Lionel Messi has rarely been accused of failing to deliver in big games, having scored in two European Cup finals, but after subdued performances against AC Milan and Real Madrid, questions are being asked.
If Mario Balotelli had left his "Why Always Me?" T-shirt behind in Manchester, his former manager Roberto Mancini might well have fancied wearing it on Friday.
Italian soccer is back in fashion and next week three of the four teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League will be from the peninsula.
The Brazilian ace said he is close to his best after making his first competitive appearance for over six months in AC Milan's 2-1 win at Cagliari on Sunday.
Deducting points from teams whose fans or players are guilty of racism is a better way of tackling the problem than players walking off the pitch and abandoning matches, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Monday.
A touch of romance has returned to the Champions League quarter-finals with seven countries, including Cyprus, represented in this week's first legs with AC Milan-Barcelona topping the bill.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was charged with improper conduct by UEFA Wednesday for comments made about the referee following Arsenal's Champions League exit to AC Milan.
Retired Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko has been asked to coach the national team seeking to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil, the Ukraine soccer federation said on Monday.
Arsenal's miserable week got worse on Saturday when they were knocked out of the FA Cup in a 2-0 fifth round defeat at Sunderland while beleaguered Chelsea fared only slightly better by scraping a 1-1 draw against second tier Birmingham City.
German referee Herbert Fandel will be in charge for Wednesday's Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool.
Former World Footballer of the Year Rivaldo, 40, has left Kabuscorp after completing a short-term contract with the Angolan team.
Juventus slumped to another surprise defeat on Wednesday when the champions lost 1-0 at Sassuolo while AS Roma reclaimed top spot in Serie A with a 3-1 home victory over Udinese.
The AC Milan striker says it's not revenge against Liverpool but another chance for his team to make a mark on history.
The 38-year-old is struggling to shake off a knee injury he picked up in Milan's 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford last week.
Two goals by Wayne Rooney, the second in stoppage time, gave the English side victory in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.
Jose Mourinho has rejected the notion Roman Abramovich interfered in team affairs in his first spell as Chelsea manager and also denied the Russian owner went over his head to land big-money buy Andriy Shevchenko in 2006.
Manchester United will be without world record signing Paul Pogba for their Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Sunday due to a suspension, the Football Association said on Friday.
AC Milan has made a 4 million-pound offer offer for the Brazilian striker.
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon set a Serie A record by completing 930 minutes without conceding a goal during his side's match against Torino on Sunday.
Paraguay striker Oscar Cardozo's well-taken double fired Benfica into a Europa League final with Chelsea after they beat Fenerbahce 3-1 in Lisbon to win their semi-final 3-2 on aggregate.
The 22-year-old has signed on an eight-and-a-half-year contract in deal worth 100 million euros ($108 million).
Ronaldinho was given a welcome even bigger than Brazil great Zico when he was officially unveiled as Flamengo's new signing to a samba beat on Wednesday. More than 20,000 fans, entertained by singers and dancers while they waited, swarmed the Flamengo headquarters to greet the gifted, party-loving forward with the toothy grin who was transferred from AC Milan this week.
Juve star Ronaldo's agent rules out Sporting return
Lazio, having endured a miserable start to the season, had high hopes of victory at Genoa, who were languishing in the relegation zone at the start of the day.
AC Milan's maverick forward Mario Balotelli was caught smoking in the toilet on the train during the team's journey to Florence and will be fined, chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Sunday.
Qatari-backed Paris St Germain's mission to be considered one of Europe's top clubs faces its toughest test yet when they host Barcelona in an intriguing Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi's Barcelona gave an emphatic response to the doubters when they made Champions League history by overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit to oust seven-times European Cup winners AC Milan on Tuesday.
Juventus have 13 points from seven games, three behind leaders AC Milan who host Verona later on Sunday. Lazio have 11 points.
Juventus playmaker Andrea Pirlo could be forgiven for having the 2005 Champions League final on his mind when the Italian side take a 3-0 advantage into their last-16 second-leg clash against Celtic on Wednesday.
New AC Milan loan signing David Beckham has acknowledged that playing for Los Angeles Galaxy has affected his England career and said he is glad to be back at a top class side. Beckham, who joins the Serie A club in January on a two-month loan during the US close season, flew into Milan on Saturday and completed a medical before being presented at a packed San Siro news conference full of glitz.
Barcelona need to be more efficient in front of goal and iron out defensive lapses if they are to beat Real Madrid in the King's Cup last four, assistant coach Jordi Roura and midfielder Cesc Fabregas said on Monday.
Lionel Messi helped Barcelona shake off the hangover from their midweek defeat by AC Milan as the leaders rallied to a 2-1 win at home to fellow King's Cup semi-finalists Sevilla in La Liga on Saturday.
Barcelona's dismay at losing 2-0 at AC Milan in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg was offset on Thursday by the news that defender Eric Abidal had been cleared to play after almost a year out to undergo a liver transplant.
AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko will miss Champions League clash with Manchester United due to injury.
Former AC Milan and Barcelona striker Ronaldinho walked out on Flamengo on Thursday after winning a court injunction releasing him from his contract, his lawyer said.
The French defender said he wants to leave Chelsea for AC Milan but the English champions are refusing to let him go.
AC Milan's match against Torino was abandoned as fans clashed.
His best days may be well behind him but Ronaldinho's name still rings a bell. The 32-year-old having had a stellar career in Europe, that included spells with Paris-Saint Germain,FC Barcelona and AC Milan, is now back in native Brazil, playing with Atletico Mineoro.
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