Roberto Mancini, the King of the Italian Cup, took his first step towards Wembley when his Manchester City side earned a 1-0 third-round FA Cup win at Championship side Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Holders Chelsea eased into the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 4-1 home victory over Championship (second division) side Cardiff City on Saturday while Portsmouth won by the same score at local rivals Southampton. After a season of shocks, the upsets dried up in the fifth round as Birmingham City came from behind to win 2-1 at Championship side Derby County with a last-minute goal by Liam Ridgewell while Manchester City and Stoke City drew 1-1.
Arsenal sent Liverpool crashing out of the FA Cup, avenging last weekend's rout at Anfield, when they beat Brendan Rodgers's high-flyers 2-1 in a full-bloodied fifth round tie at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Liverpool beat West Ham United 3-1 on penalties after the teams were level at 3-3 after extra time in the FA Cup final.
The Egyptian Football Association denied reports that talismanic striker Mohamed Salah was on the verge of quitting international football
Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet produced a spectacular double save in stoppage time to earn his side a 1-1 draw at Everton after a pulsating end-to-end FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has defended Dimitri Payet after the influential midfielder was accused of diving by Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal during Sunday's 1-1 FA Cup draw.
'It was a different game (away) and we perhaps let individuals have a bit too much space. Hazard went on a bit of a run and put the ball in the net'
Barcelona will begin their Spanish league title defence away to Getafe on Aug. 13 while Real Madrid visit Athletic Bilbao the same weekend.
This season's FA Cup favourites Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 0-0 draw at third tier Stevenage Sunday but Liverpool laid their claim to be the real frontrunners with a 6-1 fifth-round thrashing of Brighton & Hove Albion.
The FA Cup final will return to Wembley on May 19 after the new stadium was granted its safety certificate on Tuesday.
Nicolas Anelka rescued Chelsea's FA Cup hopes on Saturday, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory at Watford to avoid a shock fifth-round exit. In their first game since Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked and with replacement manager Guus Hiddink watching in the stands, Chelsea fell behind to the Championship (second division) strugglers when Tamas Priskin netted with 21 minutes remaining.
They were charged following crowd trouble during their League Cup tie at Stamford Bridge.
Argentina have called up Mallorca's Spanish defender Pablo Maffeo for the first time ahead of this month's World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil in the squad announced by its FA on Friday.
A hat-trick by Jermain Defoe sent Tottenham Hotspur into the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday as the Premier League side beat League One Leeds 3-1 away in a pulsating fourth-round replay. Leeds, going well in the third tier of English football, had knocked out Manchester United at Old Trafford in the previous round and snatched a 2-2 White Hart Lane draw in the original game.
Carlo Ancelotti backed Frank Lampard to enjoy a successful role as Chelsea manager.
Not only the senior team but the young Blue Colts also emerged victorious in the SAFF Men's U-19 champions after hammering Pakistan in the final and clinching a vigorous 3-0 victory.
Manchester United beat Everton 2-0 to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals, while 10-man Arsenal were held 1-1 by Sheffield United
FIFA launched proceedings against the players who angrily harangued the referee after crashing out of the tournament in Qatar, despite beating Ghana 2-0 in their final group match on December 2.
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Saturday.
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.
Referee Robert Madley was "200 percent wrong" to allow Juan Mata's goal to stand during Manchester United's 3-0 FA Cup fifth-round win over League One Shrewsbury Town, according to former FIFA official Mark Halsey.
Arsene Wenger was hoping to get a better idea from a scan which Henry was having on a groin injury.
The Arsenal manager is not sure whether the injured striker will be fit for next month's FA Cup final against Manchester United.
The deaths of 96 soccer fans in Britain's worst sporting disaster could be reinvestigated after the country's chief prosecutor launched on Monday a formal application to quash their inquests' verdicts.
'An act of racism is a criminal act... From now on, FIFA will take legal actions with local authorities too, we will join complaints filed in local justice.'
Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham will be favourites to reach the FA Cup fifth round via home replays on Saturday.
With Crystal Palace dangerously close to being relegated, manager Patrick Vieira was sacked after 20 months in charge.
The French striker will be absent from the Arsenal first team lineup for the first time this season on Sunday.
The Football Association said it would complain to world governing body FIFA after England players were racially abused by Croatia fans during their 4-1 victory in a World Cup qualifier in Zagreb on Wednesday.
Michael Owen and Javier Hernandez scored second-half goals as Manchester United fought back to beat League One (third division) Southampton 2-1 in their FA Cup fourth-round tie at St Mary's on Saturday.
The Premier League's big-hitters restored some normality to the FA Cup on Sunday with holders Chelsea crushing third tier Brentford 4-0 in a fourth round replay while Manchester City also dismissed Leeds United 4-0 in a fifth round tie.
Manchester United will ring the changes for their FA Cup fifth-round clash with Reading on Monday, but manager Alex Ferguson still expects his new-look side to get through against the Premier League strugglers.
Fifteen fans were arrested for public orders offences during Manchester United's 1-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday, police said.
Sterling did not play a part in England's 3-0 win over Senegal in the last 16, leaving Qatar last weekend to return to his family.
Holders Chelsea and Premier League champions Manchester United were bundled out of the FA Cup quarter-finals. Chelsea lost 1-0 at Championship (second division) side Barnsley, while Portsmouth won 1-0 at Old Trafford.
Reading reached the FA Cup quarter-finals at Premier League at Everton's expense after a first-half goal from defender Matt Mills earned a 1-0 fifth round victory at Goodison Park on Tuesday.
Arsenal crushed Middlesbrough 4-1 while Chelsea ended the challenge of minor League Scarborough with a 1-0 win.
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