After being named this year's UEFA's Best Player in Europe, Portugal and Real Madrid star striker Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted that Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann deserved the coveted trophy more than him.
When Real Madrid's team of Zinedine Zidane-inspired "galacticos" won the Spanish club's ninth European crown in 2002 it was supposed to mark the beginning of another golden era of European domination.
Victorious Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, his jacket dripping with champagne, said he felt like a very lucky man after his side beat cross town rivals Atletico Madrid 4-1 in the Champions League final on Saturday.
Key head-to-heads in Saturday's Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
List of major transfers in the top Premier League ahead of the 2019-20 season (all transfer fees as reported by British media):
Lionel Messi has been included in Barcelona's squad for Wednesday's Spanish Super Cup second leg at home to Atletico Madrid after recovering from a thigh problem sustained in last week's 1-1 first-leg draw at the Calderon.
Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic crowned a triumphant homecoming with a second-half goal as Paris St Germain crushed Malmo 5-0 on Wednesday to book a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Real Madrid were dumped out of the Copa del Rey at the quarter-final stage on Thursday after losing 4-3 at home to Real Sociedad, while record 30-times winners Barcelona were sent crashing out of the Copa del Rey in a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao.
Real Madrid dug deep in a 3-0 home win against lowly Alaves in the La Liga, but Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain their second Ligue 1 loss of the season.
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is itching to get back into action in Wednesday's Champions League last 16, first leg at Schalke 04 after serving a three-match La Liga ban, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday.
Luka Modric pulled one back for Zinedine Zidane's shellshocked side with a brilliant strike from distance early in the second half before substitute Vinicius Jr reduced the deficit to one goal.
The 55-year-old Ernesto Valverde, who led Barcelona to successive La Liga titles in 2018 and 2019, came under fire this season for the team's dip in performance levels even though they top the league standings at the halfway point of the campaign.
Bayern edge closer to Bundesliga title after win at Arminia
Mandzukic signing adds to the Serie A champs' big haul of strikers as Paul Pogba is targetted by Barca and PSG among other clubs
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has included Diego Costa in his final 23-man squad for the World Cup finals despite the Brazil-born forward's recent injury woes.
Real Madrid ensured top spot in La Liga at the midway point of the season when Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice in a 3-0 win at Getafe on Sunday before Lionel Messi's hat-trick helped Barcelona to a 4-0 victory at Deportivo La Coruna.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez and goalkeeper Pepe Reina are expecting a hot reception when they return to their home town to play Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
"C'est fini". With those few words in French a tearful Iker Casillas brought to an end his farewell statement on Sunday to the Real Madrid fans he has served as first-team goalkeeper and captain for 16 seasons.
Cristiano Ronaldo hit a late double as La Liga leaders Real Madrid thumped Almeria 4-1 to extend their Spanish record for consecutive victories in all competitions to 20.
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde said the football world must get used to the idea that Lionel Messi will retire in the near future.
Daniel Sturridge led Liverpool to a great win over Swansea while Gareth Bale helped Real Madrid to go top of the La Liga table, after shock defeats of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, with a 3-0 win over Elche at the weekend. Chelsea clung to top place in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Everton, while Bayern Munich opened a 19-point lead in the Bundesliga with their 14th successive league win while closest rivals Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund lost. Rediff.com brings you a glance of the footballers of the weekend.
Lionel Messi's first-half goal earned visiting Barcelona a 1-1 draw on Wednesday and a 3-1 aggregate win over Real Sociedad, setting up their fourth King's Cup final in six years.
Cristiano Ronaldo netted two early penalties to give Real Madrid a 2-0 win at King's Cup holders Atletico Madrid on Tuesday which sent them into the final 5-0 on aggregate.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has called Atletico Madrid's Brazil-born forward Diego Costa into his squad for the first time for this month's friendlies away to Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
A round-up of Saturday's action in LaLiga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are on course for a King's Cup final showdown after Spain's two dominant teams recorded convincing home wins in their semi-final first legs on Wednesday.
Images from football matches played across Europe over the weekend.
Barcelona suffered a shock 1-0 LaLiga defeat at Real Sociedad on Sunday that ended their seven-match winning streak in all competitions.
Pique and Pedro put Barcelona on top of the La Liga on goal difference with a 3-0 win over Malaga and Atletico Madrid won 4-2 at Rayo Vallecano to stay hot on their heels. Check out the footballers who shone over the weekend.
Fernando Torres stole the show with a dramatic double as Atletico Madrid secured a battling 2-2 draw at Real Madrid on Thursday that dumped the holders out of the King's Cup 4-2 on aggregate.
Lionel Messi is back in the Argentina squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Colombia after missing the last three due to injury in which his team have dropped seven points. Messi was named on Friday in coach Edgardo Bauza's 26-man squad and will captain Argentina away to arch-rivals Brazil in Belo Horizonte on Nov. 10 and at home against Colombia in San Juan five days later. Argentina have slipped down the South American group standings to fifth after a shock 1-0 home defeat by Paraguay and 2-2 draws with Peru and Venezuela, all without Messi.
The unstoppable Lionel Messi set a record for goals scored in a calendar year and kept unbeaten La Liga leaders Barcelona six points clear of Atletico Madrid in a nervy 2-1 win at Real Betis on Sunday.
Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo were handed two-match bans in the King's Cup after they were sent off in last week's final at the Bernabeu, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) said on Wednesday.
Real Madrid gifted Barcelona the La Liga title when a second-string side could only draw 1-1 at Espanyol on Saturday to leave Tito Vilanova's leaders seven points clear with their rivals having only two games left.
La Liga leaders Barcelona drew 0-0 at Huesca on Saturday and are nine points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid, who cut the gap by beating Celta Vigo 2-0.
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is fit for Tuesday's Champions League semi-final second leg at home to Borussia Dortmund, after missing their La Liga win over Atletico Madrid through injury, coach Jose Mourinho said.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema took Real Betis apart to give Real Madrid a resounding 5-0 win on Saturday that put them level on 50 points with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga.
Sacked Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez says it was "an honour and privilege" to lead the club he has always supported and has sent a "good luck" message to his successor, former France great Zinedine Zidane.
