Manchester City conceded four goals in 36 hapless minutes on Saturday as they slumped to a 4-2 defeat by VfB Stuttgart in a pre-season friendly.
As the curtains fall on another year, Rediff.com brings you all the action from the sports field that defined 2019.
Manchester United and Chelsea secured places in the Champions League with wins on the final day of the Premier League season while Watford and Bournemouth were relegated along with bottom club Norwich City.
Bayern Munich moved closer to a record-extending 30th league title after their Polish striker Robert Lewandowski ended a personal jinx in a 5-0 drubbing of struggling Fortuna Duesseldorf in the Bundesliga on Saturday. The result left leaders Bayern, who are chasing an eighth successive league title, top of the standings on 67 points from 29 games, 10 ahead of closest rivals Borussia Dortmund who visit bottom team Paderborn on Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated tennis star Sania Mirza for becoming the first Indian to win the Wimbledon women's doubles title.
The ninth seeded Indo-Romanian rallied to shock the three-time champions 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(9), 7-6(5) in their quarter-final match.
Rome's bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games was unanimously endorsed by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) in what bid president Luca di Montezemolo described as an important signal of support.
Maintaining her rich vein of form in the current season, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Zimbabwean partner Cara Black bagged the women's doubles title at the WTA Toray Pacific Open with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Spain's Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro.
'The fatal mistake for the USSR was the invasion of Afghanistan.' 'Quite possibly the fatal mistake for the Chinese empire is the assault on Ladakh,' observes Rajeev Srinivasan.
Manchester United eased the pressure on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a 3-1 win at Everton in the Premier League on Saturday with Bruno Fernandes scoring twice and Edinson Cavani grabbing his first for the club.
Sania Mirza remained the only Indian surviving in the French Open by cruising to the quarter-finals with partner Martina Hingis while seasoned Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna bowed out after third round defeats in Paris.
Key points from the independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report, released on Wednesday, and from comments made by co-author of the report, Dick Pound at a news conference.
The midfielder will lead India at the Azlan Shah tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia, from May 5 to 15.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos said it was time to give credit to his team after their 2-0 win over Wales took them to the Euro 2016 final on Wednesday.
Juventus's hopes of reaching the Champions League last eight suffered a blow when the two-times European Cup winners slumped to a 1-0 defeat in their last-16 first leg at Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday. Manchester City finally produced a Champions League performance worthy of their status as one of European football's elite clubs by beating Real Madrid 2-1 away in Wednesday's last-16 first leg after pulling off a stunning late fightback.
Drag-flicker V Raghunath and experienced mid-fielders Ignace Tirkey and Vikram Pillay have been included in a list of 36 probables for a camp in the run-up to the men's Asia Cup hockey tournament and the Olympic qualifiers.
The visitors went ahead through Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting but Pascal Gross equalised just before the break only for Kurt Zouma to head Stoke back in front moments later. Jose Izquierdo then levelled for Brighton on the hour to earn a deserved point.
Images from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday night.
Antonio German struck in the penultimate minute before time to help Kerala Blasters FC negate Mumbai City FC's first-half lead and draw the India Super League football game at 1-1, in Mumbai, on Thursday.
Stiven Mendoza was the star of the night as Chennaiyin FC beat FC Goa 3-2 in a dramatic final to clinch the 2nd edition of the Indian Super League at the Fatorda Stadium in Margao on Sunday.
West Bengal, on Sunday, lifted the Santosh Trophy for the 32nd time after Manvir Singh struck in the 119th minute for a 1-0 win over Goa, extending their domination in the premier domestic football tournament.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique defended his team's integrity on Friday after a week in which his players were criticised by the highest powers in Spanish soccer following last week's dramatic 3-2 win at Valencia.
Fidel Castro meets Vice President Hamid Ansari for an unprecedented meeting. Nikhil Lakshman reports from Havana.
Italy forward Graziano Pelle has been kicked out of the national squad over his angry reaction to being substituted against Spain when he refused a handshake from coach Giampiero Ventura.
Oil scandal: UN to follow-up on inquiry committee's recommendations
Espanyol secured a commanding lead in their King's Cup quarter-final tie against Sevilla when Felipe Caicedo, Sergio Garcia, with a penalty, and Lucas Vazquez scored in a 3-1 first-leg home win on Thursday.
India's boxers finished with a haul of one gold, two silver and two bronze, their best from the sport at any Commonwealth Games.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi rescued a 1-1 draw at Villarreal with a sensational late free-kick on Sunday but could not prevent the champions finishing the weekend third in La Liga, five points behind leaders Real Madrid.
Home favourites Talita Antunes and Larissa Franca will be out to prove American Kerri Walsh Jennings's dream of a fourth successive Olympic gold is built on sand when beach volleyball returns to its spiritual home at the iconic Copacabana beach.
The Indian claimed Bantamweight gold by beating Louis Richard Bruno Julie of Mauritius
IMAGES from the Europa League matches played on Thursday
The task force will look at emerging markets, technology, regulatory and monetary policies, loss of trust in financial services, and financial inclusion.
Chennaiyin FC produced a clinical performance and pumped in goals in the second half to thrash Mumbai City FC 3-0 to consolidate their position at the top of the table in Indian Super League at the DY Patil Stadium.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice to earn Arsenal a 3-2 Premier League win over Everton on Sunday, extending the Gunners' unbeaten start to 2020 and moving them back into the battle for European places. The win lifts Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side up to ninth place in the league with 37 points, while Everton remain without a victory at the Gunners in 24 years and a point adrift in 11th.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
There was controversy about West Ham's equaliser when Mexican striker Javier Hernandez stooped to head in from close range but replays suggested the ball went in off his arm.
Bruno Bonhuil died from chest injuries after his bike skidded sideways across the track at the Macau Grand Prix.
Dempo to a convincing 5-2 victory over Salgaocar in the National Football League match
Delhi Dynamos fired three stunning goals and scored another one from the penalty spot to outplay Chennaiyin FC 4-1.
AS Roma needed a hugely controversial penalty, converted by Daniele De Rossi six minutes from the end of the extra time, to see off modest Empoli 2-1 in the Italian Cup last 16 on Tuesday.
