Ronaldo on £288k A WEEK! Massive Real deal gives him almost double Bale's wage as chance of United return is scuppered

Ronaldo on £288k A WEEK! Massive Real deal gives him almost double Bale's wage as chance of United return is scuppered

Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a staggering five-year deal with Real Madrid — worth almost twice as much as Gareth Bale will be earning in Spain.
Under the new agreement, which scuppers any immediate hope Manchester United have of persuading their former player to return, Ronaldo will earn a remarkable £15million a year after tax and before bonuses, or £288,000 a week, dwarfing Bale’s annual £8.3m.
The contract is a clear indication that Ronaldo remains the main man at the Bernabeu — despite Bale’s world-record £86m move from Tottenham Hotspur.

Thumbs up: Cristiano Ronaldo poses with club president Florentino Perez after a ceremony at Santiago Bernabeu to announce his new deal

Going nowhere: Ronaldo arrives at the Santiago Bernabeu to sing his new deal

Specs appeal: Ronaldo poses beside club president Florentino Perez after singing his contract

And it is a further blow to David Moyes’s ambitions at United, with rumours throughout the summer that an attempt would be made to persuade Ronaldo to return to Old Trafford.

Only last year the player talked of being ‘sad’ at Madrid, and Bale’s arrival, breaking Ronaldo’s record transfer fee from United, was thought to have further damaged his ego.
Now Madrid president Florentino Perez has gone to tremendous lengths to show Ronaldo that he is still the club’s priority player, and the pair appeared at a press conference on Sunday to announce the record deal.

Ronaldo is now believed to be the highest paid footballer in the world — his contract is worth £850,000 more annually than Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s deal with Paris Saint- Germain — and he said: ‘I’m really happy here. I just want to win trophies for

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Doncaster snap-up United outcast Macheda on inital one-month loan deal

Doncaster snap-up United outcast Macheda on inital one-month loan deal

Manchester United's Federico Macheda has been given the chance to prove he can still make it in English football by moving to Doncaster on a one-month loan.
The striker, who memorably scored on his debut at 17 against Aston Villa in 2009 to give United a 3-2 win, has struggled to make any serious impact at Old Trafford, only scoring five goals in his 36 appearances.
The Italian is in the final year of his contract at United and has previously had loan spealls with QPR, Stuttgart and Sampdoria.

Unfulfilled promise: Federico Macheda scored a wonderful curling goal on his Manchester United debut in 2009

Macheda watched Doncaster's goalless draw against

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Bench-warmer Torres says striker rivalry with Eto'o is not turning bitter

Bench-warmer Torres says striker rivalry with Eto'o is not turning bitter

Fernando Torres is in direct competition with Samuel Eto'o at Chelsea but the Spaniard insists their rivalry does not stop them being friends.

The arrival of Eto'o at Stamford Bridge has pushed Torres down the strikers' roster and that was evident as the Cameroon international lead Jose Mourinho's attack against Everton on Saturday.

Demba Ba is third in the pecking order but Torres insists the competition is only having a positive impact on morale.

Benchwarmer: Jose Mourinho issues instructions to striker Fernando Torres before bringing him on as a

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Sturridge fit for Swansea clash after missing England duty with thigh problem

Sturridge fit for Swansea clash after missing England duty with thigh problem

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is expected to start Liverpool's game against Swansea tonight after coming through a full training session on Sunday.
Sturridge was criticised for pulling out of the England squad with a thigh injury, but it's understood the forward could not have played in either qualifying game against Moldova or Ukraine.
He now looks set to lead the line for Brendan Rodgers' unbeaten side at the Liberty Stadium.

eturn: Sturridge chats with team-mates Lucas Leiva during training on Sunday

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Van Persie wants to extend Man United contract as Dutchman targets 'two or three' trophies this season

Van Persie wants to extend Man United contract as Dutchman targets 'two or three' trophies this season

Robin van Persie wants to extend his stay at Manchester United beyond the remaining three years of his contract.
Van Persie enjoyed a stellar debut campaign with the Old Trafford outfit, collecting a second successive Golden Boot prize as he fired United to the Barclays Premier League title.
It justified the Dutchman's decision to leave Arsenal for a major domestic rival.

Flying Dutchman: Van Persie (second right) is mobbed after scoring against Crystal Palace on Saturday

And, speaking to former United European Cup winner Paddy Crerand in an exclusive interview for MUTV, Van Persie revealed he intends to

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Young's dive was worse than a leg-breaking tackle... and deserved a straight red, claims Parish

Young's dive was worse than a leg-breaking tackle... and deserved a straight red, claims Parish

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has spoken out against diving by claiming acts of simulation are worse than 'so-called leg-breaking tackles' and deserve an instant red card.
Manchester United forward Ashley Young was booked for diving before winning a dubious penalty that also saw Palace defender Kagisho Dikgacoi sent off at the weekend.
Parish told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'I think the referee was very brave on Saturday. He made some big calls. Giving a yellow card to a player at Old Trafford for diving is a massive call.'

Dubious: Ashley Young went down under pressure on the edge of the box and a penalty was awarded

'Sometimes the so-called leg breaking tackle can be in the heat of the moment. It's not intended and yet you get a straight red for it. There's a certain cynicism to diving in the penalty area which is surely worse because there's an element that's so premeditated in trying to con the referee.

'Personally, I think these things are

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Young is a cheat and should be banned for five matches to stop him conning referees

Young is a cheat and should be banned for five matches to stop him conning referees

Ashley Young is a cheat and he should be banned for FIVE games — then he might stop diving to try and con referees. Both his past and present Manchester United managers have admitted he goes to ground far too easily and do not condone such actions.
Referee Jon Moss rightly called Young on Saturday as he threw himself to ground after deliberately drawing contact with Palace defender Kagisho Dikgacoi. 
I could see how angry Moss was at Young’s attempt to fool him and understand that annoyance.You feel pleased not to have been conned but angry and disappointed with the fact that the player thinks he can fool you and is prepared to cheat to win.

Outside the box: A penalty should not have been given for Kagisho Dikgacoi's tackle on Ashley Young

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Rooney's back! But striker trains alone at Carrington and has only 50/50 chance of being fit for Manchester derby

Rooney's back! But striker trains alone at Carrington and has only 50/50 chance of being fit for Manchester derby

Wayne Rooney is yet to resume full training with Manchester United as he aims to return from injury ahead of the derby against rivals City a week on Sunday.
Rooney, 27, was working with United physios at the club’s Carrington training complex on Wednesday as he recovers from the deep cut to his head after an accidental clash with Phil Jones almost two weeks ago.
But the United striker is rated 50-50 for the game against Manuel Pellegrini’s City at the Etihad Stadium on September 22.

On the mend: Wayne Rooney poses with a fan after recovering from his head injury - he was back in training for the first time on Wednesday

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Galacticos of F1! But Raikkonen's exit to join Alonso at Ferrari is a bunny old game

Galacticos of F1! But Raikkonen's exit to join Alonso at Ferrari is a bunny old game

The rabbit was out of the bag long before Ferrari officially announced that former world champion Kimi Raikkonen was returning to the team.
But extraordinarily it was 'the rabbit', not the driver, who caused the bigger stir.
For Lotus, the team Raikkonen will be leaving at the end of the season, bizarrely tweeted a picture of two bunnies copulating, alongside the message: ‘So Kimi is off to Ferrari for 2014. It hurts a little bit...’

Working closely: Kimi Raikkonen (right) will join Fernando Alonso at Ferrari

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I had to quit Liverpool... I couldn't just sit on the bench and pick up the money

I had to quit Liverpool... I couldn't just sit on the bench and pick up the money

Jonjo Shelvey has never had a problem with his fiancee’s cooking, but he didn’t think twice about dropping his fork and charging out of the door on July 2. It just might be the most significant run of his career so far.
That morning he’d reported for Liverpool’s first pre-season session of the summer, feeling good and with a lower body-fat percentage than normal.
‘I’ve always had a problem with it, but I’d got it down,’ he says. ‘I thought I’d be able to give it a real good go to get in the team this year. I was pretty excited.’

Liberty swell: Jonjo Shelvey swapped the Liverpool for Swansea in the summer

Shelvey had read the reports linking Swansea City with him, but he’s used to ‘that stuff’.
More relevant was a chat with Brendan Rodgers scheduled for the next day, a discussion about how much playing time he might get in Steven Gerrard’s midfield. It was a conversation he’d had before with Liverpool managers.
A phone call that evening changed everything. ‘I got home and was sitting down to dinner,’ he says. ‘My missus had cooked a pasta dish. I hadn’t had a bite when my agent came on the phone, saying, “Get yourself down to Swansea”.
‘I didn’t touch my dinner.’

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Eventual winner Wiggins considered quitting 2012 Tour de France after issues with Froome

Eventual winner Wiggins considered quitting 2012 Tour de France after issues with Froome

Bradley Wiggins has claimed Chris Froome’s antics almost led to him quitting the 2012 Tour de France, the year he won the race.
Wiggins says what he perceived as Sky team-mate Froome’s aggressive riding in the mountains left him so disillusioned he wanted to walk away from the race.
In a new book from former Sky director Sean Yates, it is revealed Wiggins wrote a text from his hotel room which read: ‘I think it would be better for everyone if I went home.’

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Record buy Ozil set for debut at Sunderland as Arsenal injury crisis worsens

Record buy Ozil set for debut at Sunderland as Arsenal injury crisis worsens

Mesut Ozil is in line for an instant Arsenal debut after Arsene Wenger’s injury problems worsened yesterday.
The £42million man will report to the club’s London Colney HQ today for his first training session since arriving from Real Madrid.
And Wenger is set to use the Germany international at the first possible opportunity when his side travel to Sunderland on Saturday after Tomas Rosicky returned from international duty with a thigh injury.

Friends already? Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is among the first Arsenal players to meet Mesut Ozil

The Czech Republic international limped off during Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat against Italy and is rated as a major doubt for the trip to the Stadium of Light.
That leaves the door wide open for Ozil to make his Arsenal bow, despite the fact he will have completed just two days of training with his new team-mates.
Despite the season being less than a month old, Arsenal already have a lengthy injury list.

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O'Neill is FAI's only choice to replace Trapattoni as Republic of Ireland manager and lead country's Euro 2016 campaign

O'Neill is FAI's only choice to replace Trapattoni as Republic of Ireland manager and lead country's Euro 2016 campaign

The FAI will approach Martin O’Neill in the next 48 hours to become manager of the Republic of Ireland and the former Celtic and Sunderland boss is willing to discuss terms to replace Giovanni Trapattoni whose five-year reign was ended by 'mutual consent' on Tuesday.
The management committee of the FAI will convene next week to rubber-stamp the appointment of the 61-year-old Derry man who is their only choice to lead Ireland’s Euro 2016 campaign.
With businessman Denis O’Brien on board for at least another two years to fund the wages of another high profile manager, the FAI are poised to make their move for the number one candidate.

Talks: Martin O'Neill is set to discuss terms with the FAI to become the next Republic of Ireland manager

Their hope is that O’Neill, who has been out of work since he was sacked by Sunderland in March, will be in place to pick the side to face Germany in Cologne before the final World Cup 2014 qualifier at home to Kazakhstan.
Although the new manager will be without first choice centre-backs John O’Shea and Richard Dunne for the German game, they are optimistic he will take the job to go some way to filling the Aviva Stadium for the last competitive fixture until the Euro campaign starts next September.
If negotiations with O’Neill hit a snag in the coming week, the FAI will be forced to find a caretaker boss for the two remaining matches. Under-21 manager Noel King is the obvious choice for that temporary role.

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Barton sticks the boot to Di Canio but Sunderland boss gets the last laugh as 50,000 watch man of the moment Harper miss penalty in spotkick defeat to AC Milan

Barton sticks the boot to Di Canio but Sunderland boss gets the last laugh as 50,000 watch man of the moment Harper miss penalty in spotkick defeat to AC Milan

It was lucky Paolo Di Canio was a late call-up to the AC Milan Glorie side to face a Newcastle Legends team for Steve Harper's testimonial.
In a remarkably competitive tie the score finished goal-less, but Di Canio provided enough entertainment for the 50,793 fans who packed St James' Park and were baying for his blood at every touch.
He ran out of the tunnel ahead of kick off to the loudest boo heard at St James' Park for a long time but lapped it up and blew kisses to all four stands.

Crunch: Joey Barton goes in hard on Di Canio from behind

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'I drank nine bottles of wine a day' admits Sansom, as former England defender reveals battle against alcohol

'I drank nine bottles of wine a day' admits Sansom, as former England defender reveals battle against alcohol

Former Arsenal and England defender Kenny Sansom has admitted drinking up to nine bottles of wine a day during the recent period when he slept on the streets.
The 54-year-old, who played 86 times for his country, has been sober for more than a month after being checked into Champneys health resort.
But, in an interview that supports the alarming new research into the issues suffered by former professional sportsmen, Sansom revealed his fears of a relapse.
VIDEO Scroll down to watch Kenny Sansom: Great strike against Scotland

On the mend: Kenny Sansom has been sober for over a month

He told Sky News: ‘When you come to the end of your career you obviously have more time on your hands and you drink three or four times a week, then it becomes every day, and at one stage I was drinking eight or nine bottles of wine a day.
‘I was drinking to forget problems and I didn't mind sleeping rough because I'd get miserably drink and then just fall asleep somewhere on a park bench.’
Sansom contacted the Professional Footballers’ Association before being admitted to Champneys health resort.
He added: ‘I can't really say

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Relief for Liverpool as defender Johnson reveals injury isn't as bad as first feared

Relief for Liverpool as defender Johnson reveals injury isn't as bad as first feared

Liverpool have been handed some good news after Glen Johnson revealed his injury is not as bad as they initially thought.
Johnson injured his ankle in the 1-0 victory over Manchester United and there were fears he could be out until Christmas after the defender left Anfield on crutches.

Crunch point: Glen Johnson injured his ankle in this collision with United defender Patrice Evra

Liverpool's forthcoming fixtures

SEPTEMBER
v Swansea (A) Sept 16    
v Southampton (H) Sept 21
v Man United (A) Sept 25    
v Sunderland (A) Sept 29    
OCTOBER
v Crystal Palace (H) Oct 5
v Newcastle (A) Oct 19
v West Brom (H) Oct 26
NOVEMBER
v Arsenal (A) Nov 2
v Fulham (H) Nov 9
v Everton (A) Nov 23
DECEMBER
v Hull (A) Dec 1
v Norwich (H) Dec 4
v West Ham (H) Dec 7
v Tottenham (A) Dec 15
v Cardiff (H) Dec 21

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Tottenham fans have warned the FA that they will oppose their plans to introduce banning orders against Spurs supporters using the term 'Yid'.
The FA on Wednesday night threatened that in addition to potential banning orders, 'unacceptable language' could result in criminal prosecution. They added that though Spurs fans chant the term as a 'badge of honour' in a reference to the club's Jewish roots, they also 'cloud the issue' as other supporters would use the word to intentionally cause offence.

But a statement from the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust read: 'Whilst we fully recognise that Spurs fans' use of the Y word and associated identity may have caused some upset to members of the Jewish community, we sincerely believe that no Spurs fan uses the term in a malicious way.

Watch your language: Tottenham fans have been given a strong caution by the FA not to chant the word Yid

'THST believes that rather than focus on Tottenham Hotspur fans using the term, more work needs to be done to educate supporters of other clubs as to why it is completely unacceptable for them to continue to sing songs and chants that do not focus solely on Spurs fans but slur the Jewish community as a whole.
'THST is categorically against ejections and banning orders for the use of the term by Tottenham Hotspur supporters in a match environment and will be seeking advice from both the FSF and the legal profession as to whether there is scope for such measures under current legislation. Our view has always been that should Spurs fans use of the ‘Yid’ identity come to an end, this should be as a result of the feeling amongst the Spurs community that it was time to naturally move on.'
The FA statement on Wednesday night had said: ‘The FA considers that the use of the term “Yid” is likely to be considered offensive by the reasonable observer and considers the term to be  inappropriate in a football setting.

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Lineker ready to stand up and be counted and join the Dyke revolution to help save English football

Lineker ready to stand up and be counted and join the Dyke revolution to help save English football

Gary Lineker is willing to sit on FA chairman Greg Dyke’s crisis commission into the state of English football after smoothing over relations with England manager Roy Hodgson.
Sportsmail can reveal that Lineker, who tweeted that England were ‘awful’ during the 0-0 World Cup qualifying draw in Ukraine on Tuesday, is so concerned about the declining number of top-level English players that he is prepared to expand on his opinions to the FA panel.
Dyke claimed English football was at a tipping point during a controversial speech last week and went on to announce that he would be chairing a commission to save the national team. England will face further embarrassment today when they are expected to slip to 16th in the world rankings — behind Switzerland and the USA.

Helping hand: Former England captain Gary Lineker is will to sit on Greg Dyke's commission

Work to do: Lineker described England's performance against Ukraine as 'awful' but insisted he was behind Roy Hodgson

Although Dyke, who didn’t attend Tuesday’s qualifier in Kiev, has yet to make contact, Lineker, who scored 48 goals in 80 England appearances, wants to help shape the game’s future and has much to offer.
The 52-year-old recognises his controversial tweets have caused huge debate about the future of the national team. In May he claimed Hodgson had taken English football back to the ‘dark ages’ during a 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland at Wembley.
On Wednesday Lineker, who was part of the FA’s 2022 World Cup bid team, explained his incendiary tweets on the night of the Ukraine clash and also clarified his relationship with Hodgson.

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Wales 0-3 Serbia: Hosts humiliated as Bale returns off the bench

Wales 0-3 Serbia: Hosts humiliated as Bale returns off the bench

Getty Images

Goals from Filip Djordjevic, Aleksandar Kolarov and Lazar Markovic at the Cardiff City Stadium gave Serbia the win as they completed the double over their Welsh counterparts in Group A.

The home side rarely threatened the Serbia goal and a poor performance from Chris Coleman’s men saw them lose their sixth game of the campaign on Tuesday night.

Wales boss Coleman recalled Danny Gabbidon, Andy King, Andrew Crofts, and Sam Vokes to his starting XI but Bale was on the bench after coming through training on Monday in good condition.

Serbia fielded a strong line-up with Milan Bisevac, Ivan Radovanovic, Dusan Tadic and Filip Djuricic all coming into the starting line-up after Friday’s 1-1 draw with Croatia.

And after a quick start, the visitors took the lead inside eight minutes when Andrew Crofts kept Djordjevic onside and he headed home under no pressure inside the six-yard box.

Serbia continued to look dangerous from set-pieces with both Dusan Tadic and Branislav Ivanovic going close with efforts from set-pieces.

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Dave Shopland wins Barclays Football Photographer of the Season award

Dave Shopland wins Barclays Football Photographer of the Season award

Sportsmail's Dave Shopland has been handed the coveted Barclays Football Photographer of the Season award for the stunning images he captured during the 2012-13 season. 
Shopland landed the crown which searches for a range of images which 'capture the essence and emotion of the Premier League season' in the best manner.
Take a look at below at a selection of his stunning shots which regularly feature in the pages of the Mail on Sunday, Sportsmail and at MailOnline Sport which were all taken on a NIKON D4 camera.

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Norman reveals why he 'choked' to allow Faldo to win 1996 Masters... and it was all due to a bad back

Norman reveals why he 'choked' to allow Faldo to win 1996 Masters... and it was all due to a bad back

It is remembered as one of the greatest sporting ‘chokes’ of all time, but Greg Norman has finally revealed the real reason he blew the 1996 Masters — a bad back.
Norman held a six-stroke lead over Nick Faldo heading into the final round at Augusta 17 years ago, then crashed to a disastrous 78 while Faldo, now Sir Nick, shot a 67 to win by five shots.

It's mine: Faldo hugs Norman after winning the 1996 Masters

But Aussie Norman said: ‘There’s more to it than people realise because I did have back issues that morning.
‘I tried to walk it off but I couldn’t. I told my coach, “Today’s not going to be easy”.’
It was Norman’s third agonising Masters near miss. He finished runner-up in 1986, bogeying the last hole to miss out on a play-off with Jack Nicklaus.

Down and out: Greg Norman slumps to the floor during the final round at Augusta

A year later, he lost in a play-off to Larry Mize, who chipped in to win.

After that 1996 collapse, Norman, now 58, told Australian broadcaster ABC: ‘I disappeared down to the beach… and lay on the beach and cried, because I felt like I’d completely screwed up winning a tournament that I wanted to win.
'That would be about the only time I would have brought the emotion of a golf tournament back home.’

Demoralised: Norman lost a six-stroke lead over Faldo heading into the final round

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Nadal has 18 slams in his sights after picking up No 13 in New York

Nadal has 18 slams in his sights after picking up No 13 in New York

As Pete Sampras amassed his 14th Grand Slam title, the feeling was that men’s tennis was likely to prove too strong in future for anyone to better his benchmark.
When Roger Federer swept past that and got up to what is his likely final tally of 17, the reaction was the same and probably more emphatic.
Think again. In the wake of Rafael Nadal’s 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1  US Open final triumph, there is the very real prospect of the great Swiss being knocked off the top of this star-laden pile.

More: Nadal wants another four Grand Slam titles before he finishes

Ahead: Roger Federer is currently on 17 Grand Slam titles, but Nadal wants to better that

Once Novak Djokovic had  finished berating himself for failing to take his chances in the third set, he put the case. ‘Thirteen Slams for a guy who is 27 is incredible, it’s something everyone should respect.
'He still has a lot of years to play, that’s all I can say,’ said the crestfallen Serb.
As they are fond of saying in the USA, where Nadal has just gone 17 matches on hard courts unbeaten, ‘do the math’. His dominance at Roland Garros is such that there must be the likelihood he will win two or three more times there.

King of the City: Nadal won his 2nd US Open title with the win over Djokovic

Champion: Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic in four sets to win his 13th Grand Slams

That leaves maybe just two more Slams to be garnered elsewhere to make 18 and, if his knees hold up, you would fancy it.
The argument is strengthened by the fact that Federer seems to be fading and that only Djokovic and Andy Murray are plausible candidates to stop him.
Below them, others are either still short of fulfilling their potential (Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov) or getting locked out with such regularity (Tomas Berdych, Juan Martin Del Potro) that it is hard to see where the consistent challenge is coming from.
Soberingly for Murray, who is in Croatia with his Great Britain colleagues preparing for Friday’s Davis Cup tie, Nadal has often proved an insurmountable foe.

Thumping: Nadal's forehand caused Djokovic endless problems

Next stop for Nadal is to topple Djokovic as world No 1. The process is likely to be completed in Asia next month as he stands a mere 120 points behind.
Since returning in February, he has won 60 matches and lost three. He can possibly post one of the best seasons ever in terms of wins, although he will struggle to match John  McEnroe’s 82-3 of 1984.
Fans in the UK should be able to see him finish the year at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at  London’s O2 Arena in November.
In the wake of Monday’s triumph he called for the season-ending event to have its surface rotated, rather than being on indoor hard court, which is a reminder that he remains wary of playing on the surface because of what it can do to him physically.
One recalls visiting him in Madrid almost a year ago and finding him  downcast. He could do nothing more than swim one kilometre a day and perform rehab work in the gym as he tried to overcome the tendinitis in his knees.

On a mission: Djokovic's standard was supreme in the second set as he rallied after losing the first

Among the treatment he has had is injections of blood platelets. That and prolonged rest and endless rehab work appear to have solved the problem for now but, as he heads into his late twenties, his physical health cannot be guaranteed.
He says his practice routine has not altered and he makes light of what was a painful absence, which included speculation he might not play again on concrete. ‘When I came back in Chile (in February) I said the most important thing is to be healthy. I knew that in seven months I would not forget how to play tennis,’ he said.
‘If you have been in the top positions for eight or nine years already, why would you not have the chance to get back there? I felt confident that if I am healthy I will have chances to compete for Grand Slams, but I never thought I would win two in one year. ’

Best in the business: The array of shots from the two players was something to marvel

Whatever the questions about his body, it is his constant willingness to evolve as a player, shown in his more aggressive play and skilful use of the serve, that makes him so remarkable. That is why he could end up as the greatest ever.
Andy Murray, who has confirmed his qualification for the ATP World Tour finals, has set up a company to oversee his business affairs with long-term manager Simon Fuller.
It is called 77, for the number of years it took Britain to find another Wimbledon men’s champion after Fred Perry.

Losing his footing: Nadal taking a tumble during the match

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De La Hoya set to miss Mayweather-Alvarez mega fight after rushing in to rehab

De La Hoya set to miss Mayweather-Alvarez mega fight after rushing in to rehab

Oscar De La Hoya has admitted himself into rehab at the start of a week in which he is supposed to be promoting the biggest fight of this century so far.
The 40-year-old, the president of Golden Boy promotions, is battling well-documented alcohol and substance addiction problems but can now take no part in the Floyd Mayweather v Canelo Alvarez mega millions fight in Las Vegas this Saturday.
De La Hoya, the former multiple world champion, has indeed been the golden boy of boxing in Mexico, as well as America.

Rehab: Oscar De La Hoya is battling demons and will not be at the Mayweather-Alvarez fight on Saturday

The company named after him is now the biggest and most influential in this tough business and his personal reputation has survived his earlier admissions of addiction problems.
He seemed to have conquered his demons but is understood to have suffered a major relapse at the end of an exhausting several-cities tour to promote the world light-middleweight title bout in which Mayweather is guaranteed a minimum $41.5million.
There was sadness among the Golden Boy team as the news broke and chief executive Richard Schafer said: 'Our first thoughts are to wish Oscar well but obviously the show must go on.
'He had been doing so well and the first thing is for him to work through it again and come back all the stronger.
'I'm sure he can do that, he is a strong-willed guy. But maybe this time it might be better if he doesn't come back from treatment and dive straight back into the boxing.
'As we know, this is a tough business with a lot of influences around you, some of them bad.

Fight of the century (so far): Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez (below) in training for their bout

Canelo Alvarez

'The media tour might have had some bearing on this. When you're on the road there are even more temptations.
'This fight will still be the biggest event for many years but Oscar's recovery, his health and his family are priority.
‘Boxing can be tough for all those involved but it is especially difficult if you have an illness like this.’
De La Hoya has been vociferous in his conviction Alvarez, Mexico's potential heir to his Hispanic boxing throne, is the man to end Mayweather's unbeaten record.
In a statement, De La Hoya said: 'Canelo Alvarez and I have big fights coming up this weekend. His is in the ring and mine in treatment.
'I will not be at the fight this Saturday to cheer Canelo to victory since I have voluntarily admitted myself into a treatment facility.
'I explained this to Canelo and he understood that my health and long-term recovery from my disease must come first.
'Thank you for your understanding. I ask for your support and privacy during this difficult time for me and my family.'

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Messi after double strike helps Argentina book World Cup spot

Messi after double strike helps Argentina book World Cup spot

Argentina booked its spot at next year's World Cup by winning 5-2 at Paraguay on Tuesday, sealing its place with two games to spare in South American qualifying. 
Lionel Messi scored twice from the penalty spot for Argentina, while Sergio Aguero, Angel di Maria and Maxi Rodriguez also netted for the visitors.

Dig in: Argentina's Lionel Messi (right) and Roque Santa Cruz of Paraguay plant an Olive of Peace tree before the match

Spot on: Messi scores a penalty against Paraguay

Argentina lead the South American group on 29 points with two qualifiers remaining next month.
The top four qualify automatically and the group leaders can now only be overtaken by Colombia and Chile.
Ariel Nunez and Roque Santa Cruz scored for Paraguay, which knew going into the game that its World Cup hopes were over.
Before the game, Paraguay captain Santa Cruz and Argentine skipper Messi planted a tree of peace in a temporary pot after the national anthems.

Handy: Messi celebrates scoring the second goal against Paraguay

Close up: Paraguay's Jose Ariel Nunez, right, grabs the face of Argentina's Pablo Zabaleta

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England friendlies and FA Cup replays are sure to be under threat for 2022

England friendlies and FA Cup replays are sure to be under threat for 2022

Alan Green, Radio 5 Live’s top football commentator, was conspicuous by his absence from the England game in Ukraine on Tuesday night.
The controversial Green, who divides opinion among fans and those in the industry, had been expected to be in Kiev, having returned from holiday in time to commentate on England’s win against Moldova at Wembley on Friday.
It is understood Green had personal reasons for missing the game. But there has also been a summer-long dispute over whether he would be able to fly to Ukraine in business class as he has done regularly throughout his BBC career.

Not in attendance: Alan Green (left) was conspicuous by his absence from the England game in Ukraine

But the changing times at the corporation and their significant budget cuts meant luxury travel was no longer an option for Green, unless he paid for an upgrade himself.
The Beeb quarrel comes at a delicate time for Green. His freelance contract expires at the end of next summer’s World Cup in Brazil, when his long-time England commentary partner Mike Ingham is retiring.
The high-maintenance Green is keen to carry on in his prime BBC football role but questions may be raised as to whether his 5 Live bosses want him. A spokeswoman said Green was  ‘unavailable’ for the Ukraine match.

England friendlies and FA Cup replays are sure to be under threat in the club and country horse trading over the switch to a winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
The change of dates to a Qatar tournament in October and November — the same months the Under 17 World Cup is being staged this year in the United Arab Emirates — is now a fait accompli ahead of the FIFA ExCo meeting on October 3-4 that will grant the winter go-ahead.
However, something in the international calendar will have to give to make room for up to 10 weeks of a World Cup and preparation time.
International friendlies being mothballed would give extra dates for club fixtures in the seasons affected, as would losing replays in the FA Cup. The FA board have yet to debate Qatar but would not oppose any FIFA-led directive.

Reduce: England friendlies could be banished in 2022 in the run up to the World Cup

Cricket WAGs are less contentious than their football counterparts but England team director Andy Flower is taking a similar strict approach over their permitted time in Australia this winter as he did last time.
The players’ partners will be welcome only for the last two Tests, in Melbourne and Sydney, and any wife or girlfriend arriving before then has to find their own accommodation and pay for it.
The FA, who regard Euro 2012 arrangements as the template for future tournaments, have no potential plans to accommodate England WAGs in Brazil — certainly during the group stage.

Pay your own way: England team director Andy Flower (above) will take the same approach to cricket WAGs as he always has, with Kevin Pietersen and Jessica Taylor (below), seen raising awareness for Sport Relief the most popular couple in the England camp

BBC Sport have seemingly wasted licence fee payers’ money on a nine-month probe into the training methods of Mo Farah’s American coach Alberto Salazar.
The investigation, which saw TV production crews having to sign strict confidentiality agreements, looks to have been shelved having not uncovered the evidence to make a programme.
The BBC declined to comment but speculation within athletics about the documentary in the making led Salazar to make a forthright defence of his system and that Farah is running totally clean.

Probe: Alberto Salazar (centre) had his training methods closely looked at

Dyke has an off day
FA independent director Roger Devlin, who led the panel that appointed chairman Greg Dyke, says he ‘completely understands media concern’ about Dyke inexplicably not being in Ukraine to support England — a week after his state-of-the-football-nation speech.
But Devlin added: ‘It is a well-established minimum principle that either the chairman or the general secretary attends England away games and Alex Horne was there.
'No disrespect to my chairman, but I would rather have had Wayne Rooney available than Greg.’

No-show: Dyke was not present in Ukraine, but the FA had their necessary representatives attending

Ascot named their concluding race on Saturday The Last Call from ‘The Croc’ Handicap to mark the final commentary of BBC racing commentator Jim McGrath.
Alas, it was an unfortunate finale for Aussie Jim, who failed to name either horse or rider after Liam Jones fell off Arctic Lynx three furlongs out.

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