Barcelona 3, Arsenal 1 (Agg: 5-1): Spanish giants’ lethal trio condemn Gunners to sixth successive Champions League exit at last-16 stage March 16, 2016 Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger rued a missed opportunity to cause a “sensation” as his side hinted at the impossible before ultimately succumbing to Barcelona’s much-heralded strikeforce. Midfielder Mohamed Elneny scored to cancel out Neymar’s first-half opener and briefly hint at an unlikely Arsenal revival only for one-time transfer target Luis Suarez to extinguish any realistic [...]
English clubs keep fourth Champions League place after Juventus lose dramatic tie at Bayern Munich March 16, 2016 English clubs have held onto their fourth Champions League place for another year after Italy’s hopes of snatching it were undone by the dramatic elimination of Juventus last night. The Serie A champions looked on course to cause an upset against Bayern Munich when they raced into a 2-0 lead on the night through midfielder Paul [...]
No need to panic yet, but West Indies defeat raises the stakes of England’s World T20 clash with South Africa March 16, 2016 England cannot get too disheartened by their humbling defeat to the West Indies. They need to forget it, it’s gone. I wrote last week that I believe England are capable of winning the World Twenty20 in India and I stand by that. There is absolutely no reason why they cannot bounce back from their disappointing [...]
Leading fans group blasts Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet over divisive statement criticising fans March 16, 2016 Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet has been condemned by a leading fan representative's group after a club statement criticised supporters for protesting his ownership. The Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) described the club statement, which alleged that some fans have come to games deliberately to wreak havoc, as a "desperate attempt by Duchatelet to divide the club's fan [...]
Fifa requests over $38m seized from corrupt officials by US authorities is given back to organisation March 16, 2016 Fifa has for the first time admitted that bribery was involved in the 1998 and 2010 World Cup votes in legal documents to US authorities requesting "tens of millions of dollars" seized from corrupt officials. Football's governing body has submitted a request to the US Attorney's Office for $28.2m (£19.9m) from payments, bonuses, expenses and flight [...]
Cheltenham Festival 2016: MK Dons midfielder Samir Carruthers and friends banned after being pictured urinating into pint glass March 16, 2016 Cheltenham Festival has banned a group of footballers from attending the event after MK Dons midfielder Samir Carruthers appeared to be pictured urinating into a glass. The Championship club has launched an internal investigation into the incident after pictures of former Arsenal and Aston Villa youth team player Carruthers were published on the front page of [...]
Manchester City 0, Dynamo Kiev 0 (Agg: 3-1): Kompany injury blow overshadows Champions League progress March 15, 2016 Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini concedes that his side’s progression to a first-ever Champions League quarter-final has been overshadowed by skipper Vincent Kompany suffering a recurrence of a calf injury. City had lost both of their previous round of 16 ties in Europe’s elite club competition although it was Kompany’s injury nightmare which proved the biggest talking [...]
“I built the club”: Wenger issues staunch defence of Arsenal record as Barcelona lie in wait March 15, 2016 Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger issued a staunch defence of his 20-year reign at the club as his side prepare for their daunting Champions League last-16 second leg against defending champions Barcelona at Camp Nou. The Gunners’ season is in meltdown after the one-time Premier League title favourites won just four of 12 matches to slip [...]
Cheltenham Festival 2016: Rich Ricci’s £20,000 gamble pays off as Annie Power banishes bad memories with Champion Hurdle win March 15, 2016 Jockey Ruby Walsh toasted Rich Ricci’s five-figure gamble after Annie Power put last year’s heartache behind her with a dominant win in the Champion Hurdle on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival. The mare was only entered into the race last week at a cost of £20,000 to former Barclays investment banking chief Ricci [...]
Arsenal without Arsene Wenger is hard to imagine and I don’t like saying it but the Gunners have gone stale. Now Frenchman has four games to save the Gunners’ season – and his job March 15, 2016 Their team had just followed an odds-defying qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League by going top of the Premier League, so Arsenal fans had more cause than most to celebrate over the Christmas period. They must have started to believe that this was indeed their year. And there is no question that [...]