The Golden Age of Football...now when was that exactly?

1. You reap what you sow — eventually

Sorry about that World Cup jinx, everybody.

Welcome to your Tuesday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

As far as Real Madrid are concerned, there is no debate to be had – Alfredo Di Stefano was, quite simply, “the best footballer of all time”.

Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano is in a serious but stable condition in hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano has been admitted to hospital after suffering a heart attack, the club have announced.

It’s a very easy question to ask Martin O’Neill, but a fiendishly difficult question for Martin O’Neill to answer.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez claims Cristiano Ronaldo wants to commit his future to the club.

There were no little old ladies dashing about with fresh cuts of altar flowers.

Champions League semi-finals have been decided by phantom goals, crazed officials, injuries, moments of brilliance and even by one team being better than the other.

Alex Ferguson has paid tribute to Lionel Messi after the Barcelona star was awarded the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the third successive year.

ALEX FERGUSON has backed Wayne Rooney in the row over his role in Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany’s controversial red card on Sunday.

LIONEL MESSI was last night awarded the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the third successive year.

Lionel Messi was tonight awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the third successive year.

PEP GUARDIOLA is an intellectual. He has mates in football. He is godfather, for example, to one of Luís Figo’s daughters.

Cork has seen many financial hardships over the years, but its love affair with opera has never wavered, Jo Kerrigan reports.

OF all the countless tributes paid in recent years to the star player on a star-filled Barcelona team, we particularly liked the one The Guardian penned after he’d ripped the champions of England apart, so much so we’ll recite it here.

WHEN the Champions League trophy had been hauled around Wembley and the colourful Catalan hordes had sung themselves hoarse, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was asked a question which resonated in bars from Las Ramblas to Las Vegas.

HE didn’t start the fire; it was always burning since the world’s been turning.

WHEN Real Madrid beat Barcelona in the 2002 Champions League semi-final, the worldwide TV audience was estimated at 500 million. When Barcelona ran riot last November, 400 million watched on the box and countless millions more on laptops round the world.

High-profile lawyer Giovanni di Stefano, who once acted as a consultant to Saddam Hussein’s defence team, has been arrested on suspicion of fraud on a British warrant in Spain.

Saddam Hussein’s henchman Tariq Aziz is to ask for an Iraqi presidential pardon from his death sentence for persecuting opponents.

Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano was re-admitted to hospital last night with heart problems.

WHEN IS a five-point margin not a five-point margin?

ANOTHER free Saturday. I could get used to this. I’m never sure what to make of the FA Cup once we’re out of it, which is strange as we’ve certainly had enough practice under Rafa.

RONNIE BIGGS, one of Britain’s most notorious criminals, was being transferred from hospital to a care home yesterday, days after being released on compassionate grounds due to serious illness.

KAKA was officially presented as a Real Madrid player last night in front of tens of thousands of fans and a huge media contingent at the club’s Bernabeu stadium last night.

GREAT Train Robber Ronnie Biggs will learn within weeks whether he has succeeded in his bid for early jail release after a parole board panel met yesterday to consider his case.

Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Peter Beaumont broke new ground when Golden Groom gave him his first success on the Flat under rules in the Bishopton Handicap at Ripon.

IF YOU hadn’t previously heard the famous F-worded Fergie quote about United’s historical challenge against Liverpool, you must have done by now: it’s been repeated ad nauseam by every newspaper since Saturday.

One of the world’s most controversial lawyers, dubbed the 'Devil’s Advocate' for representing tyrants and serial killers, is to stand for election in the Republic of Ireland.

'Great train robber' Ronnie Biggs is making a fresh bid to be released from prison on compassionate grounds, his legal team said.

Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs is making a fresh bid to be released from prison on compassionate grounds, his legal team said tonight.

A lawyer for Saddam Hussein has appealed to a US court in an attempt to win a stay of execution for the former leader, arguing Saddam’s rights were violated by US troops.

Convicted child sex offender Gary Glitter is set to return to Britain and make a television comeback after release from a Vietnamese jail, his lawyer announced on Saturday.

REAL MADRID honorary president Alfredo Di Stefano has questioned the wisdom of signing Thierry Henry after revealing the Spanish giants turned down the chance to buy him eight years ago.

Real Madrid honorary president Alfredo di Stefano has questioned the wisdom of signing Thierry Henry after revealing the Spanish giants turned down the chance to buy him eight years ago.

Drogheda United have issued a statement insisting that controversial Italian lawyer Giovanni di Stefano has not held talks with the Setanta Sports Cup winners.

Controversial Italian lawyer Giovanni di Stefano has claimed that he will now try to invest in another eircom League after his offer for Shelbourne was rejected.

SHELBOURNE have ruled out any possible deal with controversial lawyer Giovanni Di Stefano.

DAMIEN Richardson is confident that goalkeeper Michael Devine will be fit for tomorrow's Setanta Sports Cup final.