Gerard Pique has welcomed Spain s reappointment of Luis Enrique but admitted to being surprised at Roberto Moreno s abrupt departure.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed the unexpected coaching change on Tuesday, bringing an end to Moreno s brief stint in charge of the 2010 World Cup winners.

Moreno took over in a caretaker capacity in March and assumed the head coach role on a full-time basis in June.

Luis Enrique had stepped down as his young daughter, Xana, had developed bone cancer. She died in August.

His former assistant, Moreno, won seven and drew two of the nine matches he oversaw in total, leading to a sense of shock when it became evident that Monday s Euro 2020 qualifier against Romania was to be his last game.

In tr…

Portugal head coach Fernando Santos and Juventus have both offered unwavering support to Cristiano Ronaldo after the five-time Ballon d Or winner firmly denied  a rape allegation.

Kathryn Mayorga has accused Ronaldo of sexual assault in a hotel in Las Vegas in 2009.

Ronaldo called the claims fake news  before issuing a further statement on social media in which he strenuously denied the allegations and called rape an abominable crime . 

Juventus posted on Twitter on Thursday offering their support to Ronaldo, who joined the Serie A champions from Real Madrid in July.

Cristiano Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus, the club said in a statement.

The events al…

Chelsea have completed the loan signing of Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid.

The 23-year-old forward joins the Blues until the end of the season for a reported loan fee of €11million (£9.7m).

There has been no official disclosure from either Chelsea or Atleti over whether a purchase option has been included, though Joao Felix has extended his contract with the Spanish side until 2027.

Joao Felix had been strongly linked with a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United, but it is Chelsea who have made their move, looking to recover what has been a disappointing campaign at Stamford Bridge so far.

Graham Potter has struggled since replacing Thomas Tuchel as head coach in September, with Chelsea languishing in 10th place in the league as …

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is confident Maurizio Sarri s men will bounce back from Saturday s loss to Tottenham.

The Blues were beaten 3-1 at Wembley their first league defeat of the season after a performance completely out of character with their promising start under Italian Sarri.

The setback left them seven points behind pacesetters Manchester City but Drogba has tipped them to bounce back.

Speaking at a Yokohama fan event in Tokyo, the Ivorian said: Chelsea are doing well this year. It was going to happen that they d lose a game.

Losing against Tottenham is never a good thing because it s a derby and they are a good side.

I hope Chelsea are going to bounce back from this defeat and start a new series of winning games. The goal …

Vinicius Junior apologised to Brazil s supporters following their defeat to Paraguay, acknowledging it is a difficult time for the Selecao.

The five-time world champions were beaten 1-0 in Asuncion, with Diego Gomez s 20th-minute strike condemning them to a fourth defeat in five qualifying games.

Dorival Junior s side occupy fifth place in the CONMEBOL section in which the top six nations automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, with the team finishing seventh entering the Inter-confederation play-offs.

Already eight points adrift of leaders Argentina, Brazil are now just one ahead of eighth-place Bolivia, and Vinicius knows he and his team-mates must do better.

We apologise to the fans, who are always on our side, the Real Madrid forward told Sport…

Chiedozie Ogbene has admitted he feels sorry for under-fire Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny after his lingering hopes of Euro 2024 qualification were finally dashed.

Kenny’s reign seemingly reached the point of no return on Friday night when a 2-0 home defeat by Greece left his team with just three points from a possible 18 in Group B and mathematically unable to clinch a place in the top two.

Ireland head for Gibraltar on Monday evening with only pride at stake and while Kenny received assurances last week that he would remain in charge until after next month’s fixtures, discontent with the direction of travel under his charge has reached fever pitch.

Asked about the manager’s future, Luton striker Ogbene reflected on early chances which went beg…

There is an old saying in football that you should never go back .

It is not true in some cases. Zinedine Zidane s success as a head coach at Real Madrid after a glorious playing career is proof of that.

Unfortunately, for some it is advice that perhaps should have been heeded, and that is maybe how Santiago Solari will be feeling after his Los Blancos reign was brought to an end after just four months, with Zidane immediately installed as his successor.

Back-to-back Clasico defeats that effectively ended Madrid s hopes of domestic silverware were followed by an embarrassing Champions League last-16 exit to Ajax last week. And that meant the writing was on the wall for Solari, a LaLiga and Champions League winner with Madrid as a player.

Here, we loo…

Brian Schmetzer was under no illusion that the Seattle Sounders’ upcoming MLS fixture against Sporting Kansas City will be anything but easy.

The Sounders returned to winning ways in style, comfortably dispatching Leagues Cup winners Columbus Crew 4-0 away from home last time out.

Schmetzer’s side find themselves sitting fifth in the Western Conference table, with the advantage of having four of their remaining six MLS fixtures at Lumen Field.

And the Sounders head coach insisted their home form would be critical until the end of the season, but he acknowledged the task awaiting his players in their next game.

“It is critical. We need to tell the players the importance of home games because last year Sporting KC came here and beat us and it gave the…

Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds had “first day of school vibes” ahead of an emotional, long-awaited English Football League return that proved promoted Wrexham still have a lot to learn after a 5-3 defeat to MK Dons.

The Welsh club have become one of the most talked about teams in the world over the last 30 months thanks to their famous owners and the acclaimed docuseries charting their rise.

Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s backing helped Wrexham end their 15 years away from the EFL, with Saturday’s clash at the sold-out SToK Racecourse marking their first at this level in 5,572 days.

“More than anything, the one word I would use is emotional,” Reynolds told Sky Sports ahead of the Sky Bet League Two clash.

Finally snagged an invite. Thanks Wrex. …

World player of the year Ada Hegerberg has chosen to miss the party but the Women s World Cup will boast a plethora of global stars.

Hegerberg s principled protest, based on her perception of how the Norwegian federation treats women s football, means the Lyon striker will be sorely missed in France.

Lining up to dazzle, however, will be an array of players ready to become household names or enhance already lofty reputations.

Here is a look at 10 women who are ready to make a major impact for their countries.

Christine Sinclair, Canada, striker

After more than 19 years on Canada s national team, Sinclair could be entering her final World Cup. She is Canada s all-time leading scorer and sits second on the list for women s internation…