TOP SCORERS OF 2013

Player Ronaldo Ibrahimovic Messi Suarez Cavani Lewandowski Diego Costa Martinez Van Persie Aguero

Club Real Madrid PSG Barcelona Liverpool PSG Dortmund Atletico Porto Man United Man City

Goals 69 47 45 42 41 39 36 33 31 30

Next year will be even better' - Ronaldo tops 2013 goals table

The 28-year-old attacker scored a staggering 69 goals during the past 12 months, but he feels that the best is yet to come

Cristiano Ronaldo has enjoyed a record-breaking year - but the Real Madrid superstar says that he'll have an even better 2014.
The 28-year-old attacker has been shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or for his remarkable goalscoring exploits over the past 12 months, with the Portugal international netting 69 times for Los Blancos, making him the most prolific hitman in European club football in 2013.

Luis Suarez as you've never seen him before

The forward gave a candid interview in which he praised Reds boss Brendan Rodgers, sung his own chant and revealed his love of a Uruguayan beverage

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez looks happier than ever on Meryseyside as he shows his softer side in an interview with a young fan.

Getafe 2-5 Barcelona

                                                   Pedro scores hat-trick in stunning comeback

Gerardo Martino's men trailed 2-0 but produced scored five times without reply to complete a remarkable turnaround

Pedro scored a hat-trick as Barcelona produced a stunning comeback to beat Getafe 5-2 in La Liga.

The winger shrugged off the absence of Lionel Messi and Neymar to take centre stage, scoring the club's fastest league hat-trick since Dani's in September 1999 to move to 10 league goals for the season. 

Falcao: Ronaldo better than Messi

he Colombia international has described the pair as 'the two most important players in the world' but feels that the Portuguese ace has the edge Monaco striker Radamel Falcao believes that Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo is a better player than Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.

The Colombia international is a huge admirer of both players, having played alongside them in La Liga for two years before leaving Atletico Madrid for Monaco during the summer.

Ribery should win Ballon d'Or, not Messi

he Spain midfielder believes that his team-mate deserves the award over the Barcelona star, having won an unprecedented German treble with Bayern Munich Thiago Alcantara has claimed that Franck Ribery should win the Ballon d'Or over Lionel Messi after Bayern Munich's trophy haul in 2013.

Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea

Frank Lampard struck the crossbar and Olivier Giroud spurned two big late chances as two of the Premier League's leading title contenders cancelled each other out
Jose Mourinho's men wasted the two best chances of a cagey first half, with Frank Lampard striking the underside of the crossbar with a fierce volley and Willian forcing a low save from Wojciech Szczesny.

Messi hits out at Barcelona vice-president

The prolific attacker has slammed the Blaugrana director for his lack of knowledge about the game and has defended the work of his charity

Lionel Messi has hit out at Barcelona vice-president Javier Faus in the wake of the latter's comments that the Argentina international will not be offered an improved deal any time soon.

A number of recent reports suggested that the prolific attacker had requested a pay-rise which would make him the best-paid player in La Liga again, prompting Faus to stress that Barca have no intention to hand Messi a new deal hardly a year after his previous extension.

However, Messi has insisted that he never asked for a new deal and has hit out at Faus for his lack of football knowledge.

"Faus is a person who does not know anything about football," Messi told RAC1.

"He tries to run Barcelona like a business, but this is a football club. Barcelona are the best club in the world and should also have the best directors in the world.

"I have never asked for a new contract and neither has any of my representatives."

The 26-year-old also took the time to discuss recent allegations that his foundation is involved in a money laundering scandal and stressed that he has not done anything wrong.

"I haven't read anything myself, but my family has told me what's being said. I deeply regret these allegations because everything we earn with these games goes to charity."

Messi is currently recovering from a hamstring injury in Argentina.

Valencia 2-3 Real Madrid

ese Rodriguez came off the bench to earn Real Madrid a crucial 3-2 victory over Valencia at Mestalla on Sunday night.

In what was Nico Estevez's first league game in temporary charge of Valencia, following the exit of Miroslav Djukic on Monday, the hosts showed plenty of character to equalise twice at the Mestalla on Sunday.However, substitute Jese denied the home side as Los Blancos made it seven league games unbeaten on a weekend when title rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid both won going into the mid-season break.
A superb solo effort from Angel Di Maria put Madrid ahead after 28 minutes, with the forward darting between Jeremy Mathieu and Juan Bernat before firing home.The visitors' lead was cancelled out six minutes later when Pablo Piatti headed the home side level after good work down the left by Bernat.Cristiano Ronaldo then headed his 18th La Liga goal of the season to restore his side's advantage, but again Valencia hit back, with Mathieu equalising with a header from Dani Parejo's corner just after the hour.Just when it looked as though Valencia would frustrate Madrid, Jese popped up with the winner eight minutes from time - his driven effort squirming through Vicente Guaita's hands.Ancelotti was unable to name Gareth Bale in his Blancos squad after he suffered a calf injury in training in midweek. The Italian was also without the injured Raphael Varane and the suspended Pepe, with Nacho retaining his place from Real's 2-0 Copa del Rey win over Xativa.Estevez made four changes from Valencia's 3-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid with goalkeeper Guaita among those brought in. Sergio Canales had to settle for a place on the bench against his former club.Xabi Alonso came close to connecting with a Marcelo corner at the far post after 16 minutes before Ronaldo flashed a shot wide, as Madrid enjoyed much of the early pressure.The visitors' positive start was rewarded two minutes before the half-hour mark when Di Maria cut inside from the right before beating two Valencia defenders and finding the far corner of Guaita's net.However, their joy was short-lived as Piatti stole in ahead of Sergio Ramos to head home Bernat's delivery six minutes later.The goals continued to flow as Di Maria turned provider for Madrid's second, supplying a teasing set-piece delivery for Ronaldo to head home unmarked after 40 minutes.In what was a low-key start to the second half, neither side were able to fashion any clear-cut chances until Mathieu drew Valencia level a minute after the hour mark.The defender shook off the attentions of Ramos to angle a header past Diego Lopez and register his first goal of the season.It mattered little, however, as Guaita failed to stop Jese's low strike after 82 minutes, ensuring Ancelotti's men remain five points off La Liga's two frontrunners.

I don't care whether Ronaldo attends Ballon d'Or gala

The France international is only thinking about himself and has admitted that the decision to extend the voting deadline could hurt his chances

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has insisted that he does not care whether or not Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo will attend next month's Fifa Ballon d'Or gala in Zurich.

Iniesta's new €14m Barca deal finally ends Madrid dream of signing Spain star

The midfielder will put pen to paper on a lucrative new contract next week and now looks set to see out his career at Camp Nou, despite Real's long-standing interest

Andres Iniesta wll become Barcelona's highest earner after Lionel Messi when he pens his new contract agreement next week, in a deal which finally ends Real Madrid's long-standing interest in signing the Spain star.

Messi deserves to be the best-paid player in the world

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell says Lionel Messi deserves to be the highest paid footballer in the world.

Reports have suggested Messi, 26, who is under contract until the summer of 2018, is chasing an improved contract after seeing Neymar arrive at Camp Nou in a big-money deal in the summer.

All-time World Cup top scorers

Pele scored more than a thousand goals in his professional career and his magical scoring touch never let him down at the World Cups.
In the 1958 edition as a 17-year-old, Pele scored six goals in four matches, including a hat-trick against France in the semi-final and a brace against Sweden in the final, becoming the youngster-ever footballer to achieve those two feats.

Andy Murray hopes to repay British public at Australian Open

Andy Murray wants to repay the British public with Australian Open success next month after being crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

The 26-year-old Wimbledon champion beat rugby union player Leigh Halfpenny and jockey AP McCoy to the award.
Murray is training in Miami to prepare for 2014's first Grand Slam, which starts in Melbourne on 13 January.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Live Score, Stream & Updates | PAK vs SL | Wed Dec 18 2013

1st ODI Preview

In-form Pakistan are seeking to build on their recent thrilling one-day triumph in South Africa when they take on dangerous but rusty Sri Lanka in a five-match series starting in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.

Ashes 2013-14: Michael Clarke wants 5-0 Australia whitewash

Australia captain Michael Clarke says he is aiming to whitewash England and eventually become the best team in the world following their Ashes success.
Australia won the Ashes for the first time since 2007 with a 150-run victory in the third Test in Perth that put them 3-0 up with two matches to play.

Managing director Ian Ayre has held the first meeting with the Uruguayan's agent in Barcelona and hopes to ward off interest from Europe's top clubs with a new big-money deal

Liverpool have made the first step in their bid to tie Luis Suarez down to a club-record contract.

Managing director Ian Ayre flew to Barcelona to hold talks with Suarez's agent, Pere Guardiola, on Tuesday and, although he did not offer a new deal, the meeting signals the Reds' intent to avoid another protracted summer saga.

It is understood that the club are prepared to pay their star forward more than £130,000 (€154,000) per week to stay at Anfield for the long-term.

Liverpool, under the stewardship of Fenway Sports Group, have traditionally been reluctant to open contract negotiations during the season but are desperate to fend off interest in the Uruguay international, whose current deal expires in 2016.

The 26-year-old has been in blistering form since returning from suspension for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, scoring 17 Premier League goals in 11 games and keeping his side just two points behind Arsenal at the top of the table.

Goal understands that Real Madrid are preparing to lay the groundwork on a £60 million (€70m) move in January, though the Spanish giants expect a deal to be more likely next summer.

Suarez spent the summer angling for a move away from Anfield in pursuit of Champions League football, which strained relations between the player, his agent and the club.

But he has put that behind with a string of exceptional displays and is now settled on Merseyside once more. Liverpool, for their part, believe that the striker's efforts were driven by Champions League ambition rather than financial reward and hope to offer him both next season.

After being named the Football Supporters' Federation's player of the year for 2013 on Monday, Suarez said: "After so many difficult moments for me I was able to win the supporters back, and that was unbelievable when I came back to play."

Leicester City 1-3 Manchester City

After Aleksandar Kolarov's early free kick opened the scoring, the Bosnian striker took the game away from their Championship opponents to reach the Capital One Cup semi-finals

Aleksandar Kolarov opened the scoring early in the first half with a stunning 30-yard free kick and Edin Dzeko doubled the visitors' lead just before the break with a close-range header.

The Bosnian striker piled more misery on Leicester eight minutes into the second half with his seventh goal in eight Capital One Cup appearances and City's 19th in six matches across all competitions.

The Foxes - the last Championship representatives in the competition - struggled to stretch Joe Hart but were able to grab a late consolation as Lloyd Dyer netted his seventh goal of the season.

Barcelona 3-0 Cartagena

Barcelona coasted through to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey with a 3-0 victory over Cartagena on Wednesday night.

Leading 4-1 from the first leg, the Catalans put the outcome beyond all doubt when Pedro struck just after the half-hour mark.

Cristian Tello doubled the Blaugrana's advantage with his 68th-minute strike before Neymar maintained his impressive scoring streak with a goal right at the death.

Cartagena faced an unenviable task in trying to turn around a three-goal deficit and their cause was hardly aided by the injury-enforced withdrawal of Eric Lopez after just six minutes of play at Camp Nou, with Fernando coming on in his place.

Barcelona, though, initially struggled to break the visitors down but they finally made the breakthrough in the 31st minute when Pedro swept home a fine cross from the right from Martin Montoya.

The Blaugrana only added a second midway through the second half, in fortuitous circumstances when Tello found the back of the net with a deflected attempted cross.

However, the Catalans sealed victory in fine style, with Neymar heading home his sixth goal in his last three games in all competitions after a terrific run from Andres Iniesta.

Up next for Barcelona is a Liga clash with Getafe on Sunday.

Cristiano with his mother, girlfriend, son and Madeira president Alberto Joao Jardim

Ronaldo recalls his meeting with Nelson Mandela

Ronaldo with one of his Golden Shoes at the museum

Cristiano with girlfriend Irina at the inauguration on Sunday

Cristiano Ronaldo's new museum

With the Museu CR7 in the Portuguese star's native Madeira unveiled on Sunday, Goal takes a look at the very best images from the grand opening in Funchal

The Museu CR7 is now officially open. Family, friends and a host of Portuguese celebrities were present on Sunday to witness the Real Madrid forward's latest venture as the 28-year-old's museum in Madeira's capital Funchal opened its doors to the world.

Here, Goal looks at some of the best images from the inauguration of the new Museu CR7...

Barcelona 6-1 Celtic

Neymar hat-trick wins group as Barca run riot

The Brazilian opened his Champions League account with three goals as the Liga side secured top spot in devastating fashion, while the visitors bow out with a whimper

The Brazil star had not previously scored in Europe's premier club competition, but was in irrepressible form against the Scottish champions at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Barca lost their last Champions League outing at Ajax, but were in no mood to repeat that disappointment as they dismantled Celtic with an irresistible attacking display.

Gerard Pique began the rout after just seven minutes, before Pedro doubled the hosts' advantage five minutes before the interval.

Neymar's first goal came in the 44th minute, and he had completed his treble before the hour-mark with two superb finishes before substitute Cristian Tello added a sixth 18 minutes from time.

Georgios Samaras grabbed a late consolation with a header two minutes before the end, but the hosts were in ominous form as they won the group with consummate ease.

Barca dominated the game from the outset, and were rewarded for their early pressure when Pique broke the deadlock after just seven minutes.

Fraser Forster did well to save Alexis Sanchez's deflected shot with his legs, but the Celtic keeper was powerless to prevent Pique from rifling the rebound into the roof of the net from six yards.

The game continued to be played exclusively in Celtic’s half, but Martino’s men had to wait until five minutes prior to the break to finally double their advantage courtesy of Pedro.

Pique was again heavily involved as he played a fine pass to Neymar, who raced away from Efe Ambrose and squared for the winger to finish neatly from close range.

And Barca extended their lead further just before half-time as Neymar - who was recalled by Gerardo Martino after being rested for the Copa del Rey win at Cartagena - tapped home a typically free-flowing move involving Xavi, Sergi Roberto, Alexis and Martin Montoya.

Xavi and Sergi linked well before the outstanding Sanchez lifted a deft pass into the path of Montoya, who rolled the ball across the face of goal for the Brazilian to convert.

Martino’s side were in no mood to take their foot off the pedal after half-time, and it took Neymar just three minutes of the second period to grab his second of the game following another sumptuous passing move.

The 21-year-old played a slick one-two with Xavi after more good work from Sergi before firing unerringly into the top corner from 10 yards.

And Neymar completed his hat-trick just before the hour as he collected Adriano’s pass down the left, bamboozled Ambrose with some sensational footwork and slotted past Forster, with Matthews unable to clear on the line.

Barca continued searching for more goals to banish the memory of their defeat in Amsterdam, and Tello got in on the act on 72 minutes when his shot deflected past the helpless Forster.

Samaras then restored a semblance of respectability to the scoreline for Celtic on 88 minutes when he headed home a free-kick from close range. 

 

Napoli 2-0 Arsenal

Arsene Wenger's side were beaten in Italy, with Mikel Arteta shown a red card in the second half, but the result still sees them qualify at the Serie A outfit's expense

 

Two late goals for Napoli proved to be in vain as they crashed out of the Champions League despite a 2-0 victory over 10-man Arsenal.

Needing to win by three goals to definitely go through, it took until the 73rd minute for the Italians to get on the scoresheet, Gonzalo Higuain hitting a shot on the turn from around 18 yards to send the home fans into raptures, before Mikel Arteta saw red for a second bookable offence.
But news from Marseille was met with cries of despair from the stands, with Kevin Grosskreutz firing Borussia Dortmund to a last-gasp 2-1 victory and sending the Germans through as winners of Group F.
Jose Callejon added a second for Napoli at the death, but it was too little too late for the Serie A club.
Arsenal go through as runners-up and have now qualified from the group stages for 14 consecutive seasons.
Pepe Reina once again missed out for the hosts, but was fit enough for a place among the substitutes, while Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere dropped to the Arsenal bench in favour of Tomas Rosicky and Mathieu Flamini as Arsene Wenger made two alterations to the side that were held 1-1 by Everton on Sunday.
Napoli applied the early pressure, Goran Pandev forcing Wojciech Szczesny into a save from a tight angle in the ninth minute after receiving the ball from a Dries Mertens cross.
Wenger’s men weathered the early storm and Olivier Giroud finally posed a threat at the other end of the pitch in the 23rd minute, with stand-in keeper Rafael Cabral punching away his effort from the left-hand side of the penalty area.
Christian Maggio then found some space down the right seven minutes before the break, but chipped over with Szczesny advancing, before the Pole’s blushes were saved as Higuain nodded wide from a dreadful attempted clearance.
Mesut Ozil unleashed a shot from distance four minutes into the second period, but saw it bounce well wide of the left-hand post.
Pablo Armero was denied by Szczesny at close range, Callejon dragged a shot wide and Higuain blazed over as Napoli reacted to a raucous home support.
But Higuain, who was linked with a move to Arsenal in the close season, appeared to have sent Napoli through in the 74th minute, turning superbly just inside the penalty area and sending a left-footed effort beyond Szczesny for his first goal against English opposition in the Champions League.
And Napoli received a boost just a couple of minutes later, as Arteta was given his marching orders for a second yellow card, before Callejon chipped a second from close range in stoppage time.
But it left the hosts one goal short of qualification as they became the first club to rack up 12 points but not go through to the last 16, while Arsenal could face the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain after finishing second in the group.

Casillas nominated for Fifpro Team of the Year

The Real Madrid captain has lost his place in the Blancos first team this year but is still in the running for the annual XI alongside the likes of Manuel Neuer

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has been named among the nominees for the Fifa/Fifpro Team of the Year for 2013.

The Spain skipper has endured a frustrating time over the last 12 months, losing his place in the Blancos first team to Diego Lopez after suffering a hand injury in January.

Casillas has not made a Liga appearance for the club since, though he has featured under Carlo Ancelotti in the Champions League and for Spain at the Confederations Cup.

Meanwhile, his rival for the No.1 jersey with the world champions, Barcelona's Victor Valdes is also among the nominees, alongside Manuel Neuer, who led Bayern Munich to the treble last term.

Petr Cech of Europa League winners Chelsea and Gianluigi Buffon, who captained Juventus to a second straight Serie A title complete the field.

Last term, an all-Liga XI was named, with only Atletico Madrid's Radamel Falcao coming from outside the Real Madrid and Barcelona squads and Casillas in goal.

The 55-strong shortlist for the Fifa/Fifpro XI will be revealed on December 9.

Ronaldo breaks Messi's record for Champions League goals in a calendar year

Cristiano Ronaldo has broken the record held for Champions League goals scored in a calendar year after his second-half strike for Real Madrid at Juventus on Tuesday - overtaking the mark previously set by Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo latched on to a Karim Benzema pass in the 52nd minute and beat Gianluigi Buffon with a right-footed finish to level the scores at 1-1 after Arturo Vidal had blasted the Bianconeri in front from the penalty spot in the first half.

It was the Portuguese's eighth goal in four Group B games this term and his 14th in the Champions League this calendar year, a total which sees him surpass Messi's 13 strikes in 2012.

Ronaldo's goal was his 59th in the Champions League. The Portuguese now trails only Messi (63) and Raul (71). He also needs just one more strike to set a new group stage record currently shared with Hernan Crespo, Filippo Inzaghi and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Messi, meanwhile, can add to his tally for Barca on Wednesday at home to AC Milan. The Argentine has hit seven goals in the Champions League in 2013, having been restricted by injury at the end of last season and also at the beginning of the current campaign.

Ramos: Which club can spend €1 billion on Cristiano Ronaldo?

Sergio Ramos has warned potential suitors of Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo that the 28-year-old would cost €1 billion (£844 million).
The Portuguese attacker has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain as negotiations over a new contract at the Santiago Bernabeu drag on but the defender believes that their star man is happy in the Spanish capital.
'You have to see which club has €1bn to pay what he is worth,' the defender told reporters when quizzed on the French side's interest in the former Manchester United man.
'He should be in Madrid and he is happy here.'
Madrid take on local rivals Atletico in the Copa del Rey final on Friday and Ramos admits that failure to beat Diego Simeone's side would put a negative spin on the whole season.
'It would be a failure in terms of titles,' he conceded. 'There are different ways of losing. If you have to lose, it should be with the same attitude as we had against Borussia Dortmund.
'There are no favourites in the final. After the Champions League, this competition is worth a little more. Injuries? There are no excuses. You play in finals to win.'
An injury to Raphael Varane means that Pepe is likely to partner Ramos at centre-back but the Spaniard is happy to play alongside anyone.
'It's not my call. I'm not a coach. We all want to play - Pepe included,' he added. 'He trains with the team and the squad depends on the coach.'

Ferguson: United were unlucky

Sir Alex Ferguson: Felt Manchester United were unlucky against Manchester City

United's lead at the top of the table was trimmed to 12 points with seven games remaining after an excellent solo effort from substitute Sergio Aguero earned City the win.
Ferguson, who believes there was an element of offside about City's opener from James Milner, was satisfied with his side's performance, particularly in the second half.

"It was a very tense, competitive game, it was the two best teams in the country," Ferguson told Sky Sports 1. "The opening period was end to end, but nothing quite happened.
"We were quite dangerous a few times on the counter-attack and we maybe could have done better, but in the second half I thought we were the better team and were unlucky to lose it.
"If you look at the goals we lost, I know Aguero is a fantastic finisher but we gave him a lot of room and for the first goal certainly Tevez is interfering with play, but the linesman that side, there's no way he's giving that, but Tevez is clearly in the road of the keeper. If that's not interference, I don't know what is.
"I was pleased with the performance in the second half. I thought we did really well coming back from 1-0 down.
"If you look at the whole thing it's not a bad day for us in terms of the performance level. It was a very intense game. You don't want to lose a derby game but we're okay."
Ferguson dismissed suggestions that United's huge lead at the summit had allowed complacency to creep in and he is now turning his focus to Sunday's game at Stoke City.

He added: "We won't be doing that. If you look at the history of this club over the years, we always make it difficult for ourselves and have the supporters hanging on the edge of their seats.
"It's a 12-point lead and there are only seven games left. Each game that goes along you whittle them down.
"It's Stoke on Sunday which will be a big effort and we'll have a go."

Kompany and Milner keen for Manchester City to take derby form into next season

Despite both players conceding that the Premier League title is an impossible target this term, they underlined the importance of Monday evening's win at Old Trafford

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany believes Monday evening's 2-1 win over Manchester United can provide a provide a springboard to his side ahead of next season.

Roberto Mancini's men reduced the points gap at the top of the Premier League to 12 points at Old Trafford but, with just seven games remaining, are unlikely to overturn the deficit entirely.

However, Kompany described the win as "massive" for the visitors as they look toward a probable fight to regain their title in the next campaign.

"A derby is always a special game and for us to be able to win this game is massive. Our fans are still celebrating – it’ll be a great night for us," he told Sky Sports.

"Every game you have to play to win and I do believe that the way we finish this season is going to have an impact on next season and it’s always going to start from the beginning again. So this is a good game to have under our belt and we’ll take it into next season."

The Belgian also hailed City's workrate off the ball as the reason behind their victory over Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

"We all worked very hard. They played very offensively," he added. "They have an unbelievable strike force so we had to close the gaps.

"We had to be tight to them and we did that very well – I don’t think we gave a lot chances away and if you look at our overall play I think we were the better team. So I’m really happy with it."

Kompany's teammate James Milner, meanwhile, insisted his side was not more determined due to the distance between the teams in the table.

"Not really. Regardless of where we are in the table, a derby is a derby and you massively want to beat your rivals and that’s the case for every game," he said.

"It was massively important, we knew that. We came here and worked hard and got a good win.

"They’ve got such a great record at Old Trafford. They’re very tough to break down and they score a lot of goals here. We’re a bit disappointed to concede one from a set piece as I thought we defended really well."

Negredo: France match will be like a final

Spain forward Alvaro Negredo has stressed the importance of beating France ahead of Tuesday's crucial World Cup qualifier in Paris, labelling the fixture a "final".

La Roja trail the group I leaders by two points and Vicente Del Bosque's side go into the game aware of the permutations involved.

Defeat could consign the European champions to needing to win a play-off before securing their place in next summer's tournament in Brazil, while victory would put them in pole position to qualify as group-winners.

And Negredo is under no illusions as to the importance of the game.

"It's a real final, not only for us but for France too," Negredo told EFE.

"Spain will do whatever it takes to win the game. We have to fight to the death in France. We are obligated to win, just as we needed to win against Finland," he said.

"We have quality to win in any stadium in the world. This team have already shown what we are capable of."                                          

Del Bosque: Spain going to France to win

Spain head coach Vicente del Bosque has said he wants his side to beat France in their own back yard on Tuesday night.

La Roja conceded in the last 15 minutes of their World Cup qualifier against Finland on Friday, which ensured the game finished 1-1 and allowed les Bleus to forge a two-point lead at the top of Group I.

Del Bosque will want to avoid a third successive draw in qualification for the World Cup 2014 finals and a victory at the Stade de France would allow them to leapfrog Didier Deschamps' men.

The former Real Madrid boss told reporters on Sunday: "We will go to France to win. We have to play four more games [and] we must be optimistic.

"Tuesday is a very important match against France, but after that we will play three more games. We'll see how it goes."

It would be a major shock if the reigning world and European champions failed to qualify for the finals in Brazil next summer, though if they finish second behind France in Group I then they could still make it into the 32-team tournament via a play-off win.

Spain drew 1-1 with les Bleus in October last year at home, failing to replicate their 2-0 victory in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals against their neighbouring nation.

Thuram: Deschamps was more important than Zidane

The 41-year-old reflected on his success with France and believes Deschamps' impact was unrivalled, and underlines the differences between his former team and Spain

France legend Lillian Thuram says former team-mate Didier Deschamps was more integral to the French national team's success than Zinedine Zidane.

All three played a prominent role in France's World Cup and European Championship glory in 1998 and 2000, but Thuram believes the contribution of Deschamps is unparallelled to any other - even their famous number 10.

"Deschamps is a great coach. He was a great player, he has won everything and he knows what it takes to get to the top," he said.

"In World Cup 1998 and in Euro 2000, we had a genius in the form of Zidane, but the key was Didier."

Deschamps, now coach of the national team, welcomes Spain to Paris on Tuesday in a key World Cup qualifier which could determine who secures automatic World Cup qualification.

And Thuram, who ended his playing days in Barcelona, went on to highlight what he believes to be the fundamental difference between France and the European Champions.

"To play football and win, you need players who have can use their heads," Thuram said.

"When I arrived in Barcelona, I enjoyed playing with people balanced and normal: [Carles] Puyol, [Victor] Valdes [and Andres] Iniesta. This is because they are not footballers who think they are the centre of the world.

"The French, however, have forgotten how to be humble. The humility to understand that when you play for the France team, it is something much more important than your own self."

West Ham confirms completion of Olympic Stadium deal

The East London club will become anchor tenants for the Stratford venue and should move there at the start of the 2016-17 season.

West Ham has confirmed the completion of the deal that will see the club move into the Olympic Stadium in London from the start of the 2016-2017 season.

The Hammers had seen competition from Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn over the rights to the ground, but the Premier League club was named preferred bidders for the stadium by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) three months ago.

"I'm delighted that we have been confirmed today as the anchor concessionaire for the Olympic Stadium," West Ham vice chairman Karen Brady told the club's official website. "It was important to me that we struck a deal that would stand the test of time that represented the right deal for West Ham United and our loyal and patient supporters."

Initially, West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold were reluctant to pay anything toward the reconstruction of the stadium, but now are willing to put up 15 million pounds. Adapting the stadium could cost in total between 150-190 million pounds, with the rest of the money is being generated from sources such as the government and loans.

The roof will be extended and the seating capacity inside the stadium, which will slide over the running track, will be reduced from 80,000 to 54,000 under conversion plans, and it will be a UEFA Category 4 ground.

The Premier League club will be required to pay 2 million pounds a year in rent and has agreed to sell a portion of any future sale to the LLDC, with whom it is working to secure a deal to sell the naming rights of the stadium.

Sullivan and Gold praised the club's staff for their hard work, and said that the move will allow the club to compete at the highest level.

"Today's decision offers us a real platform to [compete at the highest level] and we are fully committed to making it a real success," the joint chairmen said in a statement. "We understand the responsibilities that come with calling the nation's iconic Olympic Stadium, which will be converted into a world-class football stadium, our new home. It is an honor we will take on with pride."

Zorc: Dortmund interested in Dzeko

The Manchester City striker has been linked with a move to BVB and the club's sporting director would like to see a transfer happen

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has admitted that Manchester City strikerEdin Dzeko is a target for his club, but says that there is an "economic aspect" to navigate.

The Bosnian has been mooted as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who is likely to leave the German champions in the summer.

But the Schwarzgelben are insistent that they cannot do a deal for Dzeko if the Premier League champions are unwilling to set a realistic transfer fee.

"There should be little doubt about Dzeko being a top-class striker," Zorc told Bild. "He is a great forward and a player one should be keen on. However, there is also still somewhat of an economic aspect."

He added, "[A transfer] would be down to pure math because Dzeko is under contract at Manchester City beyond the end of the season."

Despite scoring 13 goals in all competitions this season, Dzeko has struggled to hold down a regular place in the Citizens' first team.

Yaya Toure: I want to end my career at Manchester City

The Cote d'Ivoire international is saddened by his side's loss of form in defense of its Premier League title, but insists he wants to stay at the club as it feels like 'home.'

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure said that he wants to stay with the Premier League champions for the rest of his career, and enjoys the freedom Roberto Mancini has given him as opposed to the more restricted role he had at Barcelona.

The Ivory Coast international inspired the Citizens to the title last season with his powerful displays, but they now lag 15 points behind rivals Manchester United as they look to defend their title.

With the club needing a win over Chelsea on Sunday afternoon to realistically stay in the hunt for the championship, the 29-year-old believes the Etihad Stadium is the perfect place for him and will not give up the fight.

"I want to give all to this club for a long time," Toure told The Sun. "It's quite strange because all my career I've been with clubs for two or three years.

"Normally I change clubs after one or two years, but it's different here. I want to stay longer. Sometimes you're not happy with something or you don't feel comfortable in the city and you need change - but not here.

"Of course I'd like to end my career here. For three years it has been enjoyable to be with guys who love you, guys who care about you."

The former La Liga star believes his more advanced role in a quicker league suits his style, and he has credited Mancini with helping him to improve his game.

"It was [Mancini] who decided to put me more forward," Toure said. "Since coming to City, I have enjoyed my football more, because my game is all about attack and what I did at Barcelona was quite different.

"In England the football is all about power, strong running and tackling. I feel like this is home for me and the fans are lovely."

City's collapse in form coincided with Toure's absence at the Africa Cup of Nations, and he says he is pained by missing out for the club as it ceded the initiative in the title race to Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

"When your friends need you and you are away it's always harder," Toure added. "You want to be with them. It's always difficult - I'm African and the tournament makes us leave for one month.

"Your club have to play hard games. Sometimes I feel sad. When I was away we didn't get the right results and January is always hard because we have to play every three days. But it's part of football - we can do nothing about it."

Beckham lauds 'special night' after making PSG debut

he former Manchester United and Real Madrid star relished making a 15-minute cameo for his new club in the 2-0 victory over Marseille on Sunday David Beckham says making his debut for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2-0 victory over Marseille was a “special night” in his career.

The 37-year-old Englishman started the game on the substitutes’ bench but came on to replace Javier Pastore in the 76th minute at Parc des Princes.

He then played a part in setting up PSG’s second goal in stoppage-time, linking up well with Jeremy Menez before Zlatan Ibrahmovic turned the ball home from close-range.

“It was a special night for the team and for me,” Beckham told reporters after the match.

“I received a great welcome. To wear the jersey of PSG and get on to the pitch, it was all very special.

“To win against Marseille and increase our lead on them to eight points, this was a very important victory for us.”

PSG, which saw its victory restore a three-point lead over Lyon at the top of Ligue 1, faces rival Marseille again on Wednesday night, this time in Coupe De France action.

Maybe Barcelona aren’t as good as people say

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has lamented his side's midweek performance, suggesting that such displays belie the adulation they often receive.

The Liga leaders were defeated 2-0 in comfortable fashion by AC Milan on Wednesday, leaving them with a mountain to climb if they are to live up to their billing as favourites for the Champions League crown this season.

And Pique acknowledged that the display at San Siro was far below that which has become expected of the team in recent seasons.

The 26-year-old told reporters: 'It's a very bad result. When they scored their first goal we lost focus. We have to improve, learn and wait for the return leg at the Camp Nou to qualify. Maybe we're not as good as everyone said.

'The San Siro is a tough stadium to play in and we know that Milan is a big club. We are Barcelona and we have to turn the tie around.'

Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari struck second-half goals to secure an impressive win for the Rossoneri on the night.

Malaga will improve in Champions League

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Posted : 2013/02/22 1:00 am

Joaquin: Malaga will improve in Champions League

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Malaga midfielder Joaquin has said his side can still make it into the Champions League quarter-finals despite a 1-0 loss to Porto in the first leg of their last 16 tie.A second-half goal from João Moutinho was enough to see off Manuel Pellegrini’s men, but Joaquin believes his side will improve.'We didn’t see the Malaga we’re used to seeing on the pitch,' he told reporters. 'They were very strong, aggressive and maintained a tight defence, which made it difficult for us to keep hold of the ball.'However, despite the fact they dominated possession, they didn’t create very many opportunities to score, and only got the one goal, which was actually offside.'We’re all so grateful that the fans accompanied us to Portugal, and their support was invaluable. It was just a shame we couldn’t come back with a win for them.'Los Boquerones currently lie fourth in La liga, with a fixture away from home against Real Betis on Sunday, which the 31-year-old is now focusing on.'We can’t undermine the importance of the league as it’s the key to every other competition. It’s a long road, but we’re performing well in league games.'Betis have had a great season so far, and will be fighting for the top spots until the end of the year as they’re very competitive and play great football.'

Lukaku targeting Europe with West Brom

West Brom striker Romelu Lukaku has insisted that European football is a realistic target for the club this season.

The on-loan Chelsea youngster has hit 10 league goals since moving to the Hawthorns over the summer, helping the Baggies enjoy their best ever Premier League season to this point.

And, whilst the former Anderlecht striker admits that results have exceeded his expectations, he believes Steve Clarke's side can continue to excel and even reach Europe.

'This year has been wonderful,' Lukaku told the Daily Star. 'When I joined, I wasn’t sure we would be this high in the league, but after three games I knew we were capable and I knew it was going to be good for me.

'Europe is still a target, especially for me. That’s the next step for me and I think it is the next step for the club.

'You have to take things one step at a time but if the club gets stronger for next year, then why not.'

Terry disappointed with Chelsea display against Sparta Prague

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Posted : 2013/02/22 1:03 am

‘It’s not the best but we’re through’ – Terry disappointed with Chelsea display against Sparta Prague

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Chelsea captain John Terry has expressed his disappointment with his side's Europa League display against Sparta Prague despite their progression to the last 16.

The Czech side bossed possession at Stamford Bridge and levelled the tie on aggregate after just 17 minutes through David Lafata.

A last-gasp Eden Hazard strike saved Chelsea after a struggle to break down their opponents and Terry was keen to underline the below-par nature of the performance.

'We're disappointed with the way we started that but we're delighted to go through,' he told ESPN after the game. 'We left it as late as we could and sometimes that’s the best way, but not our best performance but we're in the next round so we're happy with that.

'They had two counterattacks in the last five minutes, which is not what we wanted at all. As I say, we're disappointed. It's not the best but we're through and we're happy with that.'

Terry, however, was pleased that his side continued to create chances throughout the game despite manager Rafa Benitez making a number of changes as they prepare to face Manchester City in the Premier League.

'We kept going and going,' he said. 'In the first 80 minutes nothing went for us, really. We had a lot of attempts on goal and didn’t get them. The persistence from the lads was fantastic, and credit to us.

'It was a great goal from Eden. The manager rested a couple tonight and having the likes of Eden on the bench is great. He's come on and shown great sharpness and got a goal to top it off.'

Despite the likelihood of fixture congestion as the season goes on, Terry says that his team-mates are keen to win the Europa League following the disappointment of being the first holders to be knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage.

He added: 'We were very disappointed to be out the Champions League and to be watching it Wednesday and Tuesday nights.

'It’s disappointing but that's enough motivation for us to kick on in this competition. We're in it to win it and nothing changes from that.'

Liverpool 3-1 Zenit St Petersburg

Inspired Suarez bags double but Reds crash out of Europe

Luis Suarez scored twice as Liverpool beat Zenit St Petersburg 3-1 but crashed out of the Europa League on away goals.

Hulk had given the Russian side a 19th minute lead after capitalizing on a disastrous error in judgement from Jamie Carragher, before Suarez and Joe Allen struck to give Liverpool a halftime lead.

Suarez scored again after the break but the Reds ultimately fell just short of qualification as they were left to rue Carragher’s first-half mistake, as well as their first-leg performance.

Liverpool was without cup-tied duo Daniel Sturridge and Phillipe Coutinho, while Daniel Agger replaced the injured Martin Skrtel alongside Carragher, who was making his 150th European appearance.

Zenit, meanwhile, installed Sergey Semak in favor of top-scorer Aleksandr Kerzhakov, with Hulk moving into a central attacking role.

After the first leg, Brendan Rodgers had given his side a “fighting chance” of progression and the Kop was in full voice in the buildup to kickoff.

Boos greeted every Zenit touch, while Liverpool showed the same poise and control in possession that helped it thrash Swansea 5-0 on Sunday.

But on 19 minutes, disaster struck. Carragher was caught in possession inside his own half by Hulk, who suddenly had 40 yards of space to himself with the Liverpool goal gaping. The Brazilian burst forward and calmly slotted past Pepe Reina – scoring his sixth goal for Zenit and second of the tie.

A steep hill had suddenly become a mountain as Carragher’s catastrophic error meant Liverpool now needed four goals to progress.

But Suarez offered the home side a glimmer of hope minutes later, thumping home a low free kick from the edge of the area.

Liverpool wasn’t done there as a fantastic cross from Jose Enrique found Allen on 43 minutes. After having his initial shot saved, the midfielder reacted brilliantly to fire home the rebound from inside the six-yard box. Anfield was rocking once again.

The Russians made two changes at the break, but it was all Liverpool from the restart and the incessant pressure suggested the required target of two more goals was well within reach.

Zenit was feeling the heat. After 50 minutes, Liverpool was refused a penalty even though Tomas Hubocan visibly handled in the area, before Suarez was then denied by the palms of Vyacheslav Malafeev.

Suarez could not be stopped on 58 minutes, however, as the Uruguayan curled a sensational 25-yard free kick into the top corner for his second – and Liverpool’s third – of the night.

Unbelievably, the 26-year-old almost made it a hat trick of free kicks 10 minutes later, but Malafeev was this time able to punch the ball away.

Malafeev was Zenit’s hero again moments later as he dived to save a Gerrard half volley, before Reina kept Liverpool in the tie with a save of his own straight up the other end.

The clock was ticking, though, and the tension mounting. The stage was set for a memorable finale.

But there would be no fairytale ending for the Reds as Zenit held on to ensure Liverpool’s participation in Europe this season had come to an admirable end.