A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday.
Goals are flying in by the bucketload at World Cup 2014. Fans, having waited four years to watch and drool over their favourite football players, have already been rewarded. Who scored the best goal of 2014 World Cup? Vote and Tell Us!
Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano said the group had been looking for years at soccer in India and the Indian Super League (ISL), which is currently in its sixth season.
'We want to clarify that our desire has always been to apply a drop in salary because we fully understand that this is an exceptional situation and we are the first ones who have ALWAYS helped the club when asked'
Having knocked out Real Madrid with a 4-1 win at the Bernabeu in the previous round, Ajax came from behind to beat Juventus 2-1 in Turin and complete a remarkable 3-2 aggregate win in their quarter-final.
Moments to remember from the quarter-finals.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
There were a few nerves at the end but Liverpool set up a Champions League semi-final with Spain's Villarreal after Roberto Firmino scored twice in a 3-3 second-leg draw with Benfica on Wednesday to ensure a 6-4 aggregate win.
Former coach Luis Aragones, the man who ended Spain's 44-year wait for a major international trophy by winning Euro 2008 and sparking a golden era for the team, has died at the age of 75.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Maradona was a uniquely gifted player who rose from the tough streets of Buenos Aires to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
England have lost to Germany in their last three knockout meetings at major tournaments
'Every day, after 'pack-up', Khansaab and Deepika would come for dance practice and rehearse till around 1-1.30 am.' 'The weather was a challenge because while on screen, it looks warm and sunny, it was actually bitterly cold, with a sharp, stinging wind which had the actors and dancers shivering in their summer clothing.'
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
It would be unfair to expect India to bedazzle crowds with eye-catching football. This team is built around stability, writes Dhruv Munjal
Barcelona's rampant trio of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi all found the net at the weekend and unsung Leicester City found themselves in the record books when their England striker Jamie Vardy scored for the 11th straight game.
From the planet's costliest player Neymar to 'tiki-taka' kings Xavi and Iniesta to the ultimate sorcerer Ronaldinho, the FIFA Under-17 World Cup has been the cradle for many of world football's household names.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The policy of buying players cheap and selling them for a higher price a few years on is a business model that worked well for clubs like Atletico Madrid and FC Porto. With the transfer window open for the next few weeks, Rediff.com takes a look at clubs that made smart deals over the years.
Hosts Russia have exceeded expectations after advancing to the World Cup quarter-finals with a win on penalties over Spain but they will need more firepower if they are to give Croatia a run for their money on Saturday.
India's new soccer league with its cast of celebrity owners, experienced foreign managers and a sprinkling of high-profile players will kick off on Sunday, igniting hopes of waking the country from its football slumber.
Real Madrid fought back from the brink of elimination to beat Manchester City 3-1 after extra time and 6-5 on aggregate in an enthralling and dramatic Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.
Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas believes the European champions have a side with the potential to be one of the all-time greats and it will be with likely trepidation that an off-colour Liverpool visit the Bernabeu on Tuesday.
Laggards in international rankings, India finally made their presence felt by pulling off an impressive under-17 World Cup that drew all-round praise even though the country was eliminated in the very first round.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Barcelona are concerned about the financial clout of the Premier League when the new English television deal kicks in for top-flight clubs next season, said president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
British daily The Times splashed "In the hands of God" with the image of Maradona celebrating after beating West Germany in the final of the 1986 World Cup.
Three South American sides have accounted for almost half of all World Cup titles but their worst overall performance since 2002 has raised the question: Is South American football on the wane?
Italy manager Roberto Mancini said watching three years of hard work come to fruition with Euro 2020 glory on Sunday reduced him to tears at Wembley after his side edged England on penalties.
Iniesta has spent all of his senior career at Barcelona and is their most decorated player ever along with Lionel Messi, having lifted 31 trophies, which is soon to be 32 if Barca clinch the Liga title on Sunday at Deportivo La Coruna.
On the eve of the big game, the Malian footballer tell Rediff.com's Norma Godinho why Real Madrid are favourites and what is plaguing Barcelona this season.
Germany are better than they were two years ago when they lost the Euro 2008 final to Spain, the team they will come up against in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, Germany coach Joachim Loew said.
Second half of abandoned Rayo-Albacete will kick-off proceedings on return.
Barcelona have joined captain Andres Iniesta in calling for dialogue between the Spanish government and leaders in Catalonia to resolve the crisis between the central government and its richest region following Sunday's disputed referendum.
'These matches are all like finals now and if you don't play well, you don't win.'
Federico Valverde has already made over 100 appearances at senior level - while winning silverware and recognition both with his current side Madrid and country Uruguay, and showing the physical, technical and mental attributes to become one of world football's outstanding midfielders.
A summary of Sunday's action in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers across Europe.
Goals by Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic earned hosts Croatia a 2-0 friendly win over Israel in Osijek on Wednesday in a free-flowing match containing several missed chances.
The youngest at Euro 2020 will be Poland's Kacper Kozowski - one of two 17-year-olds in the tournament, which has never happened before.
