Gianluigi Donnarumma hailed the "perfect year" after Paris Saint-Germain and Milan won their respective leagues, but the goalkeeper has no regrets after leaving the Rossoneri.
Donnarumma was met with widespread condemnation by the Milan supporters after not renewing his contract, before opting to join PSG on a free transfer ahead of the 2021-22 season following his successful Euro 2020 campaign with Italy.
The 23-year-old kept five clean sheets in his 17 Ligue 1 appearances as he shared the goalkeeper duties with Keylor Navas, with PSG securing a record-equalling 10th Ligue 1 title.
Milan, meanwhile, edged out Inter to secure their first Serie A crown in 11 years, much to the delight of Donnarumma.
"After winning the title, the perfect year was the Scudetto of Milan and I congratulate them, they did an incredible job and I'm proud of them," said Donnarumma in a news conference on Sunday.
"I have no regret, I'm happy with what Milan have done and I wrote to all my team-mates to congratulate them."
Donnarumma was also praised the performance of fellow goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was on top form to help Real Madrid to a 1-0 Champions League final victory over Liverpool on Saturday.
Courtois pulled off nine stops in the final, the most on record since Opta began recording data in 2003-04, as Madrid secured a 14th European Cup, more than double any other side.
"I saw the match and he played an incredible match, he kept Real Madrid standing until the end," Donnarumma said of Courtois.
"It made me feel a bit like we could have been there, but unfortunately football is like that. They won and I congratulate Courtois, he made great interventions."
Donnarumma's focus now turns to the 'Finalissima' between Italy and Argentina at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday, in a meeting between the European Championship and Copa America winners.
Italy defeated England on penalties in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley before missing out on World Cup qualification for Qatar after play-off defeat to North Macedonia.
"We must not forget what we did at the European Championship, this is a fantastic group and they gave us an incredible result," Donnarumma added.
"The disappointment of not qualifying for the World Cup is still fresh, we are still disappointed. It hurts, some guys will no longer be with us but we young people must bring Italy back to where it deserves."
Roberto Mancini will have Giorgio Chiellini to call upon for one final game before his international retirement, and Donnarumma says Italy will miss the experienced centre-back.
"We will miss everything about Giorgio, both on and off the pitch he was a point of reference for Italian and world football, especially for us young people," he continued.
"He gave us great help, now we want to give him great joy. He will be missed on the pitch, he is truly fantastic and will always give you a hand, even just with a simple word."
Karim Benzema would have loved to play alongside Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid, but insists the forwards' decision to stay at Paris Saint-Germain will not affect their friendship.
Mbappe was widely expected to move to the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of his contract in Paris, but he conducted a late U-turn last week and chose to sign a new three-year contract with the Ligue 1 champions.
But Madrid showed they have the firepower to cope without the 2018 World Cup winner as they beat Liverpool 1-0 in Saturday's Champions League final, with Vinicius Junior scoring the only goal of the game.
Benzema played a key role during Madrid's 14th European triumph, scoring 15 Champions League goals this season to fall just two strikes short of Cristiano Ronaldo's single-season record (17 for Madrid in 2013-14).
The striker, who has been tipped to win the Ballon d'Or later this year, also became just the second French player to win a European Cup/Champions League final as captain after Didier Deschamps with Marseille in 1993.
Mbappe, meanwhile, scored 39 goals and added 21 assists in all competitions in a fine individual campaign.
Although Benzema admits he would have been delighted to see Mbappe join Los Blancos, he respects the 23-year-old's decision and is looking forward to teaming up with him for France's upcoming Nations League fixtures.
"I would have liked him to be able to realise his dream of playing at Real Madrid, together," Benzema told Telefoot.
"He chose PSG, you have to respect [his decision]. He is young, he has a lot of responsibilities on him.
"It's his choice, he's a PSG player, so we will enjoy playing together in the [national] selection.
"Everyone makes their choices. "I'm not disappointed, I'm happy and I hope he does good things. We're good friends, it won't affect our relationship."
France will play four Nations League fixtures next month, including a double-header against Croatia, who they beat in the 2018 World Cup final in Moscow.
Naomi Osaka was left "petrified" after reports of an active shooter being present at the fight between Gervonta Davis and Rolando Romero in New York.
Tennis star Osaka was at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where Davis retained his WBA lightweight title with a sixth-round stoppage of fellow American Romero.
However, reports of an active shooter inside the venue sparked panic. Though this speculation later proved unfounded, ESPN reported that a security supervisor for the venue had said there was a person with a gun in the concourse.
Osaka detailed her experiences of being in the arena at the time, revealing she had to take cover in a closed-off room.
"I was just in the Barclays Center and suddenly I heard shouting and saw people running, then we were being yelled at that there was an active shooter and we had to huddle in a room and close the doors, I was so f****** petrified man," the former world number one posted on Twitter.
Osaka followed her initial post up 11 minutes later confirming she had exited the Barclays Center.
"I really hope everyone made it out safely, since I'm tweeting this we made it out ok," she added.
The United States is still reeling from a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas earlier this week in which 19 children and two teachers were killed.
In the wake of the tragedy, multiple high-profile sportspeople, including Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, have called for changes to gun laws in the US.
Mohamed Salah has won the Premier League's Goal of the Season award for his fine solo strike in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with eventual champions Manchester City.
Salah beat several City defenders to put Jurgen Klopp's team 2-1 up at Anfield last October, before Kevin de Bruyne's equaliser for Pep Guardiola's side, who went on the win the title by a single point.
Salah picked up the ball to the right of the visitors' area in the 76th minute before weaving his way past Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte, eventually firing a fierce right-footed finish across Ederson and into the far corner.
Liverpool ended up second in the league after a dramatic final day and lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid, leaving them with only the EFL Cup and FA Cup triumphs to their name.
While the Reds may have felt disappointed with that haul after a quadruple was on the cards, Salah has enjoyed an incredible individual campaign, scoring 31 goals and adding 15 assists in all competitions.
The Egypt international's latest award is the latest in a succession of individual gongs, after he shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Tottenham's Son Heung-min (both 23 goals) and edged out team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold to register the most assists in the league (13).
Salah fended off nine other shortlisted goals, from the likes of Son, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mateo Kovacic, and Rodri, to scoop the award.
Merseyside Police say the "vast majority" of Liverpool fans behaved in an "exemplary manner" in Paris and the force will fully support an investigation into chaos ahead of the Champions League final.
The kick-off for the showpiece at the Stade de France on Saturday was delayed by over half an hour due to concerning scenes outside the ground.
UEFA put the delay down to turnstiles being blocked at the Liverpool end of the stadium by thousands of fans who had purchased fake tickets, while a message on the big screen inside the stadium stated that the game was unable to start on time due to "the late arrival of fans".
Police used tear gas to try and disperse the crowds outside the stadium before a final that ended in a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid courtesy of Vinicius Junior's second-half goal.
Liverpool officially requested a formal investigation into the causes of the "unacceptable issues".
Governing body UEFA vowed to review these matters urgently, together with the French authorities and the French Football Federation.
Merseyside Police on Sunday released a statement passing on the observations from their officers who were in attendance in Paris.
Assistant chief constable Chris Green said: "We are aware of a number of reports relating to incidents both before and after last night's Champions League final at the Stade de France in Paris.
"We are also aware that Liverpool FC have requested a formal investigation from UEFA and we will be linking in with the club, UEFA and the UK Football Policing Unit to pass on the observations of our officers who attended the game and took part in the pre-match meetings with the relevant authorities.
"As with all European matches officers from Merseyside were deployed in France to work in an observatory and advisory capacity with local officers, and they reported that the vast majority of fans behaved in an exemplary manner, arriving at turnstiles early and queueing as directed and their observations will be passed on to the relevant authorities as part of the debrief for the game.
"Many thousands of fans have travelled throughout the season to matches across Europe and we have worked closely with our supporter groups, the club and European hosts to ensure the matches passed without incident and fans were kept safe.
"Our officers returning today will conduct a formal debrief to ensure that we can fully support any subsequent investigation following last night's game.
"We know that people would have witnessed a lot of distressing scenes last night and we wish everyone returning home from Paris a safe journey."
Thierry Henry declared the race for the Ballon d'Or over after Karim Benzema lifted the Champions League with Real Madrid on Saturday.
Benzema became just the second French captain to lift the trophy, after Didier Deschamps with Marseille in 1993, following a 1-0 win over Liverpool at the Stade de France.
Carlo Ancelotti's side were largely indebted to the heroics of Thibaut Courtois after the goalkeeper produced nine saves – a Champions League final record since Opta began recording data in 2003-04.
Vinicius Junior may have scored the winner in Paris but a 14th European Cup for Madrid, which is double the tally of second-best Milan (seven), came down to Benzema's efforts throughout the knockout stages.
The 34-year-old netted a hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain, four goals across two legs with Chelsea and three in the tie with Manchester City, including an extra-time penalty to win the semi-final.
Benzema has been involved in 59 goals this season (45 goals, 15 assists) in all competitions, with only France team-mate Kylian Mbappe (60) bettering that total across Europe's top five leagues.
And Arsenal great Henry believes Benzema ended the debate for who should win the Ballon d'Or this year with his success in Paris.
"I just wanted to say something for France Football or whoever is voting. Close the votes, Benzema won it. Bye," Henry said to CBS Sports after the final.
France coach Didier Deschamps will hope Benzema can lead Les Bleus to more World Cup glory in November, and he echoed Henry's sentiments by suggesting the Madrid talisman should win the award.
"The answer is simple: yes. This new title and the sporting season achieved with his team, and what he was able to do, he was so decisive," Deschamps told Telefoot.
"Obviously, he was already one of the favourites and he deserves this reward."
The Ballon d'Or has been won by Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi in 13 of the past 14 seasons, barring when Benzema's team-mate Luka Modric was named the winner in 2018.
While Benzema may believe his achievements on a personal and team level are enough to stave off Liverpool's Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, the Madrid forward insisted he will be satisfied either way.
"Obviously, I finished my season, now I will join up with the national team," Benzema told Canal Plus.
"I think at club level I can't do better. We'll see what happens but in any case I'm proud of what I've achieved."
Pele has congratulated fellow Brazilians Vinicius Junior and Marcelo for their contributions to Real Madrid's triumphant Champions League campaign, which he hailed as a "beautiful adventure".
Vinicius converted Federico Valverde's cross in the 59th minute to fire Madrid to a 1-0 final win over Liverpool at the Stade de France, as Los Blancos were crowned European champions for a 14th time - seven more occasions than any other team.
With his decisive strike, Vinicius became the first Brazilian player to score the winning goal in a Champions League final since Juliano Belletti did so for Barcelona against Arsenal in 2006, also in Paris.
The winger's sixth goal in the Champions League this season, combined with his previous four assists, made him the first South American aged 21 or younger to record 10 goal contributions in a single edition of the competition since Lionel Messi's 14 in 2008-09 (nine goals, five assists).
Meanwhile, Marcelo lifted the trophy as club captain before announcing his departure from Madrid, having made more appearances for Los Blancos than any other non-Spanish player during his 15-year stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Writing on Instagram after the final, Brazil great Pele hailed his compatriots for their roles in Madrid's success, also praising man-of-the-match Thibaut Courtois and Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, who is the first coach to win the Champions League/European Cup four times.
"That's why football is the most beautiful sport in the world. I got to see a dear friend, Vinicius, who overcame so many challenges to decide an epic game," Pele wrote.
"I'm delighted to see Marcelo be the first Brazilian to lift a Champions League trophy as captain.
"I witnessed an impeccable goalkeeper, Courtois, make inexplicable saves, and a strategist coach, Ancelotti, who knew how to interpret the moment and use the best characteristics of his team.
"Congratulations Real Madrid. What a beautiful adventure!"
Thibaut Courtois believes he has little chance of winning the Ballon d'Or despite his incredible Champions League final performance for Real Madrid, noting the presence of team-mate Karim Benzema makes such an honour even more unlikely.
Courtois was in imperious form as Madrid claimed their 14th European Cup/Champions League triumph in Paris, making nine saves as Carlo Ancelotti's team beat Liverpool 1-0.
Liverpool managed 24 shots throughout the contest, the most a team has recorded without scoring in a Champions League final since Opta records began (in 2003-04).
Courtois' tally of saves, meanwhile, is the highest on record in a single Champions League final, with his 59 across Madrid's dramatic European campaign also a single-season record (both since 2003-04).
However, after being named man-of-the-match, Courtois cast doubt on his chances of winning the biggest individual prize in world football.
The 30-year-old said goalkeepers have little chance of being named the best player in the world, particularly given the form of Benzema, who scored 44 goals and added 15 assists in all competitions as Madrid were crowned champions of both Spain and Europe.
"It is impossible for a goalkeeper to win it, even more so if he plays in a team with Benzema," he told reporters, as quoted by Tuttomercato.
"I can go far, but it is difficult to win this trophy.
"For me, what matters is the fact that when I returned to the locker room, all my team-mates were screaming my name. This is worth more than personal recognition."
Lev Yashin is the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or, doing so in 1963, while Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer came third in 2014.
Courtois also topped the Champions League charts for save percentage (80.6, minimum five saves), and goals prevented according to expected goals on target data (4.7) this season, before capping his fine season in perfect fashion in Paris.
While Courtois was keen to emphasise the collective nature of Madrid's success, he believed his saves from Mane in the first half and Salah after the break were crucial.
"It is incredible for me to win the Champions League final like this. For me, it was not important to be a protagonist, it was important to win," he added
"I was ready, I made an important save at 0-0 and one at 1-0. The one on Salah with my hand was beautiful, but also the one with my foot.
"I'm here to help my teammates, to keep the clean sheet and win. I'm happy to have been MVP in the final."
Meanwhile, Courtois also wished Liverpool supporters well after kick-off was twice delayed amid reports of heavy-handed policing in Paris.
Writing on Twitter on Sunday, the former Chelsea man said: "I feel sorry for Liverpool fans and the way they were treated. I hope everyone got home safe!"
Kylian Mbappe will not have long to wait until he wins the Ballon d'Or, according to Barcelona great Patrick Kluivert.
Mbappe was widely expected to join Real Madrid when his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired in June, but opted to sign a three-year extension in the French capital.
The 23-year-old cited the project changing at PSG as he hopes to secure a maiden Champions League success.
Mbappe was in scintillating form this campaign as he scored 28 league goals, a tally only bettered by Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski (35) across Europe's top five leagues.
The France international also added 17 assists, with no player in Europe's biggest leagues managing more direct goal involvements (45) – Les Bleus team-mate Karim Benzema ranked second with 39.
Mbappe will look to deliver World Cup glory for France in Qatar later this year, and Kluivert believes it will only be a matter of time before the PSG talisman wins the Ballon d'Or.
"Mbappe is one of the best players out there at the moment," former PSG director of football Kluivert told Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo.
"I congratulate him on his recent renewal with the team. I think he will win the Ballon d'Or shortly."
Kluivert also discussed his former club Barca, who ended LaLiga in second despite languishing in ninth when Xavi took charge after Ronald Koeman's dismissal in late October.
Xavi will now be tasked with rebuilding in the transfer window as he looks to close the gap on Champions League and LaLiga winners Real Madrid.
Kluivert played with Xavi at Camp Nou, and backed his former team-mate to transform Barca's fortunes.
"Next season he will have many possibilities to improve the team, I have a lot of faith in him," Kluivert said.
"The club has very good young players who know the values of the club. I am confident that Barca will return to where it was."
Legendary jockey Lester Piggott has died at the age of 86.
Piggott is widely regarded as the best rider of all time, having racked up a staggering 4,493 winners on the flat in Britain and 20 over hurdles in a 43-season career.
The Englishman won 30 British Classics – including a record nine in the Derby – and had 116 Royal Ascot successes.
His tally of worldwide winners is said to be around the 5,300 mark.
Among the many highlights of his career was completing the Triple Crown on Nijinsky in 1970.
A sporting icon, Piggott was champion jockey 11 times and runner-up in six seasons.
It was announced on Sunday that Piggott had passed away in Switzerland, where he lived.
Trainer William Haggas, Piggott's son-in-law, said "Sadly we can confirm that Lester died peacefully in Switzerland this morning."
Andrew Robertson says the organisation of the Champions League final was a "shambles" after there were chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France on Saturday.
The kick-off for the showdown in Paris was delayed by over half an hour, with UEFA putting the delay down to turnstiles being blocked at the Liverpool end of the stadium by thousands of fans who had purchased fake tickets.
A message on the big screen inside the ground had claimed the game was unable to start on time due to "the late arrival of fans".
Police used tear gas to try and disperse the crowds outside the stadium before a final that ended in a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid courtesy of Vinicius Junior's second-half goal.
Liverpool defender Robertson says the scenes prior to kick-off were not acceptable.
He told BBC Sport: "One of my mates got told it was a fake which I assure you it wasn't. It was a shambles really."
UEFA vowed to further review the matters with French police and authorities and the French Football Federation.
Robertson added: "To be honest people were just making it up at times and panicking. Tear gas getting thrown at people was unacceptable.
"It was horrendous for our fans and all families that have been through it as well. It wasn't a nice experience, not a nice final to come to. The Champions League should be a celebration but it wasn't that.
"Obviously the final wasn't meant to be here and whether the preparations were not as good as maybe they should have been but I am sure in the coming days an inquest will go into that."
Los Angeles Angels catcher Kurt Suzuki is "alert" after suffering a neck contusion when he was struck by a warm-up pitch during a 6-5 defeat to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
Suzuki was removed from the game at Angel Stadium after a pitch from Michael Lorenzen before the third inning bounced in front of him and struck him on the neck.
The 38-year-old was assessed by a trainer and manager Joe Maddon before being helped down the steps.
Suzuki was taken to hospital, but returned to the stadium following a check-up.
A statement released by the Angels said: "Kurt Suzuki was removed from tonight's game with a neck contusion. He is alert and currently undergoing further testing.
"Additional information will be released at the appropriate time."
Suzuki could reportedly be available to face the Blue Jays on Sunday.
New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has reportedly spent his first few days identifying transfer targets with football director John Murtough, technical director Darren Fletcher and recruitment consultant Ralf Rangnick.
United's maneuverability in the transfer market will likely depend on the players they can first offload, in what is an already bloated and disjointed squad.
The Dutch manager joined United in the off-season after leading Ajax to the Dutch Eredivisie title.
TOP STORY – TEN HAG PRIORITISES NUNEZ, TIMBER DEALS
Erik ten Hag has told Manchester United to make the signings of Benfica's Darwin Nunez and Ajax's Jurrien Timber as the first order of business this off-season, according to the Mirror.
Ten Hag wants to make six signings, with the Benfica striker and Ajax defender at the top of his priorities, with respective £80million and £35m price tags.
The two players would effectively be the first dominoes in the row, given the cumulative hit to their transfer budget.
ROUND-UP
– Ten Hag and United are also considering a bid for Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante, according The Guardian.
– Meanwhile, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel will hold talks with Conor Gallagher over his future after his loan spell at Crystal Palace, per Fabrizio Romano.
– Romano is also reporting Ivan Perisic is set to sign this week for Tottenham on a free transfer from Inter.
– Roma boss Jose Mourinho is hoping to beat his former clubs in United and Spurs in the race to sign Paulo Dybala from Juventus, TyC Sports is reporting.
New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has reportedly spent his first few days identifying transfer targets with football director John Murtough, technical director Darren Fletcher and recruitment consultant Ralf Rangnick.
United's maneuverability in the transfer market will likely depend on the players they can first offload, in what is an already bloated and disjointed squad.
The Dutch manager joined United in the off-season after leading Ajax to the Dutch Eredivisie title.
TOP STORY – TEN HAG PRIORITISES NUNEZ, TIMBER DEALS
Erik ten Hag has told Manchester United to make the signings of Benfica's Darwin Nunez and Ajax's Jurrien Timber as the first order of business this off-season, according to the Mirror.
Ten Hag wants to make six signings, with the Benfica striker and Ajax defender at the top of his priorities, with respective £80million and £35m price tags.
The two players would effectively be the first dominoes in the row, given the cumulative hit to their transfer budget.
ROUND-UP
– Ten Hag and United are also considering a bid for Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante, according The Guardian.
– Meanwhile, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel will hold talks with Conor Gallagher over his future after his loan spell at Crystal Palace, per Fabrizio Romano.
– Romano is also reporting Ivan Perisic is set to sign this week for Tottenham on a free transfer from Inter.
– Roma boss Jose Mourinho is hoping to beat his former clubs in United and Spurs in the race to sign Paulo Dybala from Juventus, TyC Sports is reporting.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
