Zinedine Zidane insisted there was no shame in Real Madrid s shock loss to third-tier side Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey.
Madrid were stunned by the Segunda Division B outfit in the last 32 as Juanan scored a 115th-minute winner on Wednesday.
Jose Solbes had earlier cancelled out Eder Militao s opener and Alcoyano found a winner despite Ramon Lopez s red card in extra time.
But Madrid head coach Zidane dismissed suggestions the defeat was shameful for the LaLiga champions.
Those are your words. Those words, they do not belong to me, he told a news conference.
This is football, difficult things because it s true that we play against a Segunda B team and we need to win the match normally, but at the end it hasn t been like that and this does not me…
Xavi believes Barcelona can end an eight-year wait for Champions League glory this season as he told his players to dream of lifting the trophy.
The head coach sends his side into their opener against Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday, desperate for them to avoid a repeat of the last campaign s group-stage exit.
Barcelona finished behind Bayern Munich and Benfica, with Xavi appointed midway through that group campaign after Ronald Koeman was sacked.
The serious damage had been done by a 3-0 loss at Benfica, and Xavi could not drag Barcelona through to the knockout rounds.
However, he has had two busy transfer windows since then and Barcelona are a new-look and refreshed team, with much of their previous baggage shaken off.
Last season s failure in Europ…
Pedri was the hero for Barcelona as they saw off a LaLiga challenge from Celta Vigo to take an unpersuasive 1-0 win on Sunday.
Despite a bright, almost bombastic start from Xavi s side, the Blaugrana gradually faded once again in defence of an early lead, ultimately escaping with all three points intact.
A week on from a similar performance against Mallorca, questions may be lingering about Barca s prowess, even as they sit top of the table.
Yet after the sting of a Champions League loss to Inter in midweek, the Catalans were at least back to winning ways.
A dominant start from Barcelona hinted at a blowout scoreline, and Pedri s poacher s finish amid defensive disarray in the 17th minute certainly whet the appetite.
But a subsequent struggle to f…
Thomas Muller needs time to decide his international future after Germany s early World Cup exit, the Bayern Munich star said on Sunday.
A surprise defeat to Japan in Germany s opening game in Qatar was followed by a 1-1 draw with Spain, with elimination confirmed despite a 4-2 victory over Costa Rice in their final group match.
It represented the second group-stage elimination in a row for Germany at the World Cup, having fallen at the same hurdle when defending their title in Russia four years ago.
Muller heavily hinted at retirement from Germany duty after the team s latest elimination, and he has now stated he has begun the process of dealing with the events.
Muller posted a lengthy message on Instagram that read: The sting is brutally deep, felt deep…
Market: Cape Verde win
Odds: 2/5 @
Getting their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign back underway on Thursday evening, Cape Verde will welcome Botswana to Praia.
Starting with the hosts, while Cape Verde might have got their qualifying adventure underway with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of African giants Egypt last month, the Blue Sharks claimed an immediate response. Getting their first victory on the board as they clinched a routine 2-0 victory at home against Mauritania, Bubista’s camp should take plenty of positives away from what has been an eye-catching run since opening 2024. Despite suffering Africa Cup of Nations heartbreak back in February as they fell to a penalties defeat against South Africa at the quarter-final stage, Thursday’s hosts have…
Nick Pope made some superb saves and Alexandre Lacazette missed an open goal as Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw by lowly Burnley at Emirates Stadium.
Playing in the Premier League for the first time since a defeat to Manchester City on January 1, Arsenal could have moved into the top four with a victory over a side that had conceded six goals across their last two away games.
Yet Pope s resistance and Lacazette s profligacy saw Sean Dyche s team come away with a potentially vital point in their bid to stay up.
Mikel Arteta s side, meanwhile, are now without a win in five games in all competitions as they failed to bounce back from their EFL Cup loss to Liverpool.
Aaron Ramsdale was somewhat caught cold for Liverpool s goals in Thursday s defeat, but Arsen…
Leeds United are on the verge of signing Joe Rodon from Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent contract, according to David Anderson.
The Daily Mirror journalist has claimed that Rodon, who spent last season on loan at Championship club Leeds on loan from Premier League side Tottenham, will cost £10 million in transfer fees.
Anderson wrote on : “Joe Rodon is returning to Leeds from Tottenham in a permanent £10m deal as Archie Gray inches closer to completing his move to Spurs which willl be worth a potential £40m.”
Rodon made 45 starts and one substitute appearance in the Championship for Leeds last season. The Wales international central defender also made four appearances in the FA Cup.
Leeds are aiming to finish in the top two of the Championship tab…
Manchester United have an opportunity to prove their Premier League title pedigree with victory in Sunday s match at Liverpool, according to full-back Luke Shaw.
Erik ten Hag s side trail Arsenal by 11 points ahead of the leaders match against Bournemouth on Saturday, with the Red Devils also holding a game in hand.
United are still in the hunt for three more trophies this season, having already won the EFL Cup last week, but they realistically cannot afford to drop any points at Anfield.
Having been talked up as outside title challengers, Shaw wants United to lay down a further marker with a first league win away at Liverpool since 2016.
They re always big, big games, Shaw told Premier League Productions. I think if we want to be challenging for the tit…
Ellen White has hailed Sarina Wiegman as “a proven winner” and tipped the England manager to guide the country to World Cup glory this summer in Australia and New Zealand.
White – the Lionesses’ all-time leading goalscorer – talked up Wiegman’s impact and admitted she is “fascinated” by her former boss as England’s opening group game of the tournament against Haiti rapidly approaches.
And after winning last year’s European Championship, Wiegman is looking to make it consecutive wins in major tournaments this summer.
“It would be unheard of wouldn’t it? (winning the World Cup),” White said.
“She (Wiegman) won the Euros in 2017 with the Netherlands, she got to the final in 2019, she won the Euros with England and what if she went…
Ousmane Dembele has told Barcelona that he wants to leave to join Paris St Germain, according to manager Xavi.
The Ligue 1 side have made the 26-year-old an offer that Barca “cannot match” and he has informed his manager that he wishes to move.
The France international has a £43million release clause in his contract which PSG have reportedly triggered, shortly before the terms of his deal stipulated the figure would rise to £86m.
Xavi: “Dembélé came and told me he wanted to leave. He has an offer from PSG that we cannot match.”
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)
Talks have taken place between the parties and Dembele has made up his mind that his future lies away from Barca, whom he joined from Borussia Dortmund for £125m in 2017.
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