Barcelona great Xavi slammed the LaLiga giants for falling asleep amid Real Madrid s European dominance.

Madrid claimed a third consecutive Champions League title on Saturday, beating Liverpool 3-1 in the final in Kiev.

Barcelona, meanwhile, secured the LaLiga crown for the third time in four seasons during 2017-18.

But Xavi – who won four Champions League trophies with Barca – accused the Spanish champions of becoming dormant , despite signing the likes of Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele in recent seasons.

Madrid have a winning gene and Barca have fallen asleep, he told El Penalti.

They have been dormant for years with signings and that takes its toll.

Xavi also pointed to Madrid s luck in the Champions League, t…

Saudi Arabia s Al Ittihad grabbed a crucial away goal when defender Saleh Al Saqri scored 19 minutes from time to secure his side a 1-1 draw at Uzbekistan s Pakhtakor in the Asian Champions League quarter-finals on Thursday.

Serbian midfielder Milan Nikolic had given the hosts a sixth-minute lead in the first leg clash, but Al Saqri equalised in the 71st minute off a deflection.

On Wednesday, Kawasaki Frontale battled back from a goal down to beat fellow J-League side Nagoya Grampus 2-1 in the first leg of their tie.

Australian striker Joshua Kennedy headed home in the 27th minute for Nagoya but Japan midfielder Kengo Nakamura pulled one back for Kawasaki on the hour mark and Brazilian striker Juninho put them ahead three minutes later.

Kawasaki, who hav…

When it comes to putting his medals on the table, Michael Carrick can produce a haul that eclipses even the most illustrious members of England s midfield, yet the Manchester United star still remains his country s forgotten man.

Carrick has won more Premier League and Champions League silverware than Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have managed between them during their careers.

While Lampard has held the Premier League trophy twice, the Chelsea star has yet to taste Champions League success. Liverpool captain Gerrard lifted the European Cup in 2005, but he is still waiting for a first title victory.

Even Gareth Barry is ahead of Carrick in the midfield pecking order despite failing to win a single major trophy in his career to date.

Carrick has no suc…

Michael Carrick says the players at in-form Manchester United have their sights set on winning back the Premier League title this season.

United lifted their 20th top-flight crown at the end of Alex Ferguson s final season in charge in 2012-13, but fell well short in the next campaign after the appointment of David Moyes failed to work out.

Following an inconsistent start under Louis van Gaal in 2014-15, United have now strung together a run of six consecutive victories.

That sequence has seen them climb to third in the table, eight points behind leaders Chelsea, with some starting to tout United as possible title contenders.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Carrick stopped short of declaring United were certain candidates to challenge Jose Mourinho…

Emmanuel Adebayor has been excluded from the Tottenham first team and told to train with the club s reserves.

Tottenham were active in the transfer window, bolstering their forward line with the signings of Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela as manager Andre Villas-Boas prepared for the eventual departure of winger Gareth Bale, who left for Real Madrid in a world-record move before the deadline.

Soldado has already scored four goals since joining from Valencia, while Lamela and Jermain Defoe are both likely to be in competition for a place in the side.

Adebayor has not featured in competitive action since being granted extended compassionate leave by the club following the death of his brother, and he is presently at home in Togo for personal reasons.

The 29-year-o…

Didier Deschamps says Age Hareide s criticism of France and Paul Pogba was not particularly pleasant but insists it will not add spice to Les Bleus clash with Denmark on Tuesday.

Speaking last month, Denmark boss Hareide criticised Pogba for only thinking about his haircut and also labelled Deschamps side as nothing special .

They were bold words given his side were due to meet the Euro 2016 runners-up in Moscow but Deschamps will not be using them to motivate his players.

He said: Anyone can say whatever they want, and they are responsible for those words.

It s not particularly pleasant and my players know very well what the coach said they can read, they can listen but that s not what will motivate them tomorrow.

With wins against Australia a…

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Having sluggishly secured a top spot in Group C off of a goalless draw with Denmark, France have scheduled a Last-16 meeting with its fellow underachievers Argentina who struggled to a great extent to seal progression into the knockout stage of the World Cup.

France

Euro 2016 finalists France are having an underwhelming World Cup campaign in Russia. The boundlessly talented squad with some of the world’s most exciting prospects such as Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba or Nabil Fekir is simply not living up to the hype at the tournament.

With back-to-back wins by single-goal margins in their first group games, Didier Deschamps’ men did just enough to secure progression into the next phase of t…

Inter have completed the signing of forward Joaquin Correa from Serie A rivals Lazio.

Correa has been reunited with Simone Inzaghi, joining the Nerazzurri on loan before making a permanent move to San Siro.

Lazio revealed Inter will pay an initial fee of €5million for the Argentina international, with a further €1m potentially due depending on performances.

Inter will then be obliged to spend another €25m to complete a permanent deal for Correa, who has agreed terms on a four-year contract with the Serie A champions.

Grazie di tutto, !  

— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio)

The arrival of Correa is a boost for Inter following the departures of key men Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi to Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain respect…

Champions League winner Virgil van Dijk is joined by Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi and Juventus Cristiano Ronaldo on the three-man shortlist for UEFA s Player of the Year award.

Van Dijk played a vital role in Liverpool s successful European campaign, playing 12 times en route to lifting the trophy.

As well as the UEFA recognition, he is also expected to be a major contender for the 2019 Ballon d Or, as is Messi.

Barcelona reached the semi-finals before being eliminated by Liverpool, but Messi still managed to enjoy a fine Champions League campaign.

NOMINEES: 2018/19 UEFA Men s Player of the Year

 Leo Messi
  Ronaldo
 

  winners announced at the , 29 August  

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague)

The Arge…

Former Juventus and Chelsea boss Claduio Ranieri is reportedly on the verge of taking over at Serie A side Roma after manager Luciano Spalletti resigned today.

Reports from Reuters go as far as to say that the Italian coach has taken over at the club already with a two-year deal agreed today according to Ranieri s lawyer.

Spalletti only resigned today following 2 defeats, no major signings in  the summer plus reported dressing room problems at the Stadio Olimpico and was linked with numerous jobs at clubs like Juventus and Zenit St. Petersburg his rumoured destination.

Ranieri, known as the Tinkerman from his time at Chelsea, was sacked from Juventus in May 2009 following a poor end to the season and may return to England with Roma in the same group as P…