Reports claimed the Real boss was against signing Kepa Arrizabalaga, but he insists he won no “battle” regarding the club’s pursuit Zinedine Zidane is irritated by suggestions in the media that he won an internal “battle” over Real Madrid’s alleged pursuit of Kepa Arrizabalaga after the goalkeeper signed a new deal with Athletic Bilbao. Madrid had long been linked with a move for the highly rated 23-year-old, particularly since he entered the final six months of his previous deal at the start of January. But the Spain international has opted to sign a contract extension with Athletic , seeing his release clause increase from €20 million to €80m. Article continues…

Wilfried Zaha will miss the FA Cup fifth-round tie with Doncaster after losing an appeal against an additional one-match ban following his red card against Southampton. The Crystal Palace forward appealed against the extra sanction, which came after he sarcastically clapped referee Andre Marriner following his dismissal, despite accepting a charge of improper conduct. He missed the win over Fulham before returning against West Ham, but will now serve an additional one-match suspension after his appeal was rejected by an independent regulatory commission, and a £10,000 fine upheld. The Football Association said in a statement: “Wilfried Zaha will be suspended for Crystal Palace’s game against Doncaster Rovers in the Emirates…

The Uruguayan was harshly sent off in the closing stages as the Catalans edged out Atletico, but improvement is needed if they are to claim the trophy COMMENT It was a game that had everything. Disallowed goals, red cards, a missed penalty, controversial incidents and plenty of drama. In the end, Barcelona came through it to make the Copa del Rey final for the third year running. But they barely deserved it. Luis Enrique’s side beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the sides’ first meeting at the Vicente Calderon last Wednesday, when magical moments from Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi proved enough to win the match despite a plucky performance in…

Manchester United are lining up a whopping £100million bid for Benfica star Joao Felix this summer, according to reports. However, the Red Devils may have to beat Real Madrid and Barcelona to the signing of the attacking midfielder. The Portugal Under-21 ace has impressed Old Trafford scouts, who have watched the starlet on multiple occasions this season. According to The Sun, Felix has impressed so much, a move in the summer window is a distinct possibility. Benfica are known for producing a seemingly endless supply of young talent and Felix seems set to follow in the footsteps of Ramires, David Luiz and Angel Di Maria by securing a lucrative move…

Click:手机号微信开通批量过滤 Saido Berahino has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving – and allegedly told police he was fleeing from a gang trying to steal his car. The Stoke striker, 25, was stopped by police in the early hours of Monday morning after speeding away from VQ restaurant in central London. And, according to The Sun, he claimed he was trying to escape from a group of men who stole his watch outside the restaurant. Cops were called to an incident at 3am outside VQ, where Berahino had spent the evening. Upon arrival, they saw the England youth international’s black Range Rover speed off before taking him into custody. Berahino…

Maurizio Sarri’s decision to move N’Golo Kante out of position does not make any sense to former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit, who claims the World Cup winner is too humble to complain about his role this season. Kante, 27, is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in world football but he’s not been allowed to play in his strongest position under Sarri, who was appointed Chelsea manager last summer. Sarri brought Jorginho with him to Stamford Bridge from Napoli to become the Blues’ new deep-lying midfielder, with Kante pushed slightly forward to accommodate the Italy international. There have been few criticisms of Kante in this…

Sevilla were crushed 5-0 by the La Liga leaders on Saturday, with the French midfielder seen at a nightclub just a few hours after the clash in Madrid Steven N’Zonzi has issued an apology to Sevilla fans after he was spotted at a nightclub just hours after his side suffered a humiliating 5-0 Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona. N’Zonzi played 90 minutes in Saturday’s match as Barca ran out comfortable winners in a crushing victory. Coach Vincenzo Montella has received significant criticism for the team’s listless display, but N’Zonzi perhaps took some of the attention off him when he was photographed in a Madrid nightclub in the early hours of…

Jordan Henderson insists Liverpool can cope in Virgil van Dijk’s absence when they host Bayern Munich on Tuesday – and declared himself ready to play at centre-back if asked. Star player Van Dijk will be absent from the Reds’ defence for the Champions League last-16 first leg as he serves a one-match suspension. Dejan Lovren (hamstring) is a doubt while Joe Gomez (broken leg) is sidelined, and boss Jurgen Klopp may deploy midfielder Fabinho alongside Joel Matip in central defence. Reds captain Henderson said of Van Dijk on Monday: “Of course, he is a massive miss. I think you can see how important he is for us as a team.…

Chelsea cannot blame Eden Hazard for wanting to leave the club for a bigger and better team after their 6-0 mauling at Manchester City. That’s according to one Blues fan, who joined talkSPORT to vent his anger and frustration following Sunday’s miserable afternoon at the Etihad Stadium. Chelsea supporters were not happy after watching their beloved team suffer their heaviest ever Premier League defeat. After a great start to the season, going 18 games unbeaten, Maurizio Sarri’s side have nosedived in recent months and their inconsistent form and defensive issues have seen Chelsea slip out of the top four. The crushing defeat to City was the final straw for a…

Click:China Tour Packages Los Blancos will be determined to put their disappointing draw against Celta Vigo behind them by booking their place in the next stage of the cup Real Madrid will look to cement their place in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals when they host Numancia on Wednesday evening. Zinedine Zidane’s men take a three-goal lead into the game, having won the first leg 3-0 last week, and with the game well in their favour the French coach is likely to use the opportunity to give game-time to fringe players. The game would appear to be out of reach for Numancia, but the Segunda Division outfit still have plenty of…