Barcelona aren t giving up on the idea of signing Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich this summer despite a reluctance from the Bavarians to do a deal, according to .

The contract binding the 33-year-old striker to the Allianz Arena will have a year left to run at the end of the season, which obviously means nothing can be done without Bayern s consent. That s apparently the reason agent Pini Zahavi, who represents Lewandowski, is holding meetings with the chief people at the club these days.

Meanwhile, both Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic have so far been adamant that the Poland international would be going nowhere this summer, ruling Bayern out of the race for the services of Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland for that precise reason.

Since joining Bay…

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor was in a reflective mood after their 7-0 victory at Crystal Palace ensured they continued their perfect start to the Women s Super League.

The former Champions League winner joined the club in May after leading Lyon to a third successive French title, and has won her first two matches in the English top-flight.

Understandably, having never played or managed in England before taking the job at Chelsea, Bompastor spent a lot of time learning about the league before the move.

I feel wiser, she told Sky Sports after the match.

Coming to this league, I ve spent a lot of time studying the teams, the managers and the way they play.

I want a lot of information, the most possible. This league is so competitive and if you…

Market: Both teams to score

Odds: 3/5 @

In what could prove to be an action-packed La Liga showdown from El Sadar on Saturday lunchtime, Osasuna will welcome Villarreal to Navarre.

Starting with the hosts, managing to make a stunning return to winning ways last weekend as they stormed their way to a famous 4-1 romp away at Atletico Madrid, Osasuna will be desperate to use that sensational display as a platform to build on. Opening their season finale sat just a single point adrift of breaking into the top-half, Los Rojillos will be desperate to make another statement here. However, despite drawing a line under their six-match winless run last week, Jagoba Arrasate will have a headache over his side’s extended issues on home soil. Including an action-packed 4-2…

The European Super League needs English clubs more than they need the breakaway competition, says football finance expert Dan Plumley.

The European Super League was initially announced back in April 2021, with 12 of the continent s biggest clubs announcing their intention to join. Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham all agreed to participate.

However, a fan backlash eventually forced nine of the clubs to back down, including all six English teams, and the Super League looked to be a thing of the past.

A ruling this week may have given it a second life, though, with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg deciding FIFA and UEFA abused a dominant position in blocking the Super League.

A new proposal was sw…

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will renew acquaintances with Manchester United after the Red Devils were drawn against his Milan side in the Europa League last 16.

Sweden great Ibrahimovic spent just under two seasons with the Red Devils under Jose Mourinho, joining in July 2016 and departing in March 2018 to move to LA Galaxy.

During his first campaign at Old Trafford, Ibrahimovic missed out on United s Europa League final triumph against Ajax due to a serious knee injury and he will now aim to be the downfall of his former employers in this season s competition.

United have been eliminated by Milan in European knockout ties four times, the most of any side along with Real Madrid.

4 Manchester United have been eliminated from four of their five UEFA European knockou…

The first time Pep Guardiola was drawn to face a Bundesliga team in the Champions League as Manchester City manager, the match was postponed after a torrential pre-match downpour soaked the Etihad Stadium.

Twenty-four hours later, Borussia Monchengladbach were swatted aside 4-0 but there were some other, more incongruous storm clouds hovering.

Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick, already his second of the campaign to move on to nine goals in his first five outings under Guardiola.  A brace that weekend at Swansea City took him to 11 in six, but his manager was not completely satisfied with the bigger picture.

Sergio just has a talent to score goals that is natural, I cannot teach him that, Guardiola said.

What I can tell him is there is a team behind him …

Paul Pogba insists he and his fellow France players have no problem with head coach Didier Deschamps but were disgusted by the team s failure at Euro 2020

Draws against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ukraine in World Cup qualifying have followed France s wretched European mission.

Despite going into Euro 2020 as many people s favourites, France were knocked out on penalties by Switzerland in the second round, with Pogba seen in a lively discussion with Deschamps after the game.

Deschamps has been boss of France since 2012 and is set to lead his reigning world champions into next year s World Cup, assuming they qualify.

Manchester United midfielder Pogba looks set to face Finland on Tuesday as France attempt to end a run of five successive draws – including the …

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter says hosting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is a mistake .

Blatter was in charge of football s world governing body in 2010 when the Gulf nation was controversially selected to stage the upcoming tournament.

The build-up to the showpiece, which begins on November 20, has been dominated by concerns over the treatment of workers and laws that criminalise same-sex relations.

Blatter, who was cleared of fraud charges by a Swiss court earlier this year over financial misconduct allegations, maintains he never personally voted for Qatar to hold the event.

The choice of Qatar was a mistake, he said in an interview with Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger.

At the time, we actually agreed in the executive committee that Russia …

Real Betis veteran Joaquin has signed a new contract that runs until 2020.

The club icon, who returned to the LaLiga club in 2015, will be 38 by the time his new deal comes to an end.

Joaquin rose through the youth ranks at Betis before moving on in 2006 to enjoy spells with Valencia, Malaga and Fiorentina.

The former Spain international will now have the chance to add a sizeable amount to his 355 club appearances.

A statement from Betis read: Real Betis has renewed the contract of the captain Joaquin Sanchez. The winger, a Green-and-White icon, will continue with the club until 2020.

Joaquin arrived to the Green-and-White academy at the age of 16, and has become one of the most important Spanish footballers in the last two decades. 

Hi…

Dejan Kulusevski believes Tottenham will achieve better results than the first six months of the season following the World Cup break.

Spurs will play their first game in well over a month when they travel to Brentford on Monday.

Antonio Conte s side sit fourth in the Premier League and are into the Champions League round of 16, with Milan their opponents.

Winger Kulusevski feels Spurs will return an even better side following the hiatus.

I expect better results than the first six months of the season, Kulusevski told Stats Perform. I think we can do better and we ve been working, so now it s just time to show what we ve been doing.

I think we have a lot of quality players that still can make more. We have very good players and you saw that in t…