Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric has praised the high-profile signings of World Cup pair Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez and has targeted a clean sweep of domestic and European silverware next season.
"Since 2008 we have never gone beyond this first knockout game and it was very important for us to get that monkey off our back," Modric said.
Spanish media have reported that Real president Florentino Perez would be keen to recruit former coach Mourinho, currently without a club, should Zidane be relieved of his duties.
Djokovic received severe backlash for organising the tournament with an audience amid the pandemic.
Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, one of the most promising young players in Europe, has agreed terms to join Tottenham Hotspur.
The final of the Croatia event in the coastal resort of Zadar, the second leg of the tour which would have featured world number one Novak Djokovic and Russian Andrey Rublev, was cancelled as a result.
Jubilant fans thronged central Belgrade, bringing traffic at the main Republic Square to a halt as they waved Serbian flags and hooted their car horns.
Here's a look at Nadal's other early exits from the tournament:
IMAGES from the UEFA Champions League quarter-final played between Atletico Madrid and Leipzig on Thursday.
Real Madrid forwards Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema struck to give their side a 2-0 win at home to Eibar in La Liga
It was a third successive 0-0 draw for United after a stalemate at Chelsea on Sunday and against Real Sociedad last Thursday which completed a 4-0 aggregate win over the Spanish side in the Europa League.
Champions Barcelona moved five points clear at the top of La Liga with a 2-1 win at Getafe, while Real Madrid fell to a 2-0 defeat by Real Sociedad.
Sania Mirza was recommended for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award on Tuesday. She is only the second tennis player ever to be named for the country's highest sporting honour.
'A look at the winners and losers tells us that the topic of the film is but one factor in ensuring success.'
Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi braved sweltering heat and a stiff challenge from Rameez Junaid and Adrian Mannarino to enter the second round of the Australian Open.
Lionel Messi insisted his fifth-place finish in Monday's Ballon d'Or awards was not a motivating factor behind his sensational performance in Barcelona's 4-0 thrashing of local rivals Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice but had to leave the pitch with his face covered in blood as Real Madrid eased their domestic crisis by hammering Liga strugglers Deportivo La Coruna 7-1 at home on Sunday to reclaim fourth place in the standing
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric urged Neymar to join him at the Champions League winners after swapping shirts with the forward following Sunday's international friendly between Brazil and Croatia.
Marco Asensio followed up his brilliant late goal in Sunday's first leg with a stunning effort from 30 metres in the fourth minute that proved a punishing blow for the Catalans.
Indian-British novelist and essayist Salman Rushdie interacted with guests and signed copies of his latest novel, Luka and the Fire of Life, at Vermillion restaurant in New York Wednesday.
India's second seeds Purav Raja and Divij Sharan were upset in straight sets in the final of the Tashkent Challenger by the unseeded Russian pairing of Mikhail Elgin and Teymuraz Gabashvili, in Tashkent, on Saturday.
French Open champion Rafael Nadal will face his 2012 Wimbledon nemesis, Lukas Rosol, on Thursday, knowing he will have to up his game to avoid another second-round exit at the hands of the Czech world number 52.
Real Madrid moved into the semi-finals of the Champions League after their makeshift defence held on for 0-0 second-leg draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday to complete a 3-1 aggregate win.
Spaniard Nadal was in all sorts of trouble, trailing by a set and 5-4 and with 69th-ranked Rosol serving at 30-0, but his Czech opponent framed a basic backhand volley at 30-15 and blew his chance, Nadal going on to win 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(4).
Novak Djokovic showed a few signs of rustiness after the off-season but still comfortably reached the second round of the Australian Open with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 victory over Lukas Lacko on Monday.
Photos of the German Grand Prix.
Indian athletes will be in action in various disciplines at the 2012 Olympics on Monday. Check out their schedule.
Images from Day 4 at the Wimbledon Championships, on Thursday.
World No.1 Rafael Nadal will begin his Wimbledon campaign against Slovakian Martin Klizan on Centre Court on Tuesday hoping to ease the painful memories of his past two years in southwest London.
Joginder Tuteja picks the stunning new actresses on the rise.
Midfielder Luka Modric and available-again striker Mario Mandzukic will spearhead Croatia's effort to keep alive their hopes of reaching the World Cup last 16 when they face Cameroon on Wednesday, coach Niko Kovac said.
Images from the World Cup qualifying matches played on Wednesday night.
A diving header from Mario Mandzukic took a deflection off the Nigerian midfielder and crept into the goal for a deserved lead as Croatia dominated the count of chances created in the first 45 minutes.
Roger Federer barely broke sweat as he eased into the second round of the French Open with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win against unheralded Slovakian Lukas Lacko on Sunday.
Real Madrid came back from the dead to write another glorious chapter in their history when they beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 in extra time helped by goals from Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo to win a 10th European Cup on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will resume their perennial battle to be crowned the world's best footballer after they headed the shortlist of 30 players for the 2016 Ballon d'Or announced on Monday.
Images from the EPL matches played on Boxing Day.
Arsenal exacted revenge against Liverpool on Sunday, Everton kept a dream alive for their manager and Sheffield United caused a dramatic old-fashioned upset as they all reached the FA Cup quarter-finals.
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