Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has praised Zinedine Zidane for changing the "recent history" of the club as a player and a coach. Promoted from his position as head coach of the club's reserve team to be Rafa Benitez's replacement in January, three-times world player of the year Zidane steered Real to a runners-up finish in La Liga and to their 11th European Cup. "The key element is Zidane," Perez told Marca on Tuesday. "He has changed the recent history of Real Madrid. Since 2001 he has created a way to understand football that has helped us win these European Cups." Zidane was signed as a player in Perez's first term as president and his spectacular volley in the final in Glasgow in 2002 gave Real their ninth European title. The Frenchman was an assistant to head coach Carlo Ancelotti when Real beat Atletico in Lisbon in the 2014 final.
Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has accused the La Liga club of freezing him out by dropping him from the team after talks on a contract extension broke down even though he was fit to play.
Bayern Munich have signed midfielder James Rodriguez from Real Madrid on a two-year loan deal with an option to buy the player, the German champions said on Tuesday.
Some key facts about Zinedine Zidane, who stepped down as Real Madrid coach after leading the Spanish club to a third successive Champions League title.
Barcelona have been drawn to play Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals. The other last-four tie will see Juventus, in their first semi-final since 2003, take on Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid, the defending champions.
Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale is fit for Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final showdown at Atletico Madrid after sitting out Saturday's La Liga win at home to Eibar, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday.
James Rodriguez will return to Real Madrid's starting lineup for Sunday's La Liga game at home to Granada after being out for two months with a broken bone in his foot, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 22nd La Liga goal of the season to set Real Madrid on their way to a laboured 2-0 win at home to Granada on Saturday that lifted them above Barcelona and Atletico Madrid to the top of the standings.
Under-fire Rafa Benitez said Real Madrid needed to be more consistent and also accused his players of easing off in games ahead of Sunday's La Liga clash with his former club Valencia. The Spaniard is the most successful coach in Valencia's history. He led them to La Liga titles in 2002 and 2004, when he also won the UEFA Cup, and is sure of a warm welcome when he walks out at the Mestalla.
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score 100 goals in UEFA competitions when he struck twice as holders Real Madrid came from behind to win 2-1 at Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.
Gareth Bale is likely to play against Malaga on Saturday as Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is eager to have the Wales winger in form for the Champions League tie against Juventus and the game with La Liga leaders Barcelona over the following week.
It was always going to be a tough task for Rafa Benitez to replace his popular, Champions League winning predecessor Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid and Saturday's woeful 4-0 home defeat to Barcelona has turned the pressure up a notch.
Carlo Ancelotti says he would like to return to England's Premier League but the Italian manager with one of the most garlanded records in world football is not interested in taking any new job this season.
Eight wins and a draw in their last nine games had seen Leicester emerge as the closest pursuers of runaway leaders Liverpool but they went down 3-1 at the Etihad despite taking an early lead through Jamie Vardy. Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Here are five talking points from the weekend in La Liga:
Chelsea's Spanish striker Diego Costa was named along with usual suspects Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 23- man FIFA Ballon D'Or short-list released on Tuesday.
'The current squad is one in transition, but they have some real talent and are showing a strong sense of togetherness' 'I expect to see them continue to grow and develop over the coming weeks and I wish them and my successor well for the rest of the season'
The numbers behind Saturday's La Liga "Clasico" between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Bernabeu stadium (1600 GMT).
Alex Ferguson has revealed that David Moyes, the man chosen as his managerial successor at Manchester United, was sixth on a list of ideal replacements headed by Pep Guardiola and four others, who were all 'unavailable' at the time.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Manchester United smashed the British transfer record when they signed Argentina winger Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid for 59.7 million on Tuesday.
'The only club where her husband replaced me was at Inter Milan where, in six months, he destroyed the best team in Europe at the time' 'And if she takes care of her husband's diet, she will have less time to speak about me'
No details of the fee for Rodriguez were disclosed but media reports said it was around 80 million euros (63.2 million pounds).
Italian Antonio Conte was named as Chelsea's new head coach with a three-year contract, the outgoing Premier League champions announced on Monday.
Juventus substitute Cristiano Ronaldo was denied a stoppage-time winner by VAR as Udinese came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw in their thrilling Serie A season opener on Sunday.
Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to rekindle some of the magic they once served up under Carlo Ancelotti on Wednesday when they face their old coach in the latest edition of Real Madrid's rivalry with Bayern Munich.
Mario Goetze could not stop smiling after scoring his first goal for Borussia Dortmund since his return in their 6-0 demolition of Legia Warsaw in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Portugal's impressive midfielder Renato Sanches is finally ready for his Bayern Munich debut although the 19-year-old Euro 2016 winner still faces a tough challenge to claim a regular place in the team. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has said that Sanches could make his debut away to Schalke 04 on Friday (1830 GMT) if Arturo Vidal is still worn out after his long trip from South America, where he played two World Cup qualifiers for Chile in five days.
Fresh from propelling Barcelona to their fifth trophy of 2015, their prolific strikes are now seeking to break the Spanish record of goals in a calendar year when they play Real Betis on Wednesday.
Goals from Karim Benzema and Jese led Real Madrid to a 2-0 win over Osasuna in their King's Cup last-16 first leg at the Bernabeu on Thursday.
Real Madrid moved four points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring either side of a Gareth Bale strike in a 3-0 win at Getafe on Sunday.
Following this stunning turn-around of fortunes for Barcelona, here is a flashback of some of the best come-from-behind wins recorded in Europe's premier club competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick and Real Madrid rattled in four goals before halftime in a 5-1 La Liga rout of Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu in Madrid.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed his "extraordinary" players after they set a Spanish record for consecutive victories of 19 thanks to a 4-0 success at home to Ludogorets.
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Former Borussia Dortmund manager Juergen Klopp is expected at Anfield on Thursday as the German edges closer to becoming Brendan Rodgers' successor at Liverpool.
Ferguson, who makes the comments in the documentary 'Sir Alex Ferguson: Secrets of Success', to be screened on BBC One on October 31, also defends David Moyes' ill-fated appointment as his successor.
Klopp is understood to be open to the idea of a move, the reports said, adding that talks between Liverpool and his representatives were progressing well.
Images from soccer matches played across different leagues in Europe on Sunday
Brendan Rodgers has admitted that his job is on the line, but has pledged to keep working towards improving Liverpool's results whether he stays on as manager for "one day more, one month, another year, or whatever".
Zinedine Zidane had few equals as a player but heading into his first Champions League final as a coach, he admits that unlike Atletico Madrid counterpart Diego Simeone he still has much to learn. The former France playmaker, who was promoted from Real's reserve team to replace Rafa Benitez in January, steered the side to a runners-up finish in La Liga and Saturday's final in Milan. Real have won 21 out of 26 games under Zidane and lost two, scoring 71 goals and giving away 18. Simeone led Atletico to their second Champions League final in three years. "He has everything that a coach needs but above all, he knows his team and his players well, which is the most important thing," Zidane told a news conference on Tuesday.
