Leonardo Jardim thinks Paris Saint-Germain s Champions League failures put Monaco s achievements in the competition in perspective.

PSG were beaten 5-2 on aggregate by Real Madrid in the last 16, having fallen at the same stage last year as Barcelona overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit to dramatically progress 6-5.

Monaco were knocked out in the group stage this season, but reached the semi-finals last term and the quarter-finals two years earlier, with Jardim highlighting his side s accomplishments as PSG and Unai Emery come under pressure.

This shows once again that it is very difficult to go to the quarter-finals, the semi-finals of the Champions League, the Monaco coach told a pre-match news conference ahead of their Ligue 1 clash with Strasbourg on Friday.

Paul Scholes is convinced that this time he is retiring for good after calling time on his Manchester United career for a second occasion.

Having first announced in 2011 that he was hanging up his boots, the talismanic former England midfielder was subsequently persuaded by United boss Alex Ferguson to return to the game a year later.
Now, after announcing his retirement for a second time earlier this week, Scholes says he is not about to make another U-turn.
I think this is it. I m sure this is it. It s probably not the season I would have liked to go out on, but the last four months have been quite difficult with injury, with my knee and trying to get back fit again, he told Sky Sports.
I m totally convinced. I was convinced last time to be honest with you. At the time you a…

Wayne Rooney heaped praise on team-mate Marouane Fellaini, though the Manchester United skipper insisted he always believed the Belgian midfielder would come good at Old Trafford.

Fellaini continued his resurgence with another impressive performance against rivals Manchester City on Sunday, scoring a goal as United claimed bragging rights via a 4-2 derby victory.

The Belgium international has become a mainstay under Louis van Gaal in recent months, a far cry from Fellaini s first season at Old Trafford in 2013-14, when he was made a scapegoat by fans for the club s poor campaign following his £27.5 million move from Everton.

Fellaini was deployed as a holding midfielder by former boss David Moyes but the 27-year-old has been pushed further up the field, which ha…

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Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion will lock horns with each other this coming weekend. The Premier League match between Pep Guardiola’s side and Roberto De Zerbi’s team will be held at the Etihad Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 3 pm UK time on Saturday.

Manchester City

Manchester City did not have the best of times just before the international break. Pep Guardiola’s side were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Newcastle United, and although they won in the UEFA Champions League, City lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal in the Premier League.

City are third in the Premier League table at the moment with 18 points from eight matches. The defending champions…

George Cohen believes that in Fabio Capello England have a manager with similar qualities to those of 1966 World Cup supremo Sir Alf Ramsey.

Cohen, England s right-back when they beat the then West Germany 4-2 after extra-time in the World Cup final at Wembley nearly 43 years ago, reckons that successive sides have too often been allowed to lose their way.

The 1966 World Cup remains the only major international football trophy that England have won and, for Cohen, the team s failure to reach the Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland under Steve McClaren, Capello s predecessor, was a particular low point.

Missing out a place at the qualifying for the European Championships last year was quite frankly a massive disappointment to all of us, Fulham great Cohe…

Ernesto Valverde does not foresee any of his Barcelona players departing in January, with Milan-linked defender Jean-Clair Todibo returning to the squad for Saturday s game against Deportivo Alaves.

Teenager Todibo, 19, has played just 77 minutes in LaLiga for Valverde s side this season, and his only start came against Sevilla back in October.

That has led to speculation the Frenchman could be jettisoned to Serie A club Milan next month, though Valverde included Todibo in the 20-man squad Barca named on Friday.

Arturo Vidal is another player who has been linked with a move away from Camp Nou, with reports claiming the Chile international stormed out of training upon leaning he would not be starting Wednesday s Clasico.

However, Valverde does not exp…

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior is sure  Kylian Mbappe s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain is imminent, while expressing his desire to play alongside Neymar.

Mbappe s future has been the subject of intense speculation since he announced a new project might appeal to his desire to take on more authority at club level, but PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said he was 200 per cent sure the 20-year-old will be remain at Parc des Princes.

Vinicius, who joined Madrid in a €45million switch from Flamengo in July 2018, shed light on his burgeoning friendship with Mbappe and indicated he would back a swoop for the France international or Neymar – or both.

Vinicius told Telefoot: I want to play with Neymar, for sure, and also with Kylian Mbappe.

All the Ma…

Sky Sports has suggested that Italian goalkeeper Marco Amelia could return to Serie A in the coming weeks.

The 34-year-old has been a free agent since he was released from his contract at Chelsea back in June, and he has since spent some time training with Sunderland and Nottingham Forest.

It has now been revealed that Bologna are ready to offer Amelia a contract as they face a genuine selection headache with both Antonio Mirante and Alfred Gomis sidelined through injury.

Marco Amelia had signed a short-term deal with Chelsea in October 2015, but he left the club without making a single appearances for the Blues.

The experienced shot-stopper also represented Livorno, Lecce, Parma, Palermo, Genoa, AC Milan, Rocca Priora, Perugia and Lupa Castelli Romani i…

Champions Barcelona maintained their season-long unbeaten LaLiga run with a 2-2 Clasico draw against rivals Real Madrid at Camp Nou, despite Sergi Roberto s first-half red card.

Barca played 45 minutes with 10 men but managed to extend their record undefeated streak in the top flight to 42 matches, a record that stretches back to April 2017.

In Andres Iniesta s last Clasico, Luis Suarez gave the Catalan giants an early lead by turning in a terrific right-wing cross from Roberto, but the advantage did not last long as Madrid hit back in the 14th minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo substituted at half-time due to injury equalled Alfredo Di Stefano s record of 18 Clasico goals for Madrid by tapping in a clever Karim Benzema header back across goal.

Madrid s chances of…

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard knew he had to leave Anfield when he was left on the bench for the club s UEFA Champions League trip to Real Madrid.

Gerrard was named among the substitutes and only played the final 20 minutes as Liverpool lost 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in November.

Recalling the shock decision, Gerrard – who is preparing to link up with reigning MLS Cup champions Los Angeles Galaxy admitted it ultimately signalled the end of his long-standing association with his boyhood club.

In an interview with Rio Ferdinand set to be aired on BT Sport 1 on Wednesday, the 35-year-old said: This was round about the time when I was doing a lot of thinking about what s next for me because I d had a couple of initial chats with Brendan saying to me, I…