On the morning of yesterday’s match, I had a heartening message from a Mourinhoan in Lisbon. “He is so incredibly desperate to beat them today. Apparently, he’s been urging all the players to have ‘no mercy’.”

Tottenham’s Harry Kane is relishing the prospect of facing Real Madrid following a Champions League draw which also saw Chelsea handed a showdown with Diego Costa’s former club Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte has laughed off Diego Costa's suggestion that he has been treated like "a criminal" and says the striker is in "the past".

Diego Costa has pleaded with Chelsea to lower their asking price to allow him to return to Atletico Madrid.

Exiled striker Diego Costa has repeated his wish to return to Atletico Madrid and believes his stand-off with Chelsea will come to an end when he travels to Spain.

Chelsea and Diego Costa’s dispute is no nearer to a resolution as the Blues begin their Premier League title defence in an apparent legal wrangle with the exiled striker.

Antonio Conte expects this season to be his most difficult in management.

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.

Greetings once more from Paris, where I am covering the presidential election, the result of which is due, as I write, in an hour’s time.

Antonio Conte believes the €300m offer made to Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo by an unnamed Chinese Super League club is wrong.

Football has a great capacity to bring out good things in people, and also some of the worst. In the last week we’ve seen both.

Calls have been made for an investigation into Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho's financial affairs after claims millions of pounds were moved offshore to avoid tax.

I write these words from France while covering the presidential primary fight between Sarkozy, Fillon and Juppé, and am reminded of the local maxim “jamais deux sans trois” — “never two without the third”.

Jose Mourinho is close to becoming Manchester United manager, although the appointment has been complicated by the fact former club Chelsea own the trademark to his name.

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.

Gary Neville’s awful time as Valencia coach continued with a sorry 1-0 loss at also struggling Real Betis yesterday —and the former Man United defender is now surely close to losing his job.

The most significant football event of the year may have been a meeting in Shanghai last week.

Less than two months after taking his first senior management job as Valencia coach - Gary Neville is facing serious questions over how long he has left in the position.

Jose Mourinho’s agent has denied a deal has been struck for his client to replace Louis van Gaal as Manchester United manager.

Manchester United captain turned Sky Sports star pundit Gary Neville has taken on a fiendishly difficult challenge in his first job in management in charge of troubled Valencia.

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.

The locals are very restless at Valencia, as fans and pundits now realise what it’s like supporting a club controlled by Singapore businessman Peter Lim and Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes.

Last Monday afternoon, Sergio Ramos was spotted getting into his gleaming white Mercedes AMG GT coupe on a Madrid street by reporters from local sports paper Marca.

With Leinster the sole province flying the Irish flag in this weekend’s Champions Cup quarter-finals, it’s natural the thoughts of supporters of other teams are already turning to next season.

Damien Comolli has admitted Tottenham made an approach to appoint Jose Mourinho as coach after he left Chelsea back in 2007 — but disputed that the Portuguese ruled out moving to White Hart Lane because, as he claimed, "I love Chelsea supporters too much".

Louis van Gaal has been in charge of Manchester United for over seven months but he admits he still does not his best starting XI or formation.

FA Cup Fifth Round

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

Manchester United are holding talks over a new contract for goalkeeper David de Gea, according to his agent Jorge Mendes.

Agent Jorge Mendes has not ruled out David de Gea leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid because of the way situations can rapidly change in football.

Cristiano Ronaldo admits his rivalry with Lionel Messi continues to push both players to improve.

Premier League

”You have to prove yourself. A player of £95million has to prove himself also.”

Radamel Falcao’s agent Jorge Mendes admits the striker’s future with Manchester United is uncertain.

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.

1. That Alfe Inge Haaland still won’t be getting a Christmas card from Roy.