´I learnt nothing from Wenger´: Real´s Diarra

Real Madrid fired another blank as their LaLiga title hopes were further dented in a goalless draw away at Real Betis.

The reigning champions knew there was no real margin for error at Estadio Benito Villamarin following Barcelona s narrow 1-0 home win over Valencia earlier on Sunday.

However, on the back of failing to register an attempt on target in their 1-0 Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg loss to Barca, Madrid once again failed to click in attack.

Karim Benzema had a first-half goal ruled out by VAR, but Carlo Ancelotti s side were otherwise subdued as they could only close the gap on leaders Barca to nine points.

sit points clear at the top of !! |

— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN)

Benzema thought he had given Madrid the lead with…

Mohamed Salah has been named African Footballer of the Year for 2017 at the CAF Awards.

Egypt winger Salah beat Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane and Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the prize at a CAF gala in Accra and succeeds Leicester City and Algeria star Riyad Mahrez as the continent s leading player.

Mane finished as runner-up, with Aubameyang in third.

I have always wanted to be here, Salah told reporters at a news conference before the ceremony.

I put myself under pressure and take risks. Right now I have the ambition to be the best Egyptian player in history.

Mohamed Salah is the African Player of the Year 2017

— CAF (@CAF_Online)

Salah enjoyed a stunning 12 months at club an international level…

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says Alexis Sanchez should not be considered a mercenary for opting to join Manchester United rather than renewing his contract at the Emirates Stadium.

Sanchez made the move to Old Trafford on Monday, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan switching the other way in a swap deal.

The Chilean is reported to be earning £350,000 a week at Old Trafford, vastly in excess of Arsenal s top-earning players, having entered the last six months of his Gunners contract without penning fresh terms.

Wenger previously appeared to suggest Sanchez had moved for money, citing the forward s desire to secure  his last contract and claiming he cannot understand why the 29-year-old wanted to leave Arsenal.

But the Frenchman appeared to row back on his comments w…

Casemiro said he wants to feature for the Real Madrid first team, regardless of being on loan at Madrid s Castilla side.

The 20-year-old is contracted to Sao Paulo but is on loan to Madrid s reserves, and Real have the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season should they so desire.

However, the Brazilian has his sights set on a much higher goal playing for the Spanish side s first team.

I m going to play in the first team of Real Madrid, Casemiro told Lance.

The industrious midfielder s representative, Joseph Lee, is equally confident Casemiro can make the jump for the Spanish powerhouse.

Casemiro is not a player suited for a reserve team, he said.

For us, the aim is not for him to play in the B team, but he will mak…

Stoke City chairman Peter Coates says manager Tony Pulis has the final word on transfer business at the club.

Local businessman Coates said he has queried purchases in the past specifically the signing of Peter Crouch for 10 million pounds in 2011 from Tottenham but has always been supportive of Pulis vision.

Crouch had recently turned 30 when he joined the Britannia Stadium outfit and has since gone on to score 20 goals in 67 appearances for the club, but Coates was wary of the limited re-sale value of the striker.

I never liked that deal financially, but I did that to support the manager, Coates told the Daily Mirror.

I did question the deal financially because it was a lot of money.

If you buy a player at the latter end of his career it s c…

Idrissa Gueye and Presnel Kimpembe are set for spells on the sidelines after sustaining injuries against Montpellier at the weekend, Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed.

Defender Kimpembe went off after 18 minutes after suffering an injury to his left hamstring and is unlikely to return to training until early January.

Gueye lasted seven minutes longer than his team-mate and should return to training within 10 to 12 days after also sustaining a left hamstring injury.

There is better news for Marco Verratti and Edinson Cavani, however.

 The schedule for the week!

11/12
15/12

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English)

Verratti has missed his side s past two games with a thigh problem but resumed full training on Monday, whi…

Antonio Conte was rueful regarding Inter s poor finishing in Tuesday s costly 2-1 Champions League defeat to Barcelona but insisted he had no complaints after elimination from the competition.

Inter needed to at least match Borussia Dortmund s result against Slavia Prague, but the Germans claimed a 2-1 victory and the Nerazzurri did not do enough in San Siro.

Despite early dominance and a flurry of chances, Inter found themselves trailing in the 23rd minute when Carles Perez swept home in composed fashion.

Romelu Lukaku equalised before half-time, but he was otherwise wasteful and Ansu Fati, 17, secured Barca the three points four minutes from time to become the youngest Champions League scorer in history.

Conte acknowledged Inter had enough clear-cut opp…