Portugal star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo's presence makes the team a potential target for terror attacks during Euro 2016, said coach Fernando Santos.
Chelsea got their hands on the first trophy of the English season on Sunday when they beat Manchester United on penalties to win the curtain-raising Community Shield after a lively Wembley encounter had ended 2-2.
Darron Gibson fired holders Manchester United through to the last four of the English League Cup on Tuesday with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford that ended Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of a third successive final.
Romelu Lukaku scored two goals for Everton, one demonstrating rare strength and skill, to knock his old side Chelsea out of the FA Cup 2-0 in a dramatic quarter-final featuring two red cards on Saturday. All the frantic action happened in the final 13 minutes with Chelsea striker Diego Costa and Everton midfielder Gareth Barry sent off but their dismissals only came after Lukaku's brilliance had put the tie beyond doubt. The powerful Belgium striker, who never fitted in at Stamford Bridge and was sold to the Merseysiders for 28 million pounds ($40.28 million) two years ago, proved irresistible with his late five-minute double, especially with a first goal destined to go down in Goodison Park folklore. As the game meandered towards a replay, Lukaku conjured a 77th-minute goal from nowhere, muscling past two defenders on the left, powering into the box and, after some nifty footwork to bamboozle Gary Cahill, firing in a left-foot effort. Everton manager Roberto Martinez hailed it "one of the great goals we will see in the FA Cup".
Wayne Rooney continued his remarkable scoring streak with his 28th goal of the season to seal Manchester United's 2-1 win over Aston Villa in the 50th League Cup final at Wembley Stadium Sunday.
Summary of all that transpired on and off the football field
Strong start bodes well for Spurs' title hopes, says Lee
Aston Villa reached the League Cup final after coming from 2-0 down to beat Blackburn Rovers 6-4 in a thrilling semi-final second leg on Wednesday.
England turn focus to knockout round and the dreaded penalty shootout
Aston Villa took a step towards next month's League Cup final at Wembley when a James Milner goal gave them a 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers in the first leg of a lively semi-final at Ewood Park on Thursday.
Manchester United have been rejuvenated under new manager Jose Mourinho and are poised to mount a strong challenge for the Premier League title, skipper Wayne Rooney has said. The 30-year-old forward, who secured his fifth league title with the club the last time they won it in 2013, scored eight top flight goals last season as United finished fifth and failed to qualify for the Champions League.
England and Serbia will clinch their places in next year's World Cup if they win their qualifying matches on Wednesday while three other European countries can also qualify if results go their way.
English third-tier club Sheffield United kept alive their FA Cup dream on Sunday when two goals in as many minutes gave them a 2-0 victory over Charlton Athletic and a place in the semi-finals.
Teams progressing to the latter stages of the FA Cup next season will be allowed to field a fourth substitute in extra time, the English Football Association (FA) announced on Wednesday.
Relentless will to improve drives City to greatness
Manchester City crushed Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final on Saturday
Chelsea reached the League Cup quarter-finals thanks to two own goals in a 3-2 win over second-tier Derby County on Wednesday as Frank Lampard's return to his former club ended in disappointment.
Andriy Shevchenko might have had problems playing in England but will be Ukraine's main threat in Wednesday's World Cup qualifier, former Chelsea team mate Frank Lampard said Monday.
Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League table with two games to play. They will miss out on finishing in the top four for the first time in more than 20 years if they win their remaining matches but Liverpool and Manchester City do not drop points.
Pep Guardiola's insatiable team were already thinking beyond the magnificent 2018-19 campaign and contemplating a third straight English title win next season with the Spaniard having said they will get even better.
English FA president Prince William called on FIFA to reform and show that "it can represent the interests of fair play" in a speech at the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Fabio Capello described David Beckham's man-of-the-match award as like American president Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize after the midfielder made a 30-minute cameo in a 3-0 defeat of Belarus on Wednesday. Beckham, sporting a bushy beard, said he is taking nothing for granted but insisted he would fight for his place in what would be a fourth World Cup finals with England.
England secured an emphatic 4-0 victory in Kazakhstan on Saturday to move closer to qualifying for next year's World Cup finals.
As the curtains fall on another year, Rediff.com brings you all the action from the sports field that defined 2019.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
Talking points from this weekend's Premier League action as top two Manchester City and Liverpool both won with City remaining a point clear with two games remaining.
Arsenal recovered from going two goals down in the opening eight minutes to beat Hull City 3-2 after extra time in the FA Cup final and win their first trophy for nine years at Wembley on Saturday.
Fabio Capello has picked the England team up from one of its lowest moments and restored trust and belief in the side, David Beckham said on Monday.
Trailing 1-0 from the semi-final first leg, Chelsea turned the tie on its head with goals by N'Golo Kante and Eden Hazard in the first half but Fernando Llorente struck for Spurs in an enthralling Stamford Bridge duel.
Matches interrupted by bad light late in the day will be able to finish once the roof is closed and the lights switched on, meaning night tennis at Wimbledon is likely this year.
Lionel Messi lifted Barcelona out of their recent slump with two goals in a vintage display as his side survived a tenacious Tottenham Hotspur fightback to claim a 4-2 victory in Champions League Group B on Wednesday.
Didier Drogba struck late to clinch a 2-1 victory for Chelsea over Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday. The Ivory Coast striker pounced on Frank Lampard's lofted pass with six minutes remaining to give Chelsea their first FA Cup success over Arsenal since 1947.
Arsene Wenger can be excused a little smugness as he prepares his Arsenal side for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg at home to Villarreal as a bleak-looking season has suddenly burst into bloom. Last week's 1-1 draw in Spain makes Arsenal favourites to progress to a semi-final against either holders Manchester United or Porto while on Saturday they face Chelsea in the last four of the FA Cup at Wembley.
FA Cup holders Arsenal were taken to extra time before a horrendous error by Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici brought the Championship side's dream to an end in a 2-1 semi-final defeat on Saturday.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said he was ready for the start of the season after marking his first competitive game in charge with a penalty-shootout victory over Manchester United in the Community Shield on Sunday.
Adnan Januzaj has signed a five-year contract with Premier League champions Manchester United.
Captain John Terry struck five minutes from time to give stuttering England a 2-1 win over Ukraine on Wednesday and extend their 100 percent start to World Cup Group Six qualifying.
England manager Fabio Capello and defender Rio Ferdinand praised Wayne Rooney on Tuesday after the 23-year-old striker was named England's 2008 Player of the Year in a fans' poll.
England interim manager Gareth Southgate wants the job on a permanent basis, Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn said on Thursday.
Holders Chelsea advanced to the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a 2-0 home win over Stoke City while Aston Villa joined them after coming from 2-0 down to win 4-2 at Reading with a John Carew hat-trick on Sunday.
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