New US Open tennis champion Rafa Nadal was given a standing ovation by Real Madrid fans when he strolled out on to the Bernabeu pitch before their Champions League match against Ajax Amsterdam on Wednesday.
Jose Mourinho believes he is the ideal person to bring long-term stability to Real Madrid, and has played down the significance of their disappointing opening day draw at Real Mallorca.
Real Madrid defender Raul Albiol has damaged ankle ligaments and will be sidelined for four to five weeks, the club said on its website (www.realmadrid.com) on Wednesday.
Real Madrid climbed back above Barcelona to the top of La Liga when goals from former Liverpool pair Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa helped them to a stirring 3-2 comeback win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Images from La Liga matches played on Sunday
Images from Day 3 of the French Open matches played at Roland Garros on Tuesday
The knee injury Barcelona forward Thierry Henry sustained in Saturday's 6-2 win at Real Madrid has made him a major doubt for the UEFA Champions League final against Manchester United. Henry will miss the King's Cup final against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday and the next three Spanish Primera Liga fixtures against Villarreal, Real Mallorca and Osasuna.
Sevilla sealed their place in the last four of the King's Cup on Wednesday when they lost their quarter-final second-leg 1-0 at home to Deportivo Coruna but went through 3-1 on aggregate.
Sevilla were on course for a place in the King's Cup semi-finals after crushing Deportivo Coruna 3-0 at the Riazor in their last-eight first leg match on Wednesday.
David Villa netted twice to fire Valencia to a 4-1 win over 10-man Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday and lift Unai Emery's side to within three points of second-placed Real Madrid.
Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni Nadal, will step down as his coach after this year's ATP Tour, as he feels he has been sidelined by other figures in the player's entourage, he told an Italian tennis magazine.
Depleted Real Madrid ended a disappointing week with a 0-0 draw at Sporting Gijon on Saturday, handing champions Barcelona the chance to open a three-point lead at the top of La Liga.
Rafael Nadal looked like he had never been away as he made a welcome return to Wimbledon with a ruthless 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 win over Japanese wildcard Kei Nishikori on Tuesday.
Rafael Nadal looked like he had never been away as he made a welcome return to Wimbledon with a ruthless 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 win over Japanese wildcard Kei Nishikori on Tuesday.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Lionel Messi kept Barcelona on top of La Liga with a hat-trick in a 5-0 win at Tenerife on Sunday and Real Madrid had kept up the pressure with a 2-0 home win over Real Mallorca.
Barcelona and Sevilla claimed the final two places in the King's Cup semi-finals on Thursday, Barca knocking out city rivals Espanyol 3-2 and Sevilla coming through on away goals against holders Valencia. Sevilla, the 2007 winners, will play Athletic Bilbao for a place in May's final in Valencia, while Barca take on Real Mallorca.
A superb Lionel Messi hat-trick gave Barcelona a 3-1 win over 10-man Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their last 16 King's Cup tie on Tuesday. The Argentine forward, playing for the first time since the Christmas break, also hit the crossbar and many of the Atletico fans stood and applauded him when he was replaced near the end.
The Rafael Nadal asteroid, currently located between Mars and Jupiter, is 4 kilometers in diameter and travels through space at a speed of 20 km per second.
An enforced vacation to rest his aching knees may have been just the tonic Rafael Nadal needed as he had a bounce in his step on Wednesday when he bludgeoned Richard Gasquet of France at the US Open.
Fenerbahce have signed Spain Euro 2008 winning striker Daniel Guiza from Real Mallorca in a four-year deal
Rafael Nadal denied a claim from his coach and uncle Toni Nadal that he had a potentially career-threatening foot injury.
World number one Rafael Nadal set up a semi-final showdown with fellow-Spaniard Fernando Verdasco after subduing France's Gilles Simon 6-2 7-5 7-5 at the Australian Open on Wednesday. Verdasco advanced to his first Grand Slam semi-final after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 earlier in the day.
Barcelona and Villarreal failed to put the pressure on leaders Real Madrid as they dropped points in the Primera Liga.
Leaders Barcelona needed two goals in the last ten minutes to beat bottom club Osasuna 3-2 away, and moved 12 points clear at the top of the Primera Liga on Sunday.
Zinedine Zidane has said his side are in a delicate situation as they prepare to host arch-rivals Barcelona in a La Liga title showdown on Sunday
Real Madrid will take the Spanish championship for the first time in four years if they beat mid-table Real Mallorca at home on Sunday.
Watching Spain win Euro 2008 on television has helped Rafael Nadal on his quest to win Wimbledon.
Spanish tennis player Nuria Llagostera Vives, doubles winner at the 2009 WTA tour championships, has been banned for two years after testing positive for d-methamphetamine, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said on Monday.
The organisers sprung a surprise by awarding the third wild card to Bartolome Salva-Vidal of Spain.
Real Madrid won the league title thanks to a new-found team spirit, pragmatic style of play, steely determination and dash of good fortune.
Real Madrid ended their four-year trophy drought when they won the league title for the 30th time after a dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over Real Mallorca.
The England midfielder is fit to play his final match for Real Madrid in Sunday's title decider against Real Mallorca.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
World number one Roger Federer will meet Rafael Nadal on a tennis court with two different surfaces at the Palma Arena.
The champions of Italy, England, France and Germany continued to dictate the pace in the major European leagues at the weekend.
World number two Rafael Nadal has a serious problem with his foot which is likely to affect the rest of his career, his uncle and coach Toni Nadal has said
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal resume their gold-standard rivalry at the Toronto Masters after a month away from tennis.
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