halftime, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro going closest while Diego Costa sent another effort over the bar. West Brom offered the odd counter-attack but the one-way traffic continued after the break as Victor Moses was denied by a splendid low save by Ben Foster. Eden Hazard had another effort blocked on the line but as Chelsea strained for the winner they began to look a little vulnerable at the back as West Brom gained in confidence. The visitors had a huge scare when Salomon Rondon burst clear past David Luiz on the halfway line but his effort was superbly blocked by Cahill. In the end Chelsea owed it to misfit Batshuayi, a peripheral figure for most of the season, to win the match and the title with only his second league goal since joining the club. Six minutes after replacing a tiring Pedro, the striker signed from Olympique de Marseille for 33 million pounds ($42.5 million), stuck out a leg to net Cesar Azpilicueta's cutback, despite a valiant attempt by Foster to keep it out. The final minutes were interrupted by some scuffling in the stands but nothing could dampen Chelsea's joy. "I am happy. Very happy. It is my first Premier League title," Chelsea defender Luiz, who has been a defensive rock since returning to the club this season after two years in Paris, said. "When I decided to come back here I dreamed to win the Premier League. I am very happy because my dream came true." Chelsea will get to celebrate their title success in front of their own fans versus Watford on Monday before finishing the campaign at home to Sunderland. Then it is the small matter of trying to clinch the double in the FA Cup final against Arsenal. If they achieve that feat it will be the club's first double since the 2009-10 season under Conte's compatriot Ancelotti. (Reuters)

With late goal, Chelsea win Premier League

With <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/inspired-alves-leads-juventus-into-champions-league-final-15415">the victory</a> of Italian football club Juventus in the Champions League semi-final against French club Monaco, Italy will get a chance to win its first Champions League trophy in seven years on June 4.

The last Champions League trophy was annexed by an Italian club was in 2010 when Jose Mourinho&rsquo;s Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich 2-0.&nbsp;

Spain has been pretty much dominant over the past few years with Barcelona and Real Madrid sharing the last three titles between them.

Italy has been waiting seven years for a&nbsp;Champions League win. So how long has it been for other major European countries?

Check the graphic below to find out:

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Source: <a href="http://http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/ec2.html">RSSSF.com</a>

It has been 21 years since Juventus itself won the Champions League.&nbsp;Here&#39;s a breakdown of how long the wait has been for major European clubs.

<div class="tableauPlaceholder" id="viz1494412942931" style="position: relative"><noscript><a href='#'><img alt='Dashboard 2 ' src='https:&#47;&#47;public.tableau.com&#47;static&#47;images&#47;ch&#47;champs_win_clubs&#47;Dashboard2&#47;1_rss.png' style='border: none' /></a></noscript><object class="tableauViz" style="display:none;"><param name="host_url" value="https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F" /><param name="site_root" value="" /><param name="name" value="champs_win_clubs/Dashboard2" /><param name="tabs" value="no" /><param name="toolbar" value="yes" /><param name="static_image" value="https://public.tableau.com/static/images/ch/champs_win_clubs/Dashboard2/1.png" /><param name="animate_transition" value="yes" /><param name="display_static_image" value="yes" /><param name="display_spinner" value="yes" /><param name="display_overlay" value="yes" /><param name="display_count" value="yes" /></object></div>
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Source: <a href="http://http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/ec2.html">RSSSF.com</a>

Juventus hopes to end Italy's seven-year wait for a Champions League title

With the victory of Italian football club Juventus in the Champions League semi-final against French club Monaco, Italy will get a chance to win its first Champions League trophy in seven years on June 4. The last Champions League trophy was annexed by an Italian club was in 2010 when Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich 2-0. Spain has been pretty much dominant over the past few years with Barcelona and Real Madrid sharing the last three titles between them. Italy has been waiting seven years for a Champions League win. So how long has it been for other major European countries? Check the graphic below to find out: Source: RSSSF.com It has been 21 years since Juventus itself won the Champions League. Here's a breakdown of how long the wait has been for major European clubs. Source: RSSSF.com

Infographic: Countries waiting for Champions League trophy

Teenager Kylian Mbappe scored twice to give AS Monaco a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in a Champions League quarter-final first-leg match that was postponed following an attack on the home team&#39;s bus.

Mbappe gave Monaco a 19th-minute lead shortly after Fabinho had missed a penalty for the visitors, and they went further ahead when Dortmund defender Sven Bender headed into his own net.

Ousmane Dembele pulled one back for Dortmund in the 57th minute but another defensive mistake allowed Mbappe to break away and grab a third goal for the Ligue 1 side. Shinji Kagawa gave the German side hope with a neat finish six minutes from time.

German media had questioned whether the game should have gone ahead so soon after Tuesday&#39;s attack in which three explosions went off as the Dortmund team bus travelled to the stadium, injuring their Spanish defender Marc Bartra.

Monaco, who beat Manchester City on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw in the last 16, should have gone ahead in the 18th minute after Mbappe won a penalty but Fabinho pulled his spot-kick wide of the post.

One minute later Bernardo Silva burst out of the Monaco half and flicked a clever pass to Thomas Lemar whose low ball across the face of goal bounced off Mbappe&#39;s knee and into the net.

Monaco went further ahead in the 35th minute when Andrea Raggi sent an inswinging cross towards Radamel Falcao and, although Bender got to it first, he only succeeded in heading it past Roman Buerki and into the net.

Thomas Tuchel&#39;s double substitution at halftime galvanized Dortmund who went out on the attack and deservedly pulled one back in the 57th minute.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cleverly flicked Raphael Guerreiro&#39;s cross into the path of Kagawa and the Japanese laid the ball into Ousmane Dembele&#39;s path for the 19-year-old to tap into an open goal.

It was the first time two teenagers had scored in a Champions League knockout tie.

Falcao missed an open goal for Monaco before Mbappe, 18, intercepted a poor Lukasz Piszczek pass, ran on and calmly fired his shot past Buerki.

The drama continued as Kagawa grabbed another goal for Dortmund and Aubameyang headed over the bar in stoppage time from six metres.

(Reuters)

Kylian Mbappe bundled Monaco ahead on 19 minutes with Sven Bender heading into his own net to compound Dortmund's problems

Teenager Kylian Mbappe scored twice to give AS Monaco a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in a Champions League quarter-final first-leg match that was postponed following an attack on the home team's bus. Mbappe gave Monaco a 19th-minute lead shortly after Fabinho had missed a penalty for the visitors, and they went further ahead when Dortmund defender Sven Bender headed into his own net. Ousmane Dembele pulled one back for Dortmund in the 57th minute but another defensive mistake allowed Mbappe to break away and grab a third goal for the Ligue 1 side. Shinji Kagawa gave the German side hope with a neat finish six minutes from time. German media had questioned whether the game should have gone ahead so soon after Tuesday's attack in which three explosions went off as the Dortmund team bus travelled to the stadium, injuring their Spanish defender Marc Bartra. Monaco, who beat Manchester City on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw in the last 16, should have gone ahead in the 18th minute after Mbappe won a penalty but Fabinho pulled his spot-kick wide of the post. One minute later Bernardo Silva burst out of the Monaco half and flicked a clever pass to Thomas Lemar whose low ball across the face of goal bounced off Mbappe's knee and into the net. Monaco went further ahead in the 35th minute when Andrea Raggi sent an inswinging cross towards Radamel Falcao and, although Bender got to it first, he only succeeded in heading it past Roman Buerki and into the net. Thomas Tuchel's double substitution at halftime galvanized Dortmund who went out on the attack and deservedly pulled one back in the 57th minute. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cleverly flicked Raphael Guerreiro's cross into the path of Kagawa and the Japanese laid the ball into Ousmane Dembele's path for the 19-year-old to tap into an open goal. It was the first time two teenagers had scored in a Champions League knockout tie. Falcao missed an open goal for Monaco before Mbappe, 18, intercepted a poor Lukasz Piszczek pass, ran on and calmly fired his shot past Buerki. The drama continued as Kagawa grabbed another goal for Dortmund and Aubameyang headed over the bar in stoppage time from six metres. (Reuters)

Champions League: Monaco beat Dortmund 3-2 day after bus attack

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique will leave the Spanish La Liga champions at the end of the season,&nbsp;saying he needs to &quot;rest&quot;.

Luis Enrique made the announcement at the post-match press conference after Barca thrashed Sporting Gijon 6-1 at the Nou Camp to stay in the hunt for a third league title.

&quot;I would like to thank the club for the confidence they have shown in me, it&#39;s been three unforgettable years,&quot; said Luis Enrique, who has won two Liga titles, two King&#39;s Cups and the 2015 Champions League since succeeding Gerardo Martino in 2014.

&quot;It is a difficult, measured and well thought-out decision and I think I have to be loyal to what I think,&quot; said Enrique, who will leave at the end of his contract this summer.

&quot;It&#39;s about how I live with my profession, with a never-ending quest for solutions and to improve my team. That means I have very little time to rest, very few hours to disconnect,&quot; the Barcelona coach added.

&quot;I think it will be good for me at the end of the season, because I need to rest. That&#39;s the principle motive,&quot; he said.

&quot;The most important thing is we have three exciting months left in all three competitions. In one of them, we are in a difficult situation but if the stars align, we will have a chance to turn it around,&quot; he hoped.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rnhh5ZAYpy0" width="854"></iframe>

Watch: Enrique&#39;s best moments

Barcelona is on the verge of elimination from the Champions League after losing 4-0 to Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the round of 16.

Luis Enrique&#39;s final dream at the Spanish club would be to defend the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles this season.&nbsp;

(WION)

He said he needed to 'rest', and that 'it's been three unforgettable years'

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique will leave the Spanish La Liga champions at the end of the season, saying he needs to "rest". Luis Enrique made the announcement at the post-match press conference after Barca thrashed Sporting Gijon 6-1 at the Nou Camp to stay in the hunt for a third league title. "I would like to thank the club for the confidence they have shown in me, it's been three unforgettable years," said Luis Enrique, who has won two Liga titles, two King's Cups and the 2015 Champions League since succeeding Gerardo Martino in 2014. "It is a difficult, measured and well thought-out decision and I think I have to be loyal to what I think," said Enrique, who will leave at the end of his contract this summer. "It's about how I live with my profession, with a never-ending quest for solutions and to improve my team. That means I have very little time to rest, very few hours to disconnect," the Barcelona coach added. "I think it will be good for me at the end of the season, because I need to rest. That's the principle motive," he said. "The most important thing is we have three exciting months left in all three competitions. In one of them, we are in a difficult situation but if the stars align, we will have a chance to turn it around," he hoped. Watch: Enrique's best moments Barcelona is on the verge of elimination from the Champions League after losing 4-0 to Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the round of 16. Luis Enrique's final dream at the Spanish club would be to defend the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles this season. (WION)

Luis Enrique to quit as Barcelona coach at end of season

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique will leave the Spanish La Liga champions at the end of the season,&nbsp;saying he needs to &quot;rest&quot;.

Luis Enrique made the announcement at the post-match conference after Barca thrashed Sporting Gijon 6-1 at the Nou Camp to keep up their bid for a third league title.

&quot;I would like to thank the club for the confidence they have shown in me, it&#39;s been three unforgettable years,&quot; said Luis Enrique, who has won two Liga titles, two King&#39;s Cups and the 2015 Champions League since succeeding Gerardo Martino in 2014.

&quot;It is a difficult, measured and well thought-out decision and I think I have to be loyal to what I think,&quot; said Enrique, who will leave at the end of his contract this summer.

&quot;It&#39;s about how I live with my profession, with a never-ending quest for solutions and to improve my team. That means I have very little time to rest, very few hours to disconnect.

&quot;I think it will be good for me at the end of the season, because I need to rest. That&#39;s the principle motive.&quot;

&quot;The most important thing is we have three exciting months left in all three competitions. In one of them, we are in a difficult situation but if the stars align, we will have a chance to turn it around.&quot;

Some of Enrique&#39;s best moments at FC Barcelona

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0SI1tJcjjRI" width="854"></iframe>

Barcelona is on the verge of elimination from the Champions League after losing 4-0 to Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the round of 16.

Luis Enrique&#39;s final dream at the Spanish club would be to defend the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles this season. &nbsp;

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique will leave the Spanish La Liga champions at the end of the season, ?saying he needs to "rest"

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique will leave the Spanish La Liga champions at the end of the season, saying he needs to "rest". Luis Enrique made the announcement at the post-match conference after Barca thrashed Sporting Gijon 6-1 at the Nou Camp to keep up their bid for a third league title. "I would like to thank the club for the confidence they have shown in me, it's been three unforgettable years," said Luis Enrique, who has won two Liga titles, two King's Cups and the 2015 Champions League since succeeding Gerardo Martino in 2014. "It is a difficult, measured and well thought-out decision and I think I have to be loyal to what I think," said Enrique, who will leave at the end of his contract this summer. "It's about how I live with my profession, with a never-ending quest for solutions and to improve my team. That means I have very little time to rest, very few hours to disconnect. "I think it will be good for me at the end of the season, because I need to rest. That's the principle motive." "The most important thing is we have three exciting months left in all three competitions. In one of them, we are in a difficult situation but if the stars align, we will have a chance to turn it around." Some of Enrique's best moments at FC Barcelona Barcelona is on the verge of elimination from the Champions League after losing 4-0 to Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the round of 16. Luis Enrique's final dream at the Spanish club would be to defend the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles this season.

Luis Enrique to quit as Barcelona boss at the end of season

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