Luka Modric believes Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema would be a worthy winner of this year s Ballon d Or, while the midfielder also revealed his opposition to proposed biennial World Cups.
Modric was the first player to end the Ballon d Or duopoly of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when the midfielder won the prize in 2018 – it ended 10 years of domination by the two superstars stretching back to Kaka s win in 2007.
Of course, Messi won it for a record sixth time in 2019, and 2020 saw the award cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will make a return this year, with a shortlist of 30 candidates having been announced on October 8.
Among them is Benzema, who has elevated himself to another level at Madrid over the past few years, becoming something…
Hull City were relegated from the Premier League after drawing 0-0 with 10-man Manchester United at the KC Stadium on the final day of the season.
Steve Bruce knew he needed to oversee a first victory over United in his managerial career if Hull were to have any chance of escaping the drop at Newcastle United s expense as they did in 2009.
Newcastle s 2-0 victory over West Ham ultimately ensured even a win would not have been enough for Hull, who were unable to find a breakthrough on Sunday despite United substitute Marouane Fellaini s 77th-minute sending-off.
Fellaini received a straight red card for a studs-up challenge on Paul McShane, but there was still no way through for Bruce s men FA Cup finalists 12 months ago in their first season back in the top …
Jordan Henderson has warned his Liverpool team-mates not to get too overconfident following their thumping 7-0 win over Manchester United.
The Reds inflicted a record Premier League defeat on their fierce rivals – and their joint-heaviest loss ever – in Sunday s one-sided contest at Anfield.
While Liverpool took particular enjoyment out of thrashing United, the result also moved them within three points of fourth-place Tottenham with a game in hand.
Newcastle are four points off the Champions League qualification spots, meanwhile, and have two games in hand on Spurs.
Liverpool have now taken 13 points from the past 15 on offer, but Henderson does not want his colleagues to get too ahead of themselves.
Hopefully we can use it in the right way …
Market: Middlesbrough win
Odds: 8/11 @
Looking to extend on their EFL Cup adventure on Tuesday night, Middlesbrough will make the trip to St. James’ Park when they meet Exeter.
Starting with the hosts, while Exeter might have opened up the 2023/24 campaign with their sights set on trying to mount a genuine play-off charge, Gary Caldwell’s side find themselves in the midst of a public struggle. Although the Grecians might have been las seen over the weekend snatching a 1-1 stalemate at home against Lincoln, the Devon-based outfit have come under some increasing scrutiny. Now firmly looking over their shoulder at a looming relegation scrap, Exeter have collected just a single point from any of their previous seven appearances across all competitions. With that…
Steven Gerrard believes he had a good understanding with all of his managers at Liverpool apart from Rafael Benitez and was left embarrassed by the Spaniard s facts rant meltdown .
The current Real Madrid head coach spent six years at Anfield, guiding the club to the 2005 UEFA Champions League title in his first season at the helm, when Liverpool rallied from 3-0 down to beat Milan on penalties in Istanbul.
Yet despite sharing that triumph, the former England international has suggested he had a mixed relationship with Benitez.
I don t think Rafa Benitez liked me as a person. I m not sure why, but that s the feeling I got from him, Gerrard wrote in his book My Story , which is being serialised by The Daily Mail.
I can pick up the phone and speak t…
Brazilian forward Endrick rejected comparisons with Pele and criticised negative stories that have been published about him.
Real Madrid confirmed a deal to sign the 16-year-old from Palmeiras in December, with the move to LaLiga set to go ahead in July 2024 when he turns 18.
Endrick has suffered a loss of form since his future move to the Santiago Bernabeu was announced, scoring just once in 13 appearances across all competitions, and has struggled with the increased media attention he has received.
Sometimes I ask myself: Why are there so many stories about me? I didn t ask for this. There are situations that cross a line, he told GQ.
Ah, he s the new Pele. Man, nobody is going to be Pele, he s the king of football.
But there s nothing I can …
Edinson Cavani could opt to finish playing in his native Uruguay after his Paris Saint-Germain contract expires at the end of next season.
Cavani, who began his career with Montevideo-based Danubio, joined PSG from Napoli in 2013 and has gone on to become the Ligue 1 champions all-time leading scorer.
He turns 32 in February and, having hinted he could retire 18 months from now earlier this week, Cavani told Canal Plus he is relaxed about what the future holds.
I m very quiet. For me in football, things can change, he said after scoring a hat-trick in PSG s 9-0 rout of Guingamp on Saturday.
As I ve said many times, decisions do not only depend on players.
As I said when speaking about my contract, I have until 2020 with PSG. I want to go to …
Jesse Lingard has said the love he felt from Nottingham Forest is what persuaded him to join the newly-promoted side.
Forest are back in the Premier League for the first time since the 1998-99 season, and have signed a number of new players ahead of the upcoming campaign.
The capture of Lingard on a free transfer from Manchester United raised some eyebrows, with the England international reportedly turning down interest from abroad as well as from Everton and former loan club West Ham.
However, Lingard has explained that the efforts made by Forest s owners and manager Steve Cooper to sign him is what led to him making the decision to move to the City Ground.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Lingard said: I could have gone abroad for a lot of money but I want…
As their Serie A rivals attempt to turn back time, champions Milan are looking to the future.
Romelu Lukaku, Inter s 2020-21 Scudetto hero, and Paul Pogba, the winner of four straight championships at Juventus, have returned to their former clubs following ultimately unsuccessful Premier League stints.
Of course, this is a move that worked for Milan last season, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic had played for three different clubs in three different countries between featuring in the Rossoneri s two most recent title-winning campaigns.
Ibrahimovic, soon to turn 41, has signed up for another season, but there is a young, exciting core to the Milan team who secured that latest title and will now bid to defend it.
Young stars repay Pioli s faith
Milan had the …
Zinedine Zidane vowed he would not quit as Real Madrid head coach after a shattering defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk left their Champions League campaign in chaos.
Madrid slumped to third place in Group B after a 2-0 defeat to Shakhtar – the Ukrainian side that also beat the LaLiga champions in the Spanish capital in October.
Amid deteriorating domestic form, the Champions League had been the salvation for Madrid in November, as they beat Inter home and away.
But now pressure will mount on Zidane, the club legend who was arguably the ultimate Galactico before coaching the team to three consecutive Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018.
Madrid dearly needed a positive result in Kiev, where Donetsk play their home games, but goals from substitutes Dentinho…