Prediction: Liverpool vs Real Madrid

Best odds: 8/13

Bookmaker:

The time has come for the season to end completely as far as European clubs are concerned, and as always, it ends in the biggest contest of them all, the final of the Champions League. It s bee a great season in UEFA s elite competition, full of twists, turns and upsets against the odds, and all club affinities aside, it s been quite enjoyable to watch. So in the end, on Saturday May 28th, at the Stade de France in Paris, Liverpool will be facing Real Madrid in a game that has been played a couple of times before.

In 1981, Liverpool triumphed over Real, in Paris no less, courtesy of a solitary strike by Alan Kennedy in the 82nd minute. In 2018, in Kyiv, Real Madrid won 3-1 after Sergio Ramos controversially escaped two possible red car…

Gerrard calls on Messi to join Ronaldo in ´dream´ Saudi Arabia move

Al-Ettifaq boss Steven Gerrard says it would be a dream for Lionel Messi to follow Cristiano Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League for one last head-to-head battle.

Messi and Ronaldo both turned their backs on European football in 2022-23, the Portugal great swapping Manchester United for Al-Nassr and the Argentine moving to MLS outfit Inter Miami.

Those moves look to have ended one of the most iconic rivalries in football history, with both players unlikely to represent their national teams at the 2026 World Cup.

Al-Hilal attempted to lure Messi to Saudi Arabia before he opted to move stateside, but Gerrard has not given up hope of seeing him play in the country, even suggesting his club as a landing spot.

It would be a dream for me to have Messi at Al-Ettifa…

Man City chairman expects more new arrivals to follow Haaland

Manchester City are looking to add a couple more signings after already securing the signatures of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has confirmed.

Having wrapped up their fourth Premier League title in six years with a dramatic final-day win over Aston Villa earlier this month, City are set to benefit from the acquisition of Norwegian star Haaland, who scored 86 goals in 89 appearances during a two-year spell at Borussia Dortmund.

Pep Guardiola s men also announced the signing of young River Plate forward Alvarez back in January, as City look to restructure their forward line one year on from the departure of club legend Sergio Aguero.

Having already made headlines with their transfer business, in particular the signing of Haaland �…

When Ronaldinho was king: The last time Lionel Messi was out of the Ballon d´Or running

Few things will have made football fans feel stranger than seeing Lionel Messi wearing any other club shirt than that of Barcelona.

That is what happened in 2021 though, when the legendary Argentine made the move to Paris Saint-Germain due to the financial mess at the Camp Nou.

What could be stranger than that? Perhaps a Ballon d Or shortlist of 30 names being released and not seeing Messi s among them?

On Friday, that once ludicrous suggestion became reality as the nominees for the 2022 award were announced in batches of five, only the familiar mention of the seven-time winner never came.

Of course, it was not especially a surprise. Messi struggled to make an impact at PSG after his free transfer to the Parc des Princes, scoring just six goals in 26…

FA chief Mark Bullingham says Sarina Wiegman could be an England men’s candidate

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham would not rule out the possibility that Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman could one day lead the England men’s team.

The 53-year-old’s stock as a serial winner has risen steadily since securing the European championship trophy with her native Netherlands in 2017, then doing the same with England last summer.

She has now guided England to a first-ever World Cup final, in the process becoming the only manager to do so with two different nations in the women’s showpiece after steering her home country to the same stage four years ago.

Sarina. Wiegman.

— Lionesses (@Lionesses)

Asked if Wiegman could be seen as a potential successor to Gareth Southgate, Bullingham said: “I think it’s a bit …

Italiano confirms Fiorentina exit after Atalanta victory

Vincenzo Italiano confirmed he is leaving Europa Conference League runners-up Fiorentina after they ended their Serie A campaign with a 3-2 win at Atalanta on Sunday.

Italiano took charge of Fiorentina in 2021 and has led them to three successive top-eight finishes in Serie A, also reaching the Europa Conference League final in back-to-back campaigns.

However, they were beaten by a last-gasp Jarrod Bowen goal as West Ham lifted the trophy last year, then lost out to Olympiacos in extra time in the 2023-24 final.

The Viola wrapped up their campaign with an impressive 3-2 win at Atalanta in a rescheduled fixture on Sunday, after which he announced his departure.

We all took this decision together not many weeks ago, Italiano told reporters after Sunday s …

Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to Armenia a necessary ‘slap’ – boss Rob Page

Rob Page suggested Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to Armenia was a necessary “slap” as he surveyed the wreckage of one of the most humiliating losses in the nation’s football history.

Armenia ran out shock 4-2 winners in Cardiff, despite being ranked 97th in the world and 71 places lower than Wales.

Page’s side – who took four points from their March games away to Croatia and at home to Latvia – would have topped Group D with victory in Cardiff.

Halilovic: Missing Euro 2016 would not be a tragedy

Alen Halilovic says it would not be a tragedy if he was not included in the Croatia squad for Euro 2016.

The 19-year-old Barcelona midfielder, who spent the past season on loan at Sporting Gijon, has been included in Croatia boss Ante Cacic s preliminary 27-man squad for the European Championship.

Halilovic is not thinking about whether he will be cut from the group ahead of the May 31 deadline, suggesting he will have plenty of opportunities to represent his country in the future.

We are very satisfied with the camp, but the most important thing is that there are no injuries, said the midfielder.

We are full of great players. All these guys deserve a call. We have not had a serious meeting, nor can we guess who will be the surplus four players.

Football rumours: Kasper Schmeichel lined up for Premier League return

What the papers say

Former Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel could make a return to the Premier League during this month’s transfer window. The 37-year-old Denmark international, currently with Anderlecht, is an option for Sheffield United who want to sign a goalkeeper, according to the Sun.

Manchester United have opted not to exercise the 12-month extension option on Raphael Varane’s contract, reports the Daily Mail. It enables the France defender, 30, to hold talks with overseas clubs over a free transfer in the summer.

Former Everton winger Ademola Lookman is catching the eye of several Premier League teams at Atalanta, according to the Daily Mail. Juventus and Nice are also said to be interested in the 26-year-old.

Nottingham Forest are reportedly l…

Di Maria dreamed of Copa America success in final Argentina outing

Angel Di Maria said he had dreamed of calling time on his international career with a trophy as Argentina beat Colombia in the Copa America final on Sunday.

Lautaro Martinez s fifth goal of the tournament secured Lionel Scaloni s side a record 16th title to move ahead of Uruguay as the most successful team in the competition.

Di Maria, who made 145 appearances for Argentina, received the player of the match award in his final outing for La Albiceleste at the Hard Rock Stadium.

The 36-year-old featured in all but one of Argentina s fixtures at the tournament, registering one assist in their 2-0 win over Peru in their final group game.

Di Maria announced in October that he would retire from international football after this year s Copa America, calling …