AC Milan welcomed Napoli to San Siro in round 32 of the 2017/18 Serie A season. Gennaro Gattuso’s team aim to finish inside top six and qualify for Europe, and they need every point they can get in that push. The same can be said of Napoli, even more so, as they strive to keep the pressure on Juventus and be in a position to take advantage of any potential mistake the Old Lady may make. Now, when Juventus are out of the Champions League, such opportunities aren’t likely to come often.

The teams

Both managers arranged their teams in the 4-3-3 formation.

Gattuso went with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal, the centre-back duo of Cristian Zapata and Mateo Musacchio flanked by Davide Calabria and Ricardo Rodriguez. Lucas Biglia, Franck Kessie and Giacomo Bonaventura formed …

Like most major events to do with Barcelona, Andres Iniesta s Copa del Rey final farewell was best summed up by Lionel Messi.

They had combined for the goal of the game. Iniesta glided forward, fed Messi, collected his return pass, dummied exquisitely past David Soria and fired home. After the jumping fist pump and the player huddle came Messi s tribute: eyes closed, he hugged his long-time team-mate, the image a silent reflection of the headline that would follow in AS the next day: Iniesta, don t go! .

Messi knew, though. The news was confirmed on Friday, but it comes as no surprise: Iniesta will leave Barcelona at the end of the season, after 22 years at the club. He is expected to head to China, becoming the crowning jewel in the nation s star-studded Super League,…

Juventus surgical takedown of Barcelona on Tuesday proved beyond any doubt that Serie A has a high-class side capable of mixing with and besting Europe s elite.

For Inter and AC Milan, who clash in the Derby della Madonnina on Saturday, it must have felt particularly cold to be on the outside looking in.

Inter were the last Italian club to hoist Europe s biggest trophy in 2010, when Jose Mourinho s all-conquering side became the only team in the country s history to complete the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League treble.

Mourinho left – or more accurately stayed at the Santiago Bernabeu following the final victory over Bayern Munich – to lead Real Madrid, and Inter have never been the same. Stefano Pioli is their ninth head coach since then and would …

According to a recent report from ESPN, Ricardo Quaresma’s wage demands have led to Toronto FC going off the idea of signing him. The 35 year old appeared to be set for one final big payday over in Major League Soccer in North America, but it seems like he may have taken things one step too far. The Portuguese star, who helped lead Portugal to Euro 2016 success just a few years ago, has been with Besiktas since back in 2015. He’s arguably best known for his two spells with Porto, although he also spent time with Sporting Lisbon, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea.

Quaresma has been at the heart of Portuguese football for what feels like forever, and as a result, there are often many eyes on what he’s going to do next. Alas, even with his popularity, it seems like Toronto …

World Cup murals have represented a continuously evolving story in Kazan. While they are certainly impressive aesthetically, it s what you can t see that makes them particularly important, even symbolic of the change such a tournament can bring.

The murals project was initially started ahead of the 2017 Confederations Cup.

The local Supernova group were commissioned to produce several pieces around the city; Rubin midfielder Ruslan Kambolov and Russian great Igor Netto getting huge works dedicated to them near Kazan Arena.

Another was produced at the end of the Reka Bulak canal, depicting players from many of the participating countries with their arms around each other in a show of unity.

I’m making mural visits a daily thing at the moment.
This one h…

Rafael da Silva will complete his switch to Lyon this week after the Ligue 1 side confirmed the defender has passed a medical and signed a four-year deal.

The Brazil international made over 150 appearances for Manchester United since arriving in 2008, but the signing of Matteo Darmian has pushed him down the pecking order at Old Trafford.

As a result he has opted to move to France, with Lyon paying an undisclosed fee for the 25-year-old right-back.

Rafael will be unveiled by the Stade Gerland outfit later this week, once all the formalities have been completed between the two clubs.

Earlier on Monday Rafael bid an emotional farewell to United, posting messages of thanks on Twitter.

I want to thank Manchester United fans for all the love duri…

his retirement from professional football. The 37-year-old is well known for having bounced around a series of different clubs throughout his 20-year career in the sport, with his most notable spell in the game coming during his four years with Norwich City. He was the guiding light behind their back to back promotions into the Premier League, and at one point, there were rumours of a big money move for the Englishman.

While he may never have reached the biggest heights in the game he certainly made an impression, even being on the verge of a call-up to England s Euro 2012 squad before talks fell apart. In the wake of this decision, it s been confirmed that he ll be taking up a coaching role with the Canaries, in what many fans will rightly see as a fitting end to what has bee…

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko responded in scathing fashion over the latest anti-doping allegations to hit the country s sports organisations and called the International Olympic Committee s (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency s (WADA) own process into question when addressing the Confederations Cup closing news conference in St Petersburg.

Germany face Chile in the final of the tournament on Sunday, a dry run of sorts for the Russia 2018 World Cup and FIFA president Gianni Infantino praised the hosts on account of feared issues with hooliganism, violence and racism being absent.

But the spectre of doping continues to dog Russian sport.

Solicitor Richard McLaren published a report in December last year claiming that, between 2011 and 2015, more than …

With hopes of a domestic and European treble still burning brightly, Barcelona s next test comes at city rivals Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday.

Luis Enrique s side have enjoyed a productive week, with Tuesday s 2-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain sealing a 5-1 aggregate success and a place in the last four of the UEFA Champions League for the seventh time in eight seasons.

With a Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao still to look forward to and a two-point lead over Real Madrid at the summit, Barca are on course to repeat their treble-winning feat of 2008-09.

They can take confidence from a strong record in this derby, with six successive wins over Espanyol and no defeats since a 2-1 reverse in February 2009.

The reverse fixture at Camp Nou in…

Atletico Madrid striker Luciano Vietto is making the move to Sporting CP, the LaLiga club confirmed on Tuesday.

Vietto, 25, has spent this season on loan at Fulham, but will join the Portuguese giants in a reported €7.5million move.

The Argentinian joined Atletico from Villarreal in 2015 before spending time on loan at Sevilla, Valencia and Fulham.

Atletico de Madrid has reached an agreement with Sporting CP over the transfer of Luciano Vietto, the club said in a statement.

The striker, who is currently on loan at Fulham, arrived at our club ahead of the 2015-16 season and will now continue his career in Portugal.

Vietto made 38 appearances in all competitions for Atletico and will join a Sporting side certain to finish third behind Benfica a…