Sergio Ramos believes eliminating Bayern Munich from the Champions League would send out a huge message to Paris Saint-Germain s rivals for European glory.

PSG are still waiting for their first European crown, with last season s capitulation against Real Madrid in the round of 16 the latest in a series of continental humiliations for the French giants.

Bayern thwarted PSG s best run in the competition when they emerged with a 1-0 win in the 2020 final, though the Ligue 1 side avenged that defeat by winning a quarter-final tie the following campaign.

Indeed, among teams to have faced Bayern at least 10 times in the Champions League, PSG have the highest win percentage against them after six victories in 11 meetings (55 per cent).

Ramos believes another vic…

Germany is to bid to host the European Championship in 2024, the German Football Association (DFB) has announced.

The DFB hopes to stage the event across 10 stadiums, with the chosen venues to be announced in September this year.

A declaration of interest will be submitted to UEFA by March 3, with a decision over the host nation due in September 2018.

DFB president Reinhard Grindel said: The European Championship in 2024 can be an important flagship project for the whole of German football. 

We will submit a first-class bid, paying very careful attention to ensuring that we select the 10 prospective host cities in a transparent and logical process. 

We have the infrastructure in Germany and we have the knowhow to set up an economically and …

Liverpool took control of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Benfica as they claimed a hard-fought 3-1 win in Portugal.

Jurgen Klopp s side looked to be cruising into the last four after first-half goals from Ibrahima Konate and Sadio Mane gave them a deserved half-time lead.

However, Benfica were back in it when Darwin Nunez netted shortly after the restart, and they continued to threaten an equaliser before Luis Diaz wrapped things up in somewhat fortuitous fashion late on. 

The signs of the hosts potential were evident in an encouraging start that came about thanks in no small part to a fervent crowd at the Estadio da Luz.

A fast-paced early break from Rafa seemed to hint at how Benfica might trouble their opponents and Nunez soon follow…

Enzo Maresca wants Raheem Sterling to stay at Stamford Bridge but acknowledged Chelsea must trim their bloated squad.

Sterling was omitted from the matchday squad as the Blues started their 2024-25 Premier League campaign with a 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester City.

The England international had featured in the first match across the last 11 league seasons for Chelsea and former clubs City and Liverpool.

Sterling s representatives issued a statement prior to kick-off on Sunday seeking clarity after the 29-year-old was left in the cold, along with Trevoh Chalobah, Romelu Lukaku and Conor Gallagher.

Maresca said prior to the match that the decision was based on technical aspects, and reiterated that sentiment in his post-match conference – though concede…

Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench to score the winner as Portugal earned a 2-1 victory, condemning Scotland to another late defeat.

The 39-year-old, who started on the bench in a competitive match for the first time since the 2022 World Cup, added to Bruno Fernandes strike after Scott McTominay had given Scotland the lead early on.

The home crowd were just as stunned as Portugal s defence when McTominay snuck in behind, thumping Kenny McLean s cross past a stranded Diogo Costa after just seven minutes.

The hosts certainly had their chances to get back into the game though – Angus Gunn made a brilliant save to deny Rafael Leao, who also fired a number of efforts wide of the left post.

Though Scotland tried to continue soaking up the pressure, their de…

Manchester City face Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some talking points ahead of the game.

City’s holy grail

Winning the Champions League has been City’s top objective since their takeover by Sheikh Mansour in 2008 and, after a number of near-misses, it now feels tantalisingly within reach. Beating Inter Milan would complete a mission for the club’s hierarchy, as it would for Pep Guardiola, the man they hired to deliver it. Despite City’s near-dominance of the domestic scene in recent years, and the regularity with which they have reached the Champions League’s latter stages, Guardiola has admitted the club need to win it to truly underline their greatness. On a personal level too, Guardiola…

Lautaro Martinez provided the finishing touch as Inter Milan cruised into the Champions League final with a 3-0 aggregate win over AC Milan.

Martinez fired the only goal of a stop-start second leg to add to their 2-0 victory in last week’s opening instalment and Inter will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in Istanbul on June 10.

Argentina’s World Cup winning-striker, who was outstanding throughout, pounced in the 75th minute as Inter clinched an eighth successive win in front of a crowd of 76,000 at the San Siro.

From Milano…

— Inter (@Inter)

It secures their first Champions League final since 2010 – when Jose Mourinho masterminded the treble before leaving to join Real Madrid – and keeps alive hopes of lifting a fourth E…

Gareth Southgate has challenged England to improve to another level and mount a serious challenge for Euro 2020.

Southgate led the Three Lions on a surprise run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where little was expected of a team that had spent the previous decade under-achieving on the biggest stages.

England followed their best major tournament showing of the 21st century with another semi-final berth, this time in the inaugural Nations League.

A functional team have been enhanced by exciting youngsters such as Jadon Sancho, while Raheem Sterling s goal return for his country is now akin to what he produced in back-to-back Premier League triumphs with Manchester City.

Add in the factor that the semi-finals and finals of a pan-contine…

Manchester United are interested in signing Conor Gallagher from Premier League rivals Chelsea in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that the Blues could sell the England international for £40 million and United could enter the race.  Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are interested in the midfielder.

Gallagher has been on the books of Chelsea since 2008. He has come through the youth system and has established himself in the first team. The 23-year-old has made 115 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career. He has scored 13 goals and given 10 assists in those games.

Manchester United are seventh in the Premier League table at the moment with 28 points from 17 matches. Meanwhile, Chelsea currently find themselves 10th i…

Former France and Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez announced his retirement from football, on this day in 2006.

The 1998 World Cup winner made his announcement on French television channel TF1, three months after appearing in the 2006 World Cup final.

Barthez, aged 35 at the time, said: “I am quitting the French team, I am quitting club football. I am going to continue enjoying myself without football.”

The mercurial Frenchman, who also helped his country win Euro 2000, initially quit soon after being released by Marseille at the end of the 2005-06 season.

He had been France’s first-choice keeper in the 2006 World Cup, with his last match being the penalty shoot-out loss to Italy in the final.

Barthez was with United for four year…