Iheanacho Hits Brace For Manchester City

Kelechi Iheanacho scored twice as Man City’s EDS recovered to beat the Under-21 Premier League champions, Manchester United, at the CFA.

Iheanacho, who has enjoyed a rich run of form since returning from injury, first restored parity for his side in the first half after Ashley Fletcher had put the visitors ahead.

The Nigerian youngster then sealed the victory in the 80th minute with an amazing curler.

Though initially tipped to take his bow for Manchester City’s senior team on Sunday against Southampton, Saturday’s appearance means Iheanacho will not be making his Premier League debut this season anymore.

Barcelona Handed La Liga Trophy As Deportivo Escape Relegation

Luis Enrique’s side clinched the Liga title with last week’s win over Atletico Madrid and so had little to play for ahead of the upcoming Copa Del Rey and Champions League finals, but for Depor their place in the top-flight was on the line.

And with Barcelona 2-0 up after an hour - with Lionel Messi scoring a double - Victor Sanchez’s side looked to be dead and buried. However, they mounted a sensational comeback to claim a point and scrape their way to safety.

Deportivo La Coruna pulled off a miraculous escape to avoid relegation, coming back from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Barcelona as Xavi Hernandez bid farewell to Camp Nou.

Lucas Perez halved the deficit with an astonishing turn and finish into the top corner of Jordi Masip’s net - giving Deportivo a survival lifeline - with Eibar and Algeria drawing at the time of the goal.

And the visitors restored parity after 76 minutes, when Diogo Salomao smashed home from a blocked free-kick to complete a comeback that looked nearly impossible just moments ago - holding on for the point needed to keep them out of the bottom three.

Xavi was given a standing ovation by the Camp Nou crowd on his last Liga appearance before he makes the move to Qatari side Al Saad at the end of the season, but will surely play a significant part in Barcelona’s Copa Del Rey and Champions League final appearances.

Bayern Officially Declared Bundesliga Champion

Bayern Munich won their first league game in four with a 2-0 win over Mainz on the final day of the Bundesliga season, with goals from Bastian Schweinsteiger and Robert Lewandowski.

Bayern controlled the ball from kick off, maintaining possession across the defence and midfield. For the opening stages, Mainz held their own and kept Bayern at bay.

Eventually, Bayern started to open up Mainz a little more, and earned a corner from which Bastian Schweinsteiger’s header was handled in the area - Robert Lewandowski converting the resulting penalty. Johannes Geis twice went close for Mainz with shots on target from long range.

In the second half, Bayern kept up the pressure on Mainz and doubled their lead after a few minutes. Lewandowski brought down a high ball into the box and found Schweinsteiger, who had the time and space to drill past Loris Karius.

With neither side having anything to play for, the game drew to a limp conclusion. Bayern had arrested their slide, but there was little else to be excited about despite the post-match celebrations.

French Open - Murray Could Face Ferrer; Sharapova May Clash With Kanepi

Andy Murray, who beat Nadal in the Madrid Masters final this month after winning his first claycourt title in Munich the week before, begins against a qualifier and has a possible quarter-final clash against seventh seed David Ferrer of Spain.

Second seed Roger Federer, chasing his first grand slam title since 2012, takes on a qualifier in the first round and could face Frenchman Gael Monfils in the last eight.

Djokovic begins against Finnish journeyman Jarkko Nieminen on Sunday.

In the women's draw, holder Maria Sharapova of Russia, the second seed, will face Estonian Kaia Kanepi in the first round and possibly former runner-up Samantha Stosur of Australia in the third.

Djokovic, Nadal In Line For Quarter-Final Showdown

Rafa Nadal could face world number one Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the French Open after Friday's draw handed him the toughest of routes to a possible 10th title.
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The Spaniard, seeded sixth after a disappointing year so far, would then face a potential semi-final against third seed Andy Murray and a final against 17-times grand slam champion Roger Federer.

The 28-year-old, who holds the record for titles at Roland Garros, will take on Frenchman Quentin Halys in the first round but life will get tricky with dangerous Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov a likely fourth round opponent.

"I need to win four matches before (possibly playing Djokovic)," Nadal, who has failed to win a claycourt title in Europe this season, said after the draw at Roland Garros.

"My draw is a tough one but I hope I will be ready to fight again," added Nadal, who has suffered only one defeat on the Parisian clay, in 2009.

World number one Djokovic will probably be less than happy about the prospect of facing Nadal in the quarter-finals as he bids to win the only major title to elude.

He lost to Nadal in two of the last three finals and in an epic semi-final in 2013.

Ancelotti Hopes To Remain In Charge Of Real Madrid

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti says he wants to stay at the club despite Napoli manager Rafael Benitez being linked with his job.

Ancelotti, who has one season to run on his three-year deal, will discuss his future after the final game of the season against Getafe on Saturday.

The Italian, 55, has endured a trophyless season at the Bernabeu.

"I have the confidence and the desire to carry on because I like this club, these players and this city," he said.

"If I don't carry on I will have spent two fantastic years here and each will go their separate ways, the club one way and me the other. We have had some very happy moments, perhaps the happiest in the history of Real Madrid.

Why We Delayed Reappointing Keshi – Sports Minister

Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo, has finally revealed reasons why the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) hesitated in reappointing Stephen Keshi as the Super Eagles coach.

Keshi, who recently signed a 2-year contract with the NFF to continue as the Super Eagles coach, was left hanging in the wind for nine months before he was confirmed to continue, though he did handle the team on an interim basis after his contract expired last July.

Danagogo stressed that the NFF’s hesitation was not down to incompetence on Keshi’s part, but due to ‘lack of respect’ and ‘insubordination’.

“When I interviewed the NFF when they were yet to re-sign him, they weren’t even complaining about incompetence or anything of the sort.

“But it was more of them complaining of Keshi not respecting their superiority and insubordination on Keshi’s part,” he said.

The outgoing Sports Minister however posits that he believes both Keshi and NFF have learnt their lessons and advised they should cooperate more and try to work better together.

“I believe Keshi has learnt his lessons, and so also the Nigeria Football Federation. I think they should cooperate and work well together and if they do, they will succeed,” Danagogo concluded.

16 Invited Super Eagles Players Storm Camp

As the preparation for the match against Chad heightens, about 16 players have stormed the Super Eagles camp to fight for places as well as do the nation proud.  They arrived on Thursday.

The encounter, scheduled to take place in Kaduna on June 13, is the Eagles first qualifying match for the tournament.

The team had failed to qualify for the 2015 edition in Equatorial Guinea, won by Cote d’ Ivoire.

Tony Ibitoye, the Super Eagles Media Officer, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the 16 players would be joined by 12 others at weekend.

Ibitoye named Chibuzor Okonkwo, Chidiebere Eze, Rabiu Ali, Ezekiel Mba, Mfon Udoh and Esosa Igbinosa as those who had arrived.

Barcelona Reveal Xavi Tribute on Shirts to Be Worn in Final Liga Game of Season

The Spanish midfielder confirmed on Thursday that he would join Qatari side Al Sadd after 17 years at the Nou Camp.

Xavi, who won eight Spanish league titles and three Champions League trophies during his career with the Catalan outfit, signed a three-year-deal with the Arab club and will wear the famous striped shirt for the final time in La Liga this weekend.

But the shirt that he and his Barca team-mates will pull on is no ordinary Barca jersey.

No, in the match against Deportivo La Coruna the Barcelona players will wear special shirts with the words ‘6racies Xavi’ embroidered in between the Nike logo and the club badge.

And The Barclays Manager Of The Year Is Jose Mourinho

Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho has been named Barclays Premier League manager of the season for the third time.

In his second spell at the club, the Portuguese, 52, guided Chelsea to their first Premier League title in five years and a League Cup success.

Blues midfielder Eden Hazard, who scored 20 goals for the champions, was named player of the season,

It adds to his Professional Footballers’ Association and Football Writers’ Association awards.

Mourinho was also recognised after Chelsea’s league triumphs during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 campaigns.

He succeeds Tony Pulis, who was named 2013-14 manager of the year after he masterminded Crystal Palace’s remarkable escape from relegation.

Hazard’s team-mates John Terry, Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic were also nominated for the player of the season award, as were Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez.

Luis Figo Quits FIFA Presidential Election Race

Former Portugal forward Luis Figo withdrew from the FIFA presidential election race on Thursday, hours after Dutchman Michael van Praag had also withdrawn.

 "My decision is made, I will not stand in what is being called an election for the FIFA presidency," he said on his Facebook page.

"After a personal reflection and sharing views with two other candidates in this process, I believe that what is going to happen on May 29 in Zurich is not a normal electoral act. And because it is not, don't count on me."

 His decision left Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein as the only challenger to incumbent Sepp Blatter for the FIFA election. "There has not been a single public debate about each candidate's proposals," said the 42-year-old Figo in announcing his decision.

 "Does anyone think it's normal that an election for one of the most relevant organisations on the planet can go ahead without a public debate?"

Sunderland's Dick Advocaat Weeps Tears Of Joy (PHOTOS)

Sunderland's Dick Advocaat was reduced to tears as Sunderland sealed survival in the Premier League.

The 67-year-old Dutchman was pushed over the edge of emotion by the sight of his long-time assistant Bert van Lingen in a similarly reduced state after the Black Cats secured the point they needed to stay up with a goalless draw at Arsenal.

Advocaat had nine games to save Sunderland from relegation when he replaced Gus Poyet after the Uruguayan was sacked by owner Ellis Short following the 4-0 home defeat at Aston Villa on 14 March.

The fact Advocaat achieved safety with a fixture to spare is another achievement on the CV of one of the game's most widely travelled and experienced managers - and gives Sunderland the chance to rebuild after their latest great escape.

Pacquiao, Mayweather Top List Of Highest Paid Athletes

Floyd Mayweather’s estimated haul from his May 2 welterweight title fight against Manny Pacquiao – a bout that vaulted Money and Manny to the top of ESPN The Magazine’s annual list of the highest-paid pro athletes.

Total revenue from the long-anticipated fight could be north of $500 million – roughly equal to the 2014 gross domestic product of Tonga – with Mayweather clearing somewhere around $250 million and Pacquiao, the former WBO champ, an estimated $150 million.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi ($56.3 million) and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo ($50.2 million) remain the top-paid soccer players on the planet – and third and fourth in the survey.

Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel’s decision to leave Red Bull for Ferrari resulted in a new contract with a base salary of $50 million, making the 27-year-old German the top-earning driver and fifth on the overall list.

Neuer Dethrones Ronaldo As 2014 European, World Athlete Of The Year

FC Bayern München goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, has been named 2014 European Athlete of the Year and 2014 World Athlete of the Year.

“I’m very grateful for being chosen for these awards, but I couldn’t have done it without my team-mates,” said Neuer, who beat tennis stars, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, to the European accolade.

Indeed, the 2014 world champion is only the third footballer after Michel Platini (1984) and Lothar Matthäus (1990) to win the continental prize since its inception in 1983.

The Germany international custodian beat Real Madrid CF star and 2014 Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo to the World Athlete award.

The ‘Drog’ Parties With ‘Uncle Snoop’ in Cannes

Didier Drogba was chilling with US musician Snoop Dog in Cannes as the Chelsea striker relaxed following a long season.

The Ivory Coast international didn’t feature against West Bromwich Albion on Monday night as the newly-crowned Premier League champions were soundly beaten 3-0 at The Hawthorns.

Less than 24 hours after that shock result, the Chelsea legend apparently headed to the exclusive French town to parties with the rich and famous amid the current Cannes Film Festival.

And the 37-year-old, affectionately nicknamed the Drog, managed to get a snap with US hip-hop artist Snoop Dog as the pair partied together in France.

Drogba posted the above photo and wrote: “Great to catch up with my big bro yesterday @snoopdogg in Cannes @viproom SN double O PEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Drogba is set to become a free agent at the end of the season after the expiration of his one-year deal with the west London side.

The African legend has scored four goals in 27 Premier League appearances this season, although the striker has started just seven top-flight games.

Juventus Complete Domestic Double With Coppa Italia Title

Serie A champion Juventus added the Italian Cup title to its trophy case with a 2-1 win over Lazio in extra time Wednesday, setting up a chance for a treble.

Substitute Alessandro Matri scored from the center of the area in the 97th minute with a shot that Lazio goalkeeper Etrit Berisha should have saved.

Defenders scored for each side in the opening minutes of the first half. Stefan Radu headed in for Lazio inside the near post following a free kick from Danilo Cataldi on the right flank four minutes in.

Giorgio Chiellini equalized in the 11th with an acrobatic display after Patrice Evra redirected a free kick from Andrea Pirlo toward him at the edge of the box.

Later, it was Chiellini who received the trophy from Italy President Sergio Mattarella.

Sunderland Survive Arsenal Onslaught, Secure EPL Status

Sunderland have secured their Premier League status for another season following a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Arsenal.

The Black Cats needed a point to avoid a three-way battle for survival on the final day of the campaign and they produced a resolute rearguard to frustrate the Gunners for long periods and achieve another great escape.

The hosts dominated for the entire match but found it difficult to unlock the visitors' defence with Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott going close, while Black Cats defender Billy Jones saw an inadvertent deflection crash back off his own post.

Sunderland offered little in the first period but arguably manufactured the best chances of the match after the break with Steven Fletcher and Patrick van Aanholt forcing fine saves out of David Ospina.

Police Detain Benzema For The Third Time

Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema, has been detained by police for a third time in the Spanish capital for driving without permission.

According to reports, the Frenchman was spotted driving a white Rolls Royce along the T-4 highway from Madrid airport last Tuesday morning when he was stopped by police.

Apparently, Benzema has not possessed a valid driving licence since 2013 when he was fined €180,000 after being caught by a fixed radar camera travelling at 194.4km per hour in a 100km per hour zone.

Shortly afterwards, he was again caught driving without a licence and did not have the necessary documents for his car to be legally driven in Spain.

Reports state that Benzema apologised at the time, saying he had left the documents at home, but when checking their database the police found his licence had not been renewed.

The player has been told he will be summoned to a speedy trial at the Plaza Castilla courts in Madrid.

Motor Racer, Lewis Hamilton Signs New Mercedes Deal, To Earn $31m

Lewis Hamilton has signed a new three-year contract at Mercedes that could be worth up to £27m a year.

The 30-year-old Briton has been with the team since 2013 after six years at McLaren and won his second world title last year.

"I couldn't be happier to be staying for another three years," he said of the deal that will take him up to 2018.

Hamilton leads team-mate Nico Rosberg by 20 points in the current championship.

He had been linked with a move to Ferrari, despite saying in March that a new contract was "99.6%" done, with negations said to be completed and just "legal stuff" remaining at that point. It is understood Hamilton will earn a basic salary, paid in US dollars, of $31m (£20.9m) plus extensive bonuses.

Emmanuel Adebayor Spills More Family Secrets (Part 3)

Emmanuel Adebayor with his brother, Kola when the going was good, rather 'bad'

As a follow up of what he had started few weeks back. Tottenham Hotspur striker, Emmanuel Sheyi Adebayor has released more details regarding his rancour with his family.

SEA, if I decide to bring out the Part 3 today, it is because my brother @Kola Adebayor and my other siblings have decided to talk about our family issues on social medias, through letters to my club, radios…I could write an autobiography and sell it but I decided to share with you here.

25 years ago, my big older brother Kola went to Germany and he became the hope of our family. We all thought he could change the way we were living. Years after he left Togo, we still had no electricity and no phones. If he wanted to talk to us, he would call the Atlantic Hotel that was very close to our house. We would then run to the hotel reception and talk to him.

When I got the opportunity to go play football in France for the first time, we needed money to for the flight tickets and other expenses. My brother was nowhere to be found. Only God knows what he was doing in Germany.

We Will Give Arsenal A Tough Time Tonight – Dick

Sunderland boss, Dick Advocaat is confident that his troops will ensure the club stays in the English top flight when they take on Arsenal this evening.

The 67-year-old Dutchman will send his team into battle at Arsenal this evening needing a maximum of one point from the 90 minutes at the Emirates Stadium and Sunday’s final-day trip to champions Chelsea to end their fears of the drop.

He said: “For this club it is crucial to stay up, so everybody knows what they have to do for the next couple of years. This is a great club, a great stadium, the facilities here are brilliant, so everything is there to play on a different level to what they have done in the last five years.”

Asked he was nervous, he replied: “No, excited, very excited. But it’s better for all of us, the sooner the better we get that point.

Yaya Toure Offered £15m By Inter Milan

Inter Milan will make an offer for Yaya Toure very soon according to reports.

The Daily Mail is of the belief that the Italian club want to pay the Manchester City midfielder around £15million over three years with the view to a fourth season.

The Nerazzurri are believed to be readying the proposal which would land 32-year old Toure £4.3m a year after tax.

Toure, who has won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup with City, is contracted at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2017 but is expected to leave at the end of the current campaign.

EURO-17: Zidane’s Son Misses Panenka, Saves Crucial Penalty Kick (VIDEO)

Zinedine Zidane's goalkeeper son Luca attempted and missed a Panenka in Euro U17 semi-final but got back up to play a key role as France progressed to the final.

His second son Luca currently plies his trade with Real Madrid's Under 17s Juvenil B team as a goalkeeper, and is said to be highly thought of.

He is also the starting goalkeeper for France’s U17 team.

And Luca starred – in more way than one - as that France team made it into the final of the UEFA Under 17 Championship on Tuesday.

France were pitted against Belgium in the semi-final and after the match finished one-all the game went straight to penalties.

David De Gea Wins Man Utd Best Player For the Second Time

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has been crowned the club's player's player of the year for the second season in a row.

The Spain international, who also made it into the PFA team of the year and the six-man shortlist for the PFA player of the year award, has kept 10 clean sheets behind a shaky United backline this season.

His stellar performances have not gone unnoticed and he has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer but he gave no hints about his future and praised his team-mates after collecting the gong.

"I want to say thank you to my team-mates, they have been fantastic this season and I love them. We have a great dressing room and I would like to say thank you very much," he said on United's official website.

We Negotiated Nike Deal From A Weak Point – Pinnick

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says it is financially handicapped to raise funds for the all the national teams representing the country in different international championships while disclosing that the current board met a huge debt portfolio incurred by the former board led by Aminu Maigari.

NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, said yesterday in Abuja that the board has serious financial challenges, even as it works hard to ensure that the national teams get the best preparations to enable them do well in championships.

Pinnick, however, noted that the huge debt was not as a result of their recklessness, but because they were determined to give the national teams quality preparation for championships, which yielded positive results with the victories Nigeria recorded within the past four years. “We are facing very difficult times preparing all the national teams with little fund.

Scott Sinclair Completes Aston Villa Move

Aston Villa winger Scott Sinclair is looking forward to next season after completing his move from Barclays Premier League rivals Manchester City.

The 26-year-old is committed to the club for the next four years after initially signing on loan for the rest of the current campaign.

He told Villa's official website: " We've had a fantastic end to the current season - and now I am already looking forward to the new season starting.

"It was important for the family to have that stability and I'm thrilled it's with a club like Villa. This is the happiest I have been in a long time. Now it's about kicking on with my career in claret and blue.

Justin Gatlin Sent Home By Beijing World Challenge Organisers

Justin Gatlin claims organisers at the sent him home on the eve of the event.

The American was due to race in China on Wednesday (today) after running his fastest ever 100 metres time of 9.74 seconds at the Diamond League opener in Doha last week, despite concerns over a thigh injury.

Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, initially told organisers he was suffering from a tight hamstring and dehydration following a flight to Beijing, but came through a training session on Monday.

“I was happy to stay. I’m fit and ready to run. I was cramping a lot after the fastest my body has ever run,” Reuters claim Gatlin told reporters at Beijing airport as he left to fly home.

Babalola Peters of King’s College Wins PWC Chess4Change Grand Slam

King's College, Victoria Island, Lagos and its student, Babalola Peters, at the weekend emerged winners in schools and individual categories of the maiden PriceWaterCooper (PWC) Chess4Change Grand Slam for Secondary Schools organised by the Lagos State Chess Association (LSCA).

The competition, which held from May 14 to 16, and supported by the foremost accounting and audit firm, aimed at equipping the students with skills for applying strategic thinking in solving day to day problems of the larger society.

Peter of Kings College finished tops as the best individual player and was followed by Benjamin Haruna of Akande Dahunsi Memorial Secondary School and Obasi Samson of Falomo Senior High School in second and third positions respectively.

QPR Appoints Chris Ramsey As Head Coach On A Three-Year Deal

Chris Ramsey has been appointed as the substantive coach despite his inability to prevent Queens Park Rangers from relegation from the Premier League during his temporary spell as manager this season.

Ramsey took over at Loftus Road after former boss Harry Redknapp quit the club at the beginning of February.

Although the club were just outside the relegation zone at the time, in 17th place, the size of Ramsey's task with a demanding fixture list was obvious.

Club owner Tony Fernandes has been impressed by the 53-year-old's conduct during a tricky spell for the club and has now rewarded him with a three-year deal.

"When Chris took over the role we were already in a very difficult position," said Fernandes.

"Yet despite our relegation, we, as a board, have been impressed with the professionalism and attention to detail he has demonstrated since becoming head coach."

The contract will bring at least some stability to the club ahead of an uncertain summer, with the club potentially facing a huge fine on their return to the Football League for breaking Financial Fair Play rules in the 2013-2014 season.

Ronaldo overtakes Di Stefano, Eyes Raul’s Record

Cristiano Ronaldo moved ahead of Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano in the club’s all-time goal-scoring chart on Sunday evening.

According to Soccernet, Ronaldo, 30, scored yet another hat trick in the 4-1 win at Espanyol which moved him onto 310 goals from his 299 games, and the three-time Ballon d’Or winner is now closing in on record goal-scorer Raul who left the club in 2010 with 323 goals from 741 games.

Real Madrid say that Di Stefano scored 308 goals in 396 games, though official statistics place him on 307 – the club attribute a goal scored in a Copa Del Rey game against Betis in 1962-63 to Di Stefano while other outlets give it to Ferenc Puskas. Carlos Santillana, who played between 1971-88, bagged 290 in 645 games while Puskas managed 242 in 262 games between 1958-66.

Dangote Keen To Buy Arsenal, Replace Wenger With Club Legend

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that he aims to replace Arsene Wenger with a combination of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry at Arsenal.

Dangote, who made no secret of his desire to make an offer for Arsenal, is confident that he will be able to make an offer that cannot be refused to major shareholders, which includes current owner, Stan Kroenke, and other multi-billionaire shareholder, Alisher Usmanov.

Nigerian Allko Dangote’s net, according to Forbes, is $21.6 billion and was heavily linked with an offer for the Gunners at the start of the month.

The businessman, who has made his money through a variety of avenues including sugar, flour and oil, is plotting to sack Wenger should he tempt shareholders into selling.

According to the Metro, Dangote wants former club legend Patrick Vieira to take over from his fellow countryman should he take acquire a controlling interest in the FA Cup finalists, a move that could please some Arsenal fans.

Okagbare wins Diamond League 100m

Blessing Okagabare won the 100m of the Shanghai leg of the IAAF's Diamond League on Sunday.

She  powered home in 10.98 seconds, edging America's Tori Bowie who came in second with a time of 11.07 seconds, a personal best. Michelle-Lee Ahye from Trinidad and Tobago would finish in third.

"My race was pretty good," Okagbare said after the event.

"It is not easy to compete with the best of the world - but I won. I focused on my start. Normally I don't have the best start, but now I was leading from the beginning."

Meanwhile, Nigeria's Tosin Oke was knocked out in the opening round of the men's triple jump.

"I did my best ever opener in round one, but did not get to show my worth that day due to being rusty," he said.

"I am looking forward to the next one."

Liverpool Starlet, Sterling Sees Future Away From Anfield

Raheem Sterling is set to tell Liverpool he wants to leave the club in the summer when talks between the two parties resume this week, according to reports.

Several reports on Monday night claimed the England forward would inform club chiefs that he sees his future away from Anfield.

Sterling is under contract until 2017 and, if he opts not to sign a new deal, Liverpool will have to decide whether to cash in on one of their most prized assets or risk losing him for nothing at the end of his deal.

The 20-year-old said in an interview with BBC Sport last month that the contract impasse was nothing to do with money, but about his desire to win trophies after it emerged that he had been what Rodgers described as "an incredible offer", believed to be £100,000-a-week.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher had some stern words for Sterling.

West Brom Claim Shock Win Over 10 Man Chelsea

West Brom claimed a shock 3-0 win over Chelsea at The Hawthorns, with the visitors playing most of the game with 10 men after Cesc Fabregas was sent-off.

It was a result to savour for West Brom, who took the lead after just nine minutes thanks to an outstanding strike by striker Saido Berahino from 20 yards.

Cesc Fabregas was shown a straight red midway through the first-half for kicking the ball at Chris Brunt after an altercation involving Diego Costa.

West Brom took total control just after half-time when Berahino converted from the spot after being tripped in the area by John Terry.

After Loic Remy had hit the post for Chelsea, it was left to Brunt to round-off the win with an hour played, smashing a low shot beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Mourinho took the opportunity to hand Nathan Ake and former Baggies youth prospect Izzy Brown a taste of first-team action, but neither could help prevent the joint-biggest defeat of the Portuguese’s tenure.

Depay Arrives Man Utd, Sets To Undergo Medicals

The Netherlands winger, Memphis Depay is in Manchester United and is set to undergo medicals at the club's Carrington training base on Monday.

United confirmed they had reached an agreement with PSV to sign the Netherlands international on May 7, with Louis van Gaal's side having seen off interest from Premier League rivals Liverpool and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Depay's agents arrived in Manchester on Sunday evening, with the player set to go through the medical process at the club's Carrington training base later on Monday.

The 21-year-old will sign a five-year contract with Van Gaal's side, on wages that will be in excess of six figures a week, while the transfer fee could rise to as much as €42.5 million (£31m) depending on individual and team success.

Depay played his final game for PSV in the 3-2 win over ADO Den Haag, where he was confirmed as the Eredivisie Golden Boot winner, having already secured the title with the Eindhoven club.

Mayweather Wins Bet of $827,000

Unbeaten boxing champion, Floyd Mayweather is in the news again. And this time, it is for accruing over $827,000 in basketball game bettings.

According to sources, the 38 years old boxer with an unbeaten record of 48 wins in 48 fights, placed a $350,000 worth of bet on four different basketball games in four days and won all the bets with profit accruing to over $827,000.

In his words, 'The last 4 days have been great. I'm getting paid while watching others entertain and perform. I don't do anything for free. I bet $350,000.00 and walked away with $827,272.73.'

I Will Beat Usain Bolt – Gatlin

Justin Gatlin does not think he beat Usain Bolt. He knows he did. In 2013, the American sprinter out leaned Bolt by one-hundredth of a second at the finish to record a surprise 100m win in Rome.

At the Diamond League season opener on Friday, the 33-year-old took no more than 9.74 secs to run the fastest 100m of his life and record his 19th straight win.

In an era where the definition of “fast” is Bolt’s superhuman 9.58 seconds, how does he see himself keeping pace with the stratospheric standards? “The bar has been set very high on the term “very fast”. 9.8, 9.7 and hopefully 9.6 as well will come this year.

 So I want to go out there and dominate on a higher level,” says Gatlin, before adding, “Not just win but dominating with fast times. It was exciting for me to see someone accomplish those times. Before that I couldn’t fathom it. It opened up a new thought process for me.”

PSG Wins 3rd Ligue 1 Title As Olympique Marseille, St Etienne Battle For Champions League Final Spot

Paris St Germain clinched a third successive Ligue 1 title, with a game to spare, and stayed on course for an unprecedented domestic treble with a 2-1 win at Montpellier on Saturday.

The Qatari-owned club needed only a point but ended the night eight points clear of their closest rivals Olympique Lyon who were held to a 1-1 home draw by Girondins Bordeaux.

The title kept Laurent Blanc’s side on course for a sweep of domestic honours, with the Parisians already winners of the League Cup and facing second tier AJ Auxerre in the French Cup final at the end of the month.

Goals from Blaise Matuidi and Ezequiel Lavezzi powered the Parisians to an impressive eighth consecutive league win, as they emerged victorious from a cat-and-mouse struggle over the latter part of the season with Lyon.

It was a fifth title in total for PSG, who were only founded in 1970.

“This title has a particular taste,” midfielder Matuidi said. “It’s the third one, it was more difficult than the others. We were often the chasers this year, we did what we needed to win it.

“We fully deserve this title. We are winners and we have something historic to go hunt for. First we have to savour tonight. PSG showed this season that we are a great team.”

Swansea Football Pitch Is Like My Garden – Bony

Manchester City striker Wifried Bony said former club Swansea City's pitch felt like his "garden" after scoring on his return to the Liberty Stadium in his side's 4-2 Premier League win on Sunday.

It was the first time the Ivorian has returned to the Welsh club since his £28 million move to Manuel Pellegrini's side in January.

Bony came off the bench to haunt his old team by hitting City's fourth with a composed side-footed finish in stoppage time.

It was a familiar sight for Swansea fans, who watched Bony score 25 league goals in 54 appearances for the Welsh club, and the striker said he felt very familiar with his surroundings.

"It's crazy for me to come here and not go left to the home dressing room," Bony told the BBC.

"But that's the way football works. I have to adapt to that."

Messi Wins La Liga For Barcelona As Madrid Goes Trophyless

Lionel Messi’s outstanding second-half goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid, moving the Catalonians into an unassailable position at the top of La Liga and dethroning Diego Simeone’s side in the process.

Barcelona knew that a win of any kind at the Vicente Calderon would seal their 23rd league title but it took until midway through the second-half for them to make the breakthrough, through the most predictable source.

Playing a smart one-two with Pedro, Lionel Messi then rolled his foot over the ball before sending a precise low shot beyond Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo still had a part to play, tipping over a fierce strike from Jose Maria Gimenez to seal the win.

The result meant second-place Real Madrid, who won 4-1 at Espanyol, can no longer catch Barcelona as they are four points behind with just one game remaining.

Manchester United Grind Out Draw Game With Arsenal

Manchester United played out a draw game with arsenal this evening as they seek to solidify their position for European football next season.

An own goal from Manchester United substitute Tyler Blackett cancelled out Ander Herrera's excellent first-half volley to keep Arsenal in third spot.

Herrera opened the scoring with a smashing strike, meeting Ashley Young's cross from the left at the far post and before sending a controlled volley beyond David Ospina.

Marouane Fellaini was the dominant force for United in the first half, running the play and preventing Arsenal from getting into their stride.

It took until the second half for the Gunners to manage a shot on target or even a corner, although they were much improved after the break.

The home side looked like holding on, though, until goalkeeper David de Gea had to be replaced by Premier League debutant Victor Valdes with 15 minutes remaining due to a hip injury.

The former Barcelona goalkeeper was soon picking the ball out of his net as Theo Walcott's cross was deflected over him by fellow substitute Tyler Blackett.

Maria Sharapova Wins Third Italian Open Title

Maria Sharapova came from one set down to beat 10th seed Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, sealing her third Italian Open title.

Third seed Sharapova looked slugging against her Spanish opponent in the first set and Suarez Navarro fought back from 1-3 and 3-5 down in the second to level at 5-5.

The defending French Open champion made a noticeable improvement in the second set, though, stepping forward on the court and attacking Navarro’s serve.

But Sharapova reeled off the next two games and tore through the decider against the tiring 10th seed, sealing victory in more than two and a half hours with her 39th winner.

Sharapova's first two titles in Rome came back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.

Beckham Encouraged Me To Move To LA Galaxy – Gerrard

Liverpool legend, Steven Gerrard has given a revealing interview to the Sunday Telegraph in which he reveals the motivation behind his decision to leave Liverpool - and the piece of advice from David Beckham that helped him take the plunge

Gerrard spoke to the newspaper's Jason Burt two days before his Anfield send-off on Saturday afternoon - a match which ended in a disappointing 3-1 defeat.

But the paper published the interview only on Sunday morning, no doubt at Gerrard's request since several of his answers hint at genuine ambivalence about his 17 years as an icon at Liverpool.

"I can’t wait,” he said, when asked about his feelings ahead of the move to LA.

"Everywhere you go [in Liverpool] you can’t go out the front door without bumping into a Red or a Blue. It is intense, especially for someone like myself," he added.

"So I am looking forward to being able to breathe and play football under a little less pressure and going back to days when maybe before I was in the first team at Liverpool when you really enjoyed your football and there’s not that responsibility and pressure."

Man City Ends Swansea City Hopes Of European Football

Second placed Manchester City has fortified their grip on the Premier League table by defeating Swansea City by four goals to two in an enthralling match.

The visitors opened up a two-goal lead against the run of play, with Yaya Toure scoring courtesy of a deflected shot past Lukasz Fabianski into the far corner, and James Milner skilfully skipping round the defence just after the half-hour point.

Gylfi Sigurdsson gave the hosts some hope on the stroke of half-time, rewarding the hard work of Jefferson Montero by lashing home a strike from the edge of the box.

And Bafe Gomis drew them level just after the hour, deceiving both Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis to fire home.

But Toure put his side back in front in the final quarter, crashing through the Swansea defence and powering past Fabianski at his near post.