Bayern Munich bow out in semifinals, Ronaldo returns
BAYERN MUNICH: Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal says Atletico Madrid did not deserve to progress from Tuesday's Champions League semifinal second leg, telling COPE it was "one team who played ugly football against the best team in the world."
- Bayern Munich feel "cheated" after some tight decisions allowed Atletico Madrid to advance, chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.
- Pep Guardiola hopes that incoming manager Carlo Ancelotti can take the club to the Champions League final after they exited in the semifinals again on Tuesday night.
- Bayern defender Medhi Benatia is contemplating a return to Italy should Mats Hummels move to the Allianz Arena.
ATLETICO MADRID: Atletico coach Diego Simeone hailed his side's character and fighting spirit after they lost Tuesday evening's Champions League semifinal 2-1 at Bayern Munich but qualified for the final on away goals.
- Atletico Madrid goal scorer Antoine Griezmann said the "better team had gone through" after his side's dramatic progress.
REAL MADRID: With Cristiano Ronaldo is "100 percent" fit to face Manchester City, the club must figure out how to deal with the absence of Casemiro and Karim Benzema to injury. Real blogger Eduardo Alvarez explains how manager Zinedine Zidane might handle the dilemma.
- Zidane admitted to reporters that despite his team's home-field advantage, the second leg would be trickier than the first. Watch.
MAN CITY: Manchester City's first Champions League semifinal will only be special if they get past Real Madrid, according to defender Gael Clichy.
- Manuel Pellegrini realises the threat a fit Ronaldo poses to his squad, but says they are preparing for much more than just the Portuguese star ahead of the second leg.
- One potential boost for City is the availability of Yaya Toure. He traveled to Madrid with the club and should be available for selection should he fit into Pellegrini's tactics for the match.
LEICESTER: Claudio Ranieri's former assistant coach Christian Damiano believes that the Italian will finish his managerial career at Leicester City.
- Ranieri says it could take him two years to understand what he has achieved after winning the Premier League.
- Leicester City striker Leonardo Ulloa has told ESPN Radio in Argentina that it would be "very strange but very nice" if a street is named after him following the club's Premier League glory.
MAN UNITED: Manchester United should give Memphis Depay more time to settle in the Premier League, according to Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben.
ARGENTINA: Argentina coach Gerardo Martino says that national captain Lionel Messi will prepare with the squad in Buenos Aires for June's Copa America Centenario, before flying back to Catalonia to give evidence in a tax case and then travelling to the United States for his team's first game in the competition.
EUROPA LEAGUE: Villarreal centre-back Mateo Musacchio says his team will have to suffer in Thursday's Europa League semifinal second leg at Liverpool, but he says they have the know-how to survive and make the final.
- Liverpool must be mistake-free at Anfield against Villarreal, writes David Usher.
BARCELONA: Referee Nicola Rizzoli says Italian football still has a lot to learn about sporting culture after revealing how gracious Barcelona were in defeat to Atletico Madrid in their recent Champions League quarterfinal.
ARSENAL: Santi Cazorla played his first game in nearly six months and completed more than an hour for Arsenal's under-21s against Blackburn on Tuesday. Cazorla started alongside Tomas Rosicky and Calum Chambers at the Emirates
CHELSEA: Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says he is "100 percent" certain to stay with the club despite the absence of Champions League football next season. The goalkeeper, who signed a new five-year contract at Chelsea in 2014, has been linked with a move to Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.
- Eden Hazard has said he hopes Chelsea can challenge for the Premier League title next season after scoring the decisive goal in the title race for the second successive year.
TOTTENHAM: Christian Eriksen believes Tottenham Hotspur have changed perceptions about the club with their performances this season. Monday's 2-2 draw at Chelsea ended Spurs' hopes of beating Leicester to the title but they are guaranteed their best ever Premier League finish, and are on course to achieve a record Premier League points haul.
AC MILAN: Former AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso says he does not believe the current crop of Rossoneri players are worthy of wearing the shirt.
FIFA: Paraguay's top court has rejected a petition by Nicolas Leoz, the former head of the CONMEBOL, to halt his extradition to the United States. Leoz is being held under house arrest in Paraguay. He is accused of receiving millions in bribes and kickbacks and was among dozens of top officials indicted in the FIFA corruption scandal.
SERIE A: Hellas Verona striker Luca Toni has announced his retirement from the game at the end of the season. Former Italy international Toni, 38, will not take part in Hellas' final game in Serie A at Palermo.
- Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has promised heavy investment in the squad this summer, just as long as they can secure their place in the group stage of the Champions League next season.
LIGUE 1: Former Lyon and Barcelona defender Eric Abidal has praised Samuel Umtiti amid rumours that the centre-back could follow in his footsteps by making a move to the Catalan club this summer.
LIGA MX: Pumas kept Liga MX's Copa Libertadores hopes alive with a 2-0 win versus Venezuelan side Deportivo Tachira to secure a 2-1 aggregate success and passage to the quarterfinals.