Manchester City celebrated their fourth Premier League title in five years in spectacular style on Monday as fans thronged the streets of the city to party with their heroes for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Treble-winning Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes will take time out next season but fell short of announcing his retirement on Tuesday following his club's most successful season to date.
After years of trying, South American coaches are finally gaining a foothold in European football and their growing influence will be heavily felt as the Champions League round of 16 gets under.
Arsenal beat Manchester City 4-1 in a penalty shootout to win the Community Shield on Sunday
Double strikes by Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi powered a rampant Barcelona to a 6-2 thrashing of champions Real Madrid in a spectacular Primera Liga clash.
Pep Guardiola is not the only connection between Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who meet in their Champions League semi-final, first leg at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
Arsenal enjoyed an eight-point lead over City until mid-March but lost it at the end of April and will now look to seek revenge in Sunday's traditional curtain-raiser to the Premier League season, in the Community Shield, at Wembley.
Liverpool, beaten by Arsenal on Sunday, lead the table on 51 points from 23 games but City are up to 49 from 22 and Arsenal on 49 from 23.
Riyad Mahrez scored a hat-trick as Manchester City snapped their losing streak in FA Cup semi-finals with a 3-0 stroll over second-tier Sheffield United at Wembley on Saturday.
The UEFA on Thursday also opened disciplinary probes into the Portuguese coach's sending-off at the Bernabeu and subsequent outburst after Wednesday's bad-tempered clash, which Barca won 2-0.
Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova has suffered a relapse on the cancer in his saliva glands, Spanish daily El Pais reported on Wednesday citing sources at the club.
Manchester City clinched a 1-0 victory at Tottenham Hotspur, while Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Aston Villa.
Lionel Messi scored two wonder goals as European champions Barcelona ripped apart Brazil's Santos 4-0 to win their second Club World Cup in swashbuckling style on Sunday.
Barcelona have hired Argentine Gerardo Martino to replace Tito Vilanova as coach, the Spanish champions said on Tuesday.
Cesc Fabregas's second season back at Barcelona will be an improvement on his first, coach Tito Vilanova predicted on Saturday following the former Arsenal captain's indifferent start to the 2012-13 campaign.
Samir Nasri has left Manchester City for Sevilla on a season-long loan, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday. Like goalkeeper Joe Hart, who joined Torino on loan earlier, the former French international midfielder does not feature in new manager Pep Guardiola's plans.
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes will sit on the coaching bench for a Bundesliga game for the last time when the champions meet his former club Borussia Moenchengladbach in the season finale on Saturday, and hinted on Monday that he might retire.
The heroes of newly crowned European champions, Barcelona, paraded in an open-top, double-decker bus through cheering, packed streets and arrived to a roar of welcome at the Camp Nou stadium on Sunday.
Nemanja Vidic fears Champions League heartbreak for Manchester United if they become obsessed with shackling Lionel Messi in Saturday's final against Barcelona at Wembley.
Monaco swept into the Champions League quarter-finals and left Manchester City to pick up the pieces of another failed European campaign after a 3-1 victory on Wednesday sent them through on away goals.
Eric Abidal netted a rare but superbly-taken goal to give Barcelona a 2-1 comeback win at holders Real Madrid in a King's Cup quarter-final first leg.
Now, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo venturing into smaller leagues as they near the end of their brilliant careers, 2024 may finally be the year for the next in line in football royalty.
Sergio Aguero netted his 13th hat-trick for Manchester City as the champions made light of the absence of the injured Kevin De Bruyne to thrash Huddersfield Town 6-1 and move joint top of the Premier League.
Last term, stung by City's woeful performance the previous season in a 3-0 Champions League loss at Anfield, Guardiola adopted a cautious approach in a goalless draw.
The 21-year-old striker's value has skyrocketed thanks to his prolific form at Dortmund after joining them from Austrian side Salzburg two years ago.
City, who have a 16-point lead, can win the Premier League title with a victory over Jose Mourinho's side at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, but after their 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday, Guardiola said the players needed a lift.
Barcelona forward David Villa fractured his leg during the Club World Cup semi-final against Al Sadd of Qatar on Thursday, the Spanish champions said.
The impact of a television advert featuring bid ambassador Zinedine Zidane has edged Qatar narrowly ahead in the race to host the 2022 World Cup finals, London bookmakers William Hill said on Tuesday.
Tito Vilanova is quietly stamping his authority on the Barcelona team and they head into their Champions League Group G opener at home to Spartak Moscow on Wednesday with La Liga's only perfect record.
Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi still remains the world's highest earning footballer with an annual income of 74 million euros.
Manchester City defender Nathan Ake struck in the second half to earn a hard-fought 1-0 victory over visitors Arsenal in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday.
Barcelona's new coach Tito Vilanova has one of the toughest acts to follow in replacing Pep Guardiola although he is not showing any sign of nerves ahead of his first showdown with Real Madrid.
Tito Vilanova was still Pep Guardiola's Barcelona assistant when he hit the headlines last August after Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho jabbed him in the eye during a touchline scuffle in the Spanish Super Cup.
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played across England on Sunday.
Gundogan was Pep Guardiola's first recruit when he took over the reins at City in 2016 despite the German being sidelined with a knee injury when he was signed from Borussia Dortmund.
Barcelona stand between Chelsea and a second successive appearance in an all-English Champions League final. Manchester United, who beat Chelsea on penalties in last year's final in Moscow, take a 1-0 advantage to Arsenal on Tuesday in the other semi-final.
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Wednesday.
Barcelona have given forward Jeffren permission to quit their tour of the United States to negotiate a transfer to Sporting Lisbon, the European champions said on Monday.
Arteta, who will lead City in their Champions League opener against Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday because manager Pep Guardiola is suspended, also said that his team were better placed to challenge for top European honours this season.
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Seydou Keita scored a stoppage-time equaliser as 10-man Barcelona drew 2-2 at Real Betis to wrap up Pep Guardiola's last La Liga campaign as coach of the club on Saturday.
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