Real Madrid eased into the final of the Club World Cup after a 4-0 win over Cruz Azul at the Le Grand Stade de Marrakech in Morocco last night.

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.

SO THERE we were, walking along Dublin’s Great South George’s Street of a Sunday morning. 

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says not even transfer deadline day was important enough for him to miss an audience with the Pope in Rome.

Four homeless people have helped Pope Francis to celebrate his 77th birthday at the Vatican.

Pope Francis’s relentless pace on his tour of Brazil is wearing out his aides.

Pablo Zabaleta believes Manuel Pellegrini could be a great manager for Manchester City.

The sharp knives of politics have prepared the new pope well, say Joshua Goodman and Juan Pablo Spinetto.

Newcastle are closing in on the signing of striker Loic Remy from Marseille.

Alan Pardew named Fabricio Coloccini in Newcastle’s starting line-up at Norwich despite the fact the defender has asked to leave the club.

Argentinian club San Lorenzo have set a deadline in their bid to sign Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew was today attempting to head off a fresh crisis after captain Fabricio Coloccini’s continued presence on Tyneside was thrown into doubt.

“It’s like a final,” said Juan Mata yesterday of Chelsea’s match against Napoli.

Catania have confirmed the appointment of former Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone as their new coach.

Manuel Pellegrini today described his appointment as the new coach of Real Madrid as a “dream come true”.

West Brom are set to be boosted by the return of striker Jay Simpson for Sunday’s Barclays Premier League trip to Fulham.

Argentinian winger Juan Carlos Menseguez could make his debut for West Brom in tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League relegation clash with Newcastle at The Hawthorns.

West Brom are sweating over the fitness of three key players ahead of Saturday’s Barclays Premier League relegation clash with Newcastle at The Hawthorns.

THE final hours of the January transfer window made an inevitably frenetic start yesterday, as Premier League clubs tried desperately to bulk out their squads ahead of today's 5pm deadline.

Argentina coach Diego Maradona has not named Juan Roman Riquelme among the three home-based players he has called up to face Scotland in Glasgow next week.

DIEGO MARADONA has been offered the job of Argentina coach after meeting with AFA president Julio Grondona last night.

Espanyol have given Pablo Zabaleta permission to travel to Manchester City for a medical after the Barclays Premier League club offered to pay the Argentina international’s €8m buy-out clause.

Players from the top four divisions of the Argentine league have renewed their threat not to play this weekend if the crowd trouble that has plagued recent Apertura matches continues.

San Lorenzo’s young midfielder Arturo Facundo Vanega has been given a six-month ban after failing a dope test last June.

ARSENAL midfielder Patrick Vieira has signed a new three-year deal with the club.

Vinnie Jones has warned David Beckham he should step out of the spotlight for the sake of his family.