Danny Welbeck scored twice against AC Milan to toast his England recall by sending Arsenal into the last eight of the Europa League.

"You're not like others, you are football, the real one, the pure one of children."

Check out all the results from the European matches today.

A last-gasp Alberto Paloschi header saw Serie A strugglers SPAL force a 1-1 draw with Inter.

Gennaro Gattuso's 10-man Milan, already languishing down in seventh, were thrashed 3-0 at lowly Hellas Verona.

Duvan Zapata won his family battle by inspiring Sampdoria to a 2-0 win over AC Milan in Serie A.

What's being rumoured online and in the papers.

Francesco Totti has confirmed his retirement as a player by accepting a directorship role with Roma.

Juventus secured their place in the Champions League final after coasting to a 2-1 win over Monaco in Turin last night.

Roma closed the gap on Serie A leaders Juventus to seven points with a 3-1 win away to Inter Milan at San Siro.

Barcelona and Real Madrid both won over the weekend but received mixed fitness news ahead of their return to Champions League action this week — while Arsenal’s opponents Bayern Munich continued their impressive form.

For all the superlatives rightly thrown in the direction of Joe Schmidt’s team the past couple of days, one aspect of Soldier Field has probably still not been fully appreciated.

A brilliant strike by teenager Manuel Locatelli fired AC Milan to a hard-earned 1-0 win over Serie A leaders Juventus at the San Siro.

There is no limp as Shane Long walks into the Complexe Sportif Montbauron.

In the lead up to the Republic of Ireland’s tilt at Euro 2016 in the summer, some brilliant footage of yesteryear has emerged on YouTube that should bring back fond memories for Irish people.

Italy has a history of teenage defensive diamonds, and Milan’s goalkeeper, 16-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma, four months on from his debut, might be the best find yet

Pope Francis is, or rather was, well known as a football man and, in particular, as a committed supporter of the San Lorenzo club in his native Argentina, so it rather came as a shock when he recently confessed that he had never seen his fellow countryman Lionel Messi in action.

In his role as a technical instructor for Uefa, Packie Bonner occasionally bumps into his work colleague Ioan Lupescu on the continent.

With just three points separating the four contenders in Group D it would be a nice boost for Ireland if Georgia could get a result in Warsaw on Saturday. Nice, but unlikely.

Five days from the Champions League showdown in Berlin there is a slight sense of ‘so what?’ about the climax to the season.

Midfielder Yaya Toure’s future at Manchester City appears to be drawing to a close as Inter Milan vice-president Javier Zanetti claimed the Italian giants are close to completing a move for the Ivory Coast star.

Andy Townsend might struggle to remember Ireland’s 3-3 draw away to Poland in 1991 – the last competitive meeting between the two countries – but it’s a game which is lodged firmly in your humble correspondent’s memory banks.

Relegation-threatened Cagliari have sacked coach Gianfranco Zola after less than three months in charge following a miserable run of results.

Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella has confirmed that Juan Guillermo Cuadrado will not play for the Viola on Saturday, with the Colombian winger finalising his permanent move to Chelsea.

Samuel Eto’o has completed his move from Everton to Sampdoria.

European round-up: Paul Pogba scored one goal and created another as leaders Juventus beat Chievo 2-0.

Sampdoria are hoping to complete the signing of Everton forward Samuel Eto’o today. The Genoa outfit has been in talks with Everton and Eto’o’s representatives in recent weeks with a view to completing the move.

Sampdoria are closing in on the signing of Everton striker Samuel Eto’o.

One manager got a little too close to the action recently…

Real Madrid’s Fifa Club World Cup semi-final clash tomorrow with Mexico’s Cruz Azul has been switched to Marrakech from Rabat due to the waterlogged pitch at the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah.

European roundup: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both scored hat-tricks in easy wins as Real Madrid remained two points ahead of Barcelona atop the La Liga table.

Since that 1-0 defeat of the Dutch 13 years ago, Ireland have played 32 competitive games at Lansdowne Road, Croke Park and at the Aviva.

Once upon a time, Georgia had a team to be feared.

Iago Falque has become the fourth player to exit Tottenham during pre-season after signing for Italian Serie A side Genoa.

For fans over a certain age following a World Cup, you’re never really watching just that World Cup.

Manager Neil Lennon insists there is no chance of Celtic underestimating the threat of AC Milan tonight as his side prepare to face their biggest game of the season.

Real Madrid took centre stage on the final day of the summer transfer window as two Galacticos departed to make way for the most expensive player in the history of football.

Italian prosecutors placed the captain of the Jolly Nero cargo ship under investigation today for alleged manslaughter after his vessel slammed into the dock at Genoa’s busy port and toppled the control tower into the harbour, killing at least seven people.

A cargo ship slammed into the port in Genoa, Italy, today, toppling the control tower and killing at least three people, news reports said.

Swedish coach Erik Hamren has warned that Ireland will set out to be party poopers in Stockholm when the countries meet in a World Cup qualifier on Friday week.

Francesco Totti made Serie A history last night as his first-half penalty in a 3-1 victory over 10-man Genoa saw the veteran striker become the league’s joint-second highest scorer of all time.

Derrick Williams is hoping for further international recognition after fulfilling his dream of playing Barclays Premier League football.

Lionel Messi celebrated another goalscoring milestone with four more last night as Barcelona demolished 10-man Osasuna 5-1 at the Nou Camp.