Cristiano Ronaldo left out by Real Madrid as Mourinho sticks to his guns
José Mourinho has left Cristiano Ronaldo out of the Real Madrid squad to face Real Zaragoza on Saturday evening – and hinted that the decision may be a warning to the Portuguese winger as well as an attempt to protect him for Tuesday night's Champions League semi-final second leg away to Barcelona. The Portuguese coach also effectively reiterated his accusations against Uefa, saying that "a picture paints a thousand words", and claimed to bear no responsibility for Madrid's first-leg defeat.
April 25, 2011
Manchester could be under fire in Gelsenkirchen
Tuesday, Manchester United could be under fire indeed in Gelsenkirchen, where in first leg European Cup semi-final they meet the remarkable Schalke 04 team, the side which has come almost out of nowhere, still nowhere near the Bundesliga title, yet capable of brushing expensive Inter aside in the previous round.
April 23, 2011
Barca will be back
- Real Madrid may be celebrating after winning the King's Cup but it is beaten finalists Barcelona who are clear favourites to win the league with an eight-point lead as they prepare to face Osasuna this weekend.
The top two sides in Spain have dominated domestic football this season and the focus has been on their four head-to-heads over 18 days which can determine success at home and abroad.
When the sides met last autumn at the Nou Camp, Barcelona took Real apart 5-0 while last weekend in the return fixture in the league they managed a 1-1 draw.
The arch-rivals met again on Wednesday in the final of the King's Cup with Real clinching a 1-0 win thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's extra-time winner.
Real play first today in a tough away game at Valencia who have scored 12 goals in their last three matches.
Renault driver Robert Kubica says he will leave the Italian hospital where he has been recovering from serious injuries "very soon".
Kubica was injured just over 10 weeks ago when competing in the Ronde di Andorra, three days after setting the fastest time at the first pre-season F1 test in Valencia.
While Nick Heidfeld is acting as his stand-in at Renault, Kubica has been slowly recovering from his injuries, which could still prevent him from returning to F1.
Renault team doctor Dr Riccardo Ceccarelli warned last month it wasimpossible to predict when Kubica might resume racing but the Polish driver is remaining positive about his progress.
