Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson hopes the unsavoury off-field scenes that marred last season s Champions League final in Paris will represent a watershed moment in the treatment of football fans.

Henderson started as Liverpool fell to a 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid at the Stade de France in May, a loss that ended their hopes of adding to an EFL Cup and FA Cup double.

However, the match was overshadowed by violent scenes as supporters were targeted with pepper spray and tear gas outside the stadium, leading both clubs to call for an investigation.

While authorities originally blamed English fans use of fake tickets for the disruption, both interior minister Gerald Darmanin and Paris police chief Didier Lallement have since apologised for those claims.

UEF…

Jerome Boateng has denied suggestions there was any lingering resentment towards Robert Lewandowski ahead of their meeting at Euro 2016 on Thursday.

The Bayern Munich team-mates had a much-publicised bust-up in training in May 2015 when Boateng took exception to a strong Lewandowski challenge with then club coach Pep Guardiola sending them both back to the changing rooms.

The pair have come into direct contact since, in September 2015 as Germany beat Poland 3-1 in qualifying, and Boateng, speaking ahead of their Group C clash at the Stade de France, insists the matter is now resolved.

He said: That s the way it is in football. If you play against people, it is normal that sometimes you tangle with each other.

I am a defender and he s a top striker. We …

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France host Colombia for a high-profile international friendly in the run up to the World Cup in Russia this summer. Les Bleus are in excellent form, losing just once in their past 10 games, while the visitors will be looking to end their struggles. The 2016 European Championship finalists will be the favourites ahead of this clash, but the Colombia squad is by no means lacking in talent.

France 

Didier Dechamps’ side experienced heartbreak on home soil during the 2016 European Championships, losing in extra time to Portugal in the final of the competition. France were a much-fancied team with a number of top quality players and it was little surprise that they made it to the final, though they did have…

Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was surprised that he was not approached about the vacant manager s position at Anfield.

The 53-year-old, who guided Liverpool to both FA Cup and Champions League success, also believes his appointment would have been well received by the Liverpool faithful.

It was strange not to be approached, he told the Irish Independent.

We know the club, the players, the Academy and we have even more experience now the fans were positive about the idea.

Benitez left the Merseyside club by mutual consent during the summer of 2010 after they finished seventh, missing out on a Champions League place.

But despite the sour manner in which his time at Anfield ended, Benitez was quick to point out what he achieved during h…

France coach Didier Deschamps has dubbed Brazil one of the best teams in the world ahead of the sides meeting on Sunday.

The two teams will clash in a friendly at Porto Alegre as Brazil ready themselves for a return to competitive action in the FIFA Confederations Cup.

When asked what makes Luiz Felipe Scolari s side so great, Deschamps said: There is a new generation of players, full of talent.

Maybe they don t have as much international experience as previous generations before them but they are preparing for it. Today Brazil are one of the best teams in the world.

Brazil have won just one in their last six games, while France have suffered defeat in three of their last four outings in 2013.

France have played 13 fixtures against Brazil, and hav…

Pep Guardiola would love to be in the position of Arsenal in the Premier League title race, saying Manchester City s experience counts for nothing as they look to catch the Gunners.

City have won the Premier League in four of the last five seasons, but Mikel Arteta s Arsenal side have enjoyed a brilliant campaign to give them a great chance of winning their first league title since the 2003-04 Invincibles side.

The Citizens are playing catch-up with the Gunners holding an eight-point lead at the summit, and though City have a game in hand, Guardiola acknowledged his side s vast experience of winning titles may not be enough to overhaul the deficit.

I would love to be in the position of Arsenal, Guardiola told reporters. I d prefer to be Arsenal in the Premier Le…

Manchester City s 4-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday showed they can cope without Erling Haaland, believes Kevin De Bruyne.

The forward, who leads the Premier League charts with 28 goals this term, missed out on his side s clash with the Reds through injury.

Despite his absence, Pep Guardiola s hosts still ran rampant at the Etihad Stadium to keep up the pressure on Arsenal in the title race.

For De Bruyne, victory reinforced the suggestion City can cope without their first-choice frontman, with the Belgian pointing to Argentina s World Cup winner Julian Alvarez as a handy understudy.

Erling is an unbelievable player, but we ve been winning loads of games in the last eight years that I ve been here, he told City s website.

He s an additional…

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Mateo Kovačić from Real Madrid on a permanent basis and by doing so, they ve managed to beat the deadline with a transfer ban looming over their heads, according to Matt Law of .

The Croatia international spent the 2018/19 season on loan at Stamford Bridge and he was scheduled to return to Madrid at the end of this week, and had that happened, the ban would have prevented Chelsea from keeping him. They have therefore pushed hard to speed things up and managed to agree the deal on Wednesday night.

It had been reported on more than one occasion that the Europa League winners were keen on the deal, but the departure of Maurizio Sarri from the position of manager and the likely appointment of Frank Lampard in his place had put the matter…

Real Madrid s lost ground on LaLiga leaders Atletico Madrid as their five-game winning streak in the competition came grinding to a halt in a 1-1 draw with Elche.

Luka Modric scored his third league goal of the season to give Zinedine Zidane s men the lead after 20 minutes as Madrid attacked freely while leaving some dangerous gaps at the back.

Elche created numerous good chances before equalising from the penalty spot, Fidel converting after Dani Carvajal s blatant foul on Antonio Barragan.

The result put a dampener on the feel-good factor Zidane had managed to generate around his club after bouncing back from a slow start to the season, with Atletico two points clear at the summit having beaten Getafe 1-0 earlier on Wednesday.

Toni Kroos headed narrowly…

West Ham manager David Moyes made a plea to remain in charge at the club after delivering a 3-1 victory over Everton on the last day of the Premier League season.

Two goals from Manuel Lanzini and one from Marko Arnautovic helped to secure the Hammers three points that left them 13th in the final standings, and Moyes said his side s performance showed a marked improvement on their play from when he took over in November 2017.

Although they ended the season with a run of three unbeaten games, prior to that sequence West Ham had achieved just one win in eight, with Moyes offering no clarity on whether he would be allowed to remain in his job next season.

I can t say because I am no further forward, he told reporters. We will meet and talk next week. We haven t arr…