Barcelona's lead at the top of La Liga was cut after a second consecutive defeat and LeicesterCity's improbable march towards the Premier League title showed no sign of slowing as they won a fifth straight match. Juventus stayed six points clear of Napoli after Italy's top two both won and Bayern Munich extended their Bundesliga lead to seven points. Here is a summary of results from football matches played across Europe over the weekend.
Professional soccer leagues around Europe are gearing up for a return to action following the novel coronavirus stoppage, but some are more advanced than others.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagging four goals, while Juventus and Bayern Munich preserved their leads and FA Cup holders Arsenal were dumped out of the competition.
Spain and Barcelona defender Gerard Pique had made his stand clear over Catalan independence last week and, on Saturday, had to respond to questions over comments he made backing a possible referendum on independence for Catalonia.
Striker Kylian Mbappe will bounce back from missing the decisive penalty in France's shootout loss to Switzerland on Monday that saw the world champions exit Euro 2020 at the last-16 stage, coach Didier Deschamps said.
Italy set up a Euro 2020 semi-final with Spain after first half goals from Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Insigne led the Azzurri to a 2-1 victory over Belgium on Friday in an entertaining encounter in which both sides created a number of chances.
Laxmi Negi/Rediff.com picks the very best players from what has been an outstanding tournament.
The old guard, once again, came good for Italy, this time steering the Azzurri to Euro 2020 glory, but wily defensive stalwarts Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini cannot go on forever.
The world's most-talented young players gave India a memorable show of high quality football on the field as the country showcased its organizational skills in a near-flawless and record-breaking FIFA Under-17 World Cup across six cities, which culminated with England clinching the title in Kolkata on Saturday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Premier League matches will still be played every weekend over the period, the FA said in a statement http://www.thefa.com/news/2018/jun/08/mid-season-break-confirmed-080618, with five games being held on the first weekend and five on the second.
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.
Romain Ducret, a 17-year-old supporter of French club Paris St Germain, clutched in his hand a document that soccer fans all over Europe dream of having: a ticket to watch a top-flight soccer game in the flesh. He was among 5,000 fans given special dispensation -- despite the COVID-19 epidemic -- to attend.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Infinite Analytics CEO Akash Bhatia and Lead Scientist Joseph Kibe reveal how AI reads Wikipedia index noise to pull out the winners.
As England begin the search for their fifth new manager in 10 years following their humiliating exit from Euro 2016, there appear more unemployed former holders of the job than serious contenders to replace Roy Hodgson.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Ten-man Premier League leaders Leicester City lost at title-chasing Arsenal, while La Liga pacesetters Barcelona crushed Celta Vigo and Juventus took over from Napoli at the top of Serie A by edging their rivals.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The FIFA legends, including World Cup winner Frenchman Marcel Desailly, Colombian great Carlos Valderrama, Spain's Fernando Morientes, Mexican Jorge Campos and Nigerian Emmanuel Amuneke, will roll back the years and turn out for a short match at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
'Every day, after 'pack-up', Khansaab and Deepika would come for dance practice and rehearse till around 1-1.30 am.' 'The weather was a challenge because while on screen, it looks warm and sunny, it was actually bitterly cold, with a sharp, stinging wind which had the actors and dancers shivering in their summer clothing.'
Moments to remember from the quarter-finals.
Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano said the group had been looking for years at soccer in India and the Indian Super League (ISL), which is currently in its sixth season.
There were a few nerves at the end but Liverpool set up a Champions League semi-final with Spain's Villarreal after Roberto Firmino scored twice in a 3-3 second-leg draw with Benfica on Wednesday to ensure a 6-4 aggregate win.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday.
Goals are flying in by the bucketload at World Cup 2014. Fans, having waited four years to watch and drool over their favourite football players, have already been rewarded. Who scored the best goal of 2014 World Cup? Vote and Tell Us!
'We want to clarify that our desire has always been to apply a drop in salary because we fully understand that this is an exceptional situation and we are the first ones who have ALWAYS helped the club when asked'
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Having knocked out Real Madrid with a 4-1 win at the Bernabeu in the previous round, Ajax came from behind to beat Juventus 2-1 in Turin and complete a remarkable 3-2 aggregate win in their quarter-final.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
England have lost to Germany in their last three knockout meetings at major tournaments
Maradona was a uniquely gifted player who rose from the tough streets of Buenos Aires to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Former coach Luis Aragones, the man who ended Spain's 44-year wait for a major international trophy by winning Euro 2008 and sparking a golden era for the team, has died at the age of 75.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
It would be unfair to expect India to bedazzle crowds with eye-catching football. This team is built around stability, writes Dhruv Munjal
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
From the planet's costliest player Neymar to 'tiki-taka' kings Xavi and Iniesta to the ultimate sorcerer Ronaldinho, the FIFA Under-17 World Cup has been the cradle for many of world football's household names.
Barcelona's rampant trio of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi all found the net at the weekend and unsung Leicester City found themselves in the record books when their England striker Jamie Vardy scored for the 11th straight game.
