Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has called on the club’s supporters to get behind Karim Benzema after the France international was whistled.

Cristiano Ronaldo is due to answer charges of a €14.7m tax fraud in a Spanish courtroom this morning, the latest event in a busy few months for the Real Madrid superstar.

Michael Carrick will probably hang up his boots if his Manchester United contract is not extended beyond the summer.

The modern Champions League format has little space for romance or novelty — as seen by this week’s fixture list as Arsenal and Bayern Munich, and Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, met again for the upteenth time in recent years.

Luis Suarez scored twice to help Barcelona to a 4-1 win over Espanyol in the clash of the Catalans at the Camp Nou last night.

Zinedine Zidane has no doubt his Real Madrid side have what to takes to remain at the top of LaLiga after a "cruel" setback at Las Palmas last night.

Manchester United can expect to recoup most of the world-record fee they paid for Paul Pogba in commercial revenue the midfielder generates, according to a leading football financial expert.

Jose Mourinho believes transfer fees will continue to sky-rocket as Manchester United close in on the reported world-record signing of Paul Pogba.

New Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has revealed a speech from Antonio Conte helped convince him to leave Premier League champions Leicester for Stamford Bridge.

Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to take Euro 2016 by storm, according to his Portugal strike partner Nani.

Zinedine Zidane said Gareth Bale could be as important for Real Madrid as Cristiano Ronaldo after the Wales international scored the only goal of the game to beat Real Sociedad 1-0 and keep Madrid in the title race.

Real Madrid boosted their hopes of catching Primera Division leaders Barcelona by thrashing struggling Getafe 5-1 with goals from Karim Benzema, Isco, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Zebre 14 Glasgow 43. Guinness Pro 12.

Last week, many around Real Madrid were claiming that the selection of their youth talent was their best hope of getting something from this season.

Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 win at Real Madrid on Saturday has reopened an internal Estadio Santiago Bernabeu debate which could end badly for Blancos superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, coach Zinedine Zidane and even president Florentino Perez.

Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or award for an unprecedented fifth time as the Barcelona forward reclaimed the biggest individual accolade in world football at a lavish ceremony in Zurich last night, beating Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, the three-time winner he has been runner-up behind for the last two years.

Cristiano Ronaldo is promoting an eponymous film documentary which delves into his life on and off the pitch. He’s been talking about that and his old life at Manchester United.

Rafael Benitez has hit back at claims from Sam Allardyce that he had nothing to do with Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League success.

Last night, Cristiano Ronaldo bagged himself a brace against Champions League opponents Malmo.

La Liga went into the last international break on the back of something bizarre — both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi had failed to score in both of the opening two games.

La Liga is returning, a little later than first expected, with plenty of new and old questions to be resolved.

Louis van Gaal hosted a frank Q&A session in San Jose last night. Plenty of the questions Manchester United fans have been asking were tackled.

Cremona Quartet in rehearsals at Bantry House, West Cork.

Zebre 10 Connacht 40: It has been a season like no others. With a new record of 10 wins and currently leaders in the disciplinary stakes, Connacht will still be fighting on the last day of the Guinness Pro12 season for Champions Cup rugby.

Cristiano Ronaldo went into Saturday evening’s La Liga game at Sevilla under pressure. Real Madrid’s talisman had just one goal in five games, and his team’s title hopes were in danger.

A snap reading of Cristiano Ronaldo’s five-goal haul as Real Madrid hammered Granada 5-1 in La Liga yesterday afternoon was that Los Blancos’ king is back.

Ambiguous reactions in Spain to Real Betis fan chants, which caused dismay outside the country, have again shown how the idea of collective responsibility is missing at most La Liga clubs.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes tonight’s Champions League last-16 first leg against Schalke offers Cristiano Ronaldo a great chance to end his mini goal drought. 

Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent has defended the Real Madrid forward after he was criticised for partying following Saturday’s heavy defeat at Atletico Madrid.

Cristiano Jr couldn't wait to shake Messi's hand at Ballon d'Or.

No sooner was Cristiano Ronaldo crowned the world’s best player for the second straight year than he declared his desire to go down in history as one of the greatest players of all time.

Zebre 7 Munster 31: Munster got the result and — for 40 minutes at least — the performance they wanted in Italy which sends them into next Saturday’s vital Champions Cup clash with Saracens.

The Real Madrid propaganda machine cranked back into action this week, when Uefa president Michel Platini had the temerity to suggest Blancos superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was not necessarily the most deserving winner of the 2014 Ballon D’Or.

GUINNESS PRO12: