Zinedine Zidane was thrilled to steer Real Madrid to a second consecutive Champions League final in which his team will bid to defend their title against his former club Juventus.
Florentino Perez has acquired a reputation for being Real Madrid's hero after bringing Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham to the club.
Spain's influential midfielder Andres Iniesta says the secret to his top form at Euro 2016 has been his speed of thought. The 32-year-old Barcelona captain has made a smooth transition from an attacking role to central midfield and been instrumental in his country's two victories over the Czech Republic and Turkey in Group D.
Five-times world champions Brazil plummeted further down the FIFA rankings as they hit a record low of 22nd place on Thursday, leaving them sandwiched between Ghana and Mali.
Despite Barcelona's exit from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, coach Luis Enrique said their victory over Sevilla in the King's Cup on Sunday had capped a "fantastic" season.
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta believes his team will be made to suffer by Sevilla in the King's Cup final on Sunday, but that they will emerge victorious.
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak was the hero as the Spanish side reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row after drawing 0-0 with Bayer Leverkusen in an open last-16 second leg.
The Real Madrid captain played over 500 matches and helped the team to three European Cups and six league titles.
Bigger than ever, the European Championship kicks off in Paris on Friday with a four-week feast of football that promises to elevate the game above the corruption scandals and security fears that have overshadowed its build-up. All eyes will be on hosts France when they get the ball rolling against Romania in the Stade de France -- 210 days after suicide bombers at the same venue triggered a night of horror across the capital which killed 130 people.
Vicente del Bosque is still unsure about his future as Real Madrid coach, despite landing his fourth major trophy in less than four years in charge.
The Spaniard will meet Belgium's Christophe Rochus in the title match at the Valencia Open.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has agreed a two-year contract extension with the world and European champions which ties him until the 2016 European championship in France, the 62-year-old said on Friday.
Influential Spain defender Gerard Pique has said he will retire from international soccer after the 2018 World Cup, because he is "tired" of the criticism levelled at him from supporters. The Barcelona centre-back was the focus of attention in Sunday's World Cup qualifier with Albania after having cut off the sleeves from his shirt which bore Spain's colours of yellow and red. Pique, who has an awkward relationship with Spain fans for his repeated jibes at Real Madrid and his support for a referendum on Catalan independence, was heavily criticised on social media and in the sports press for the act.
IMAGES from the Europa League matches played on Thursday
Spain and Italy have undergone managerial changes since Antonio Conte handed Vicente del Bosque a tactical masterclass at Euro 2016, but Spain go into Thursday's World Cup qualifier in Turin in better shape than their Group G rivals.
Vicente del Bosque said his side still has a lot of hard work to do to make the Champions League quarter-finals.
Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic's early goal secured a 1-0 win over Real Madrid and a 2-1 aggregate success to clinch the Spanish Super Cup and gain some revenge for last season's Champions League final defeat.
Diego Costa is in favour with Spain's national team again after a couple of terrific displays -- and nobody is happier than the country's other premier striker, Alvaro Morata. Since coming on for Morata after the Real Madrid forward picked up a knock in Spain's 2-0 win over Belgium in Brussels last week, Costa has done nothing but impress new coach Julen Lopetegui.
The victory takes Pep Guardiola's side into provisional second spot
Manchester United will reportedly make a whopping 30 million pounds raid for Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke as soon as the transfer window opens in January in the New Year.
IMAGES from soccer matches played in the EPL, La Liga and Serie A on Tuesday.
Qualifiers Spain and the United States suffered blows in friendlies, the world champions beaten 1-0 by eliminated South Africa on the SoccerCity pitch where they clinched their 2010 crown and the Americans losing 1-0 away to lowly Austria.
His season has been 10 out of 10 and there is no reason to break the contract, says Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Spain's preparations for Euro 2016 suffered a blow as they were beaten 1-0 by Georgia on Tuesday in their final warmup friendly ahead of the tournament in France. Tornike Okriashvili tapped in from close range in the 39th minute to secure a surprise victory for Georgia at Getafe's Coliseum Alfonso Perez stadium. Spain, who have won the last two European Championships, had not lost since being beaten in a friendly by the Netherlands in March 2015 and came into their final warmup match after convincing wins against Bosnia and South Korea. The hosts, however, lacked a cutting edge against a well-organised Georgia side who defended deep after taking the lead.
World champions Germany are to meet Ukraine, Poland and Northern Ireland in Group C.
Former world champions Spain will have to wait to regain their past glory but they need not discard their attractive brand of football that earned them fans and laurels, World Cup-winning defender Joan Capdevila told Reuters in an interview.
From bloody noses to sparks on the race track, Rediff.com has the best pictures from the last week snapped right here...
The 28-year-old Argentine has scored seven goals from direct free-kicks in this year's La Liga, the latest in Sunday's 5-0 triumph over Espanyol.
Luis Enrique is set to leave a mixed legacy when he departs Barcelona but the coach can go out on a high by lifting a third consecutive King's Cup when his side meet Alaves in Saturday's final in Madrid.
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone praised his team's spirit after knocking holders Barcelona out of the Champions League.
Spain defeated Australia 3-0 in their final World Cup Group B game on Monday, giving a modicum of respect to the defending champions' poor campaign.
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has reaffirmed his commitment to the club by saying he wants to lead them into their new stadium in 2017. Simeone is under contract with Atletico until 2020 but he cast doubt on his future in May, immediately after the team's defeat to Real Madrid on penalties in the Champions League final. The Argentine coach has since stated he made those comments in the heat of the moment, although talk of his future has resurfaced following the team's disappointing start to the season.
In the dying minutes of their Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid, a thunderstorm rolled in and drenched Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon stadium.
Real Madrid survived an early Atletico Madrid onslaught to reach the Champions League final 4-2 on aggregate on Wednesday and set up a mouth-watering clash against Juventus.
Spain defender Sergio Ramos was surprised to learn that the country's record appearance maker and long-time captain Iker Casillas had been left out of the Spain squad by coach Julen Lopetegui. The Spain players met up with their new manager for the first time on Monday to prepare for the international friendly in Belgium on Sept. 1 and their opening World Cup qualifier at home to Liechtenstein on Sept. 5.
Four years after a bronze at London Games made her the toast of the nation, Saina Nehwal will once again carry a billion hopes when she along with the other six shuttlers, including doubles exponent Jwala Gutta, begin their campaign at the Rio Olympics, in Rio de Janeiro, on Thursday.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was forced off in the 15th minute of Tuesday's 6-1 Champions League Group B romp at Galatasaray after sustaining a rib injury in a collision with team mate Sergio Ramos.
Cristiano Ronaldo ensured Atletico Madrid fans will have bitter memories of the last local derby at the Vicente Calderon stadium by scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win for La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Saturday. Ronaldo's deflected free kick put Real in charge in the 23rd minute in the first meeting of the teams since the Champions League final in May. The prolific Portuguese killed off Atletico's resistance by winning and converting a penalty in the 71st minute and capped a harrowing night for the home side by tapping in the third in the 77th.
Reigning champions Spain left it late but Gerard Pique's 87th-minute header earned them a deserved 1-0 victory over a dogged Czech Republic in their Euro 2016 Group D opener on Monday.
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