UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has unleashed a furious tirade against Real Madrid's stars following the shock dismissal of Xabi Alonso. The undefeated fighter did not hold back in his assessment of the situation at the Bernabeu, branding the squad "spoiled brats" and insisting that the club should have cleared out the dressing room rather than sacking one of the world's best tactical minds.
Xabi Alonso has broken his silence following his abrupt departure from Real Madrid, issuing a dignified statement that addresses his time in the dugout. The Basque tactician was relieved of his duties just a day after a painful Super Cup defeat to Barcelona, but he refused to show bitterness, instead sending a clear message of gratitude to his squad and the Bernabeu faithful.
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has issued a public apology to Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior and club president Florentino Perez following a heated touchline altercation during the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, admitting his behaviour "was not appropriate" while stopping short of asking for forgiveness.
Vinicius Junior’s moment of magic for Real Madrid in their Super Cup clash with Clasico rivals Barcelona counted for little in the grand scheme of things, as they suffered a 3-2 defeat, but it did see him match a notable record. The Brazilian forward now sits level with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Ferenc Puskas when it comes to goal contributions in major finals.
GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.
Real Madrid’s stance when it comes to the future of under-fire manager Xabi Alonso has been revealed. The World Cup-winning former Los Blancos midfielder only returned to the Bernabeu in the summer of 2025 as he succeeded legendary Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. He has endured a baptism of fire in the Spanish capital, leading to inevitable sack speculation being generated.
On the weekend that the Bundesliga returned after its winter hiatus and two of Serie A's top three met in a crucial clash in the fight for the Scudetto, much of Europe was focused on cup competitions of varying degrees of importance. England and France played host to the latest rounds of their domestic tournaments while Spain and Turkey followed France's lead from earlier in the week in crowning their Super Cup champions.
Joan Laporta has launched a scathing critique of Kylian Mbappe following the Real Madrid star's controversial refusal to engage in a guard of honour after the Spanish Super Cup final. The Barcelona president branded the Frenchman's decision to urge his team-mates to leave the pitch as "surprising" and lacking in sportsmanship, suggesting the dramatic 3-2 defeat in Saudi Arabia left Los Blancos "really upset" as they came to terms with their rivals' superiority.
Marcus Rashford has poured cold water on speculation linking him with a shock return to Manchester United following the sacking of Ruben Amorim, insisting his focus remains firmly on winning more silverware with Barcelona. The England international, who lifted his first trophy for the Catalan giants on Sunday night, admitted he "hopes not" to see his time in Spain cut short as he revels in a "perfect" new lease of life.
Lamine Yamal chose to brutally snub Real Madrid’s players when Barcelona lined up for a guard of honour at the end of their Spanish Super Cup win over Clasico rivals. The Blaugrana prevailed 3-2 in a thrilling encounter that was staged in Saudi Arabia, with Hansi Flick’s side getting their hands on major silverware. Yamal was reluctant to give any credit to Los Blancos at the final whistle.
Real Madrid’s misery in Saudi Arabia was compounded by a moment of viral humiliation for Arda Guler, who was left red-faced after a furious attempt to kick a water bottle backfired spectacularly following the 3-2 Supercopa de Espana defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona. The Turkish playmaker, who had endured a difficult cameo off the bench, became the subject of social media ridicule as footage emerged of him slipping and landing on his back while his opponents celebrated their trophy triumph.
Kylian Mbappe has been accused of ensuring that Real Madrid did not give Clasico rivals Barcelona a guard of honour after seeing Los Blancos suffer an agonising 3-2 defeat in the Spanish Super Cup final. It is customary for the runners-up in that contest to pay homage to the victors, but Mbappe - who returned to action after injury in Saudi Arabia - waved his team-mates away from arch-enemies.
Barcelona claimed a record-extending 16th Spanish Super Cup title by defeating Real Madrid 3-2 in the second Clasico of the season in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Raphinha scored twice and Robert Lewandowski also found the back of the net as Hansi Flick's side remained dominant over their bitter rivals by securing a fifth victory in their last six meetings with Xabi Alonso's side.
Real Madrid were outclassed by Barcelona in a baffling Spanish Super Cup final, looking a step behind their arch-rivals in a 3-2 loss that will surely increase the pressure on Xabi Alonso. There were mishaps from Rodrygo at the front and errors from Raul Asencio at the back as a glum Blancos side could neither cope defensively or get anything going in an attacking sense.
Vinicius Junior scored an amazing solo goal for Real Madrid in their Supercopa de Espana final clash with Barcelona, snapping a long barren spell in the process. The Brazilian winger had not scored since October 10 heading into the Saudi showpiece, but showed he still has the magic in his boots with a wonderful run and finish against Real's arch-rivals. It wasn't enough to give his team the edge heading in at the break, though, as the Spanish giants shared four goals between them in a crazy first 45 minutes.
It's never a good idea to pay much attention to football's annual awards ceremonies. These glorified popularity contests drag on for far too long and trying to wrap your head around the lack of logic involved in the voting process is an exercise in futility. However, it was impossible to ignore The Best FIFA Men's 11 for 2025 - because the omission of Raphinha made so little sense.
Barcelona intend to sign Marcus Rashford permanently at the end of the season. The England international moved to the Liga champions on loan over the summer having been ostracised by then-Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim. Amorim's exit earlier this week may have suggested that Rashford had a future back at Old Trafford having left under a cloud over the summer.
Real Madrid have received a massive boost ahead of the Spanish Super Cup final as manager Xabi Alonso confirmed Kylian Mbappe is flying to Saudi Arabia. The French superstar missed the semi-final victory over Atletico Madrid due to a knee issue but has trained well and is now in contention to face Barcelona in a blockbuster El Clasico showdown.
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso has hit out at Atletico Madrid counterpart Diego Simeone for his treatment of Vinicius Jr during their Supercopa de Espana meeting on Thursday. Los Blancos emerged as 2-1 winners in their semi-final in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, with Federico Valverde and Rodrygo scoring for Alonso's side.
Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr was embroiled in more controversy on Thursday after clashing with Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone while being substituted during the two teams' Spanish Super Cup semi-final in Saudi Arabia. The pair exchanged words in a heated moment as Real Madrid won 2-1 to book a final against bitter rivals Barcelona on Sunday.
Real Madrid booked their place in the Supercopa de Espana final with a 2-1 victory over inter-city rivals Atletico Madrid in Jeddah on Thursday. Los Blancos opened their account through a vicious Federico Valverde free-kick after just 77 seconds, and Rodrygo doubled the lead with a well-taken finish in the 55th minute, before Alexander Sorloth pegged one back with a back-post header just moments later.
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr has issued a rallying cry ahead of the Spanish Super Cup, insisting that victory in Saudi Arabia could define their entire campaign. With Kylian Mbappe sidelined by injury, the Brazilian is ready to shoulder the burden against Atletico Madrid, believing that lifting the trophy would "change the whole dynamic" of a turbulent season under Xabi Alonso.
Last summer, everyone was convinced that Rodrygo simply had to leave Real Madrid. There was no way of spinning it; the brilliant Brazilian had been frozen out both by Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso, and there was no future for him at the Bernabeu.
Xabi Alonso will hope his Real Madrid side can land a statement win when they take on Atletico Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final showdown on Thursday night. The winner of the Madrid derby in Jeddah will face Barcelona in Sunday's final after the defending La Liga champions eased to a 5-0 win over over Basque giants Athletic Club on Wednesday.
Barcelona dominated against Athletic Club on Wednesday as the La Liga leaders eased to a 5-0 win over the Basque side to book their spot in the Supercopa de Espana final. Barca boss Hansi Flick opted to start teenage star Lamine Yamal on the bench in Jeddah, but it didn't hinder the Blaugrana, who were ruthless in their semi-final showdown.
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