Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp described Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is a "role model" and "one of the best people you can ever meet".
Los Blancos and Liverpool meet at the Stade de France in the Champions League final on Saturday in a rematch of the 2018 showpiece match, as both look to add to their storied European history.
Klopp and Ancelotti, who is the only coach in history to have won all of Europe's big five leagues, are going up against each other for the 11th time as managers, having first met in 2014 when Borussia Dortmund took on Madrid.
The head-to-head record is tilted in favour of the Italian, with four wins against Klopp's three, with a further three draws, including two during Ancelotti's time on Merseyside with Everton.
Indeed, Ancelotti guided Everton to their first win in a Merseyside derby in over 10 years when the Toffees won 2-0 in February 2021, which also marked the club's first victory at Anfield since 1999.
Speaking ahead of their latest encounter, Klopp explained how he thinks the best of his opposite number, and painted a warm picture of their relationship.
"What Carlo is for me is obviously one of the most successful managers in the world," Klopp told reporters. "But he's a role model for me in the way he deals with his success.
"He is one of the best people you can ever meet, I think everybody will tell you that. He's fantastic company, a really nice guy, and we have a really good relationship.
"It had a break when he was at Everton because we both respect this part of the business too much, or we would have gone out to dinner a couple of times. We didn’t do that at all!
"The respect from my side couldn't be bigger. I'm sure he won everywhere, everything, and will never stop. I really respect that, but it doesn't mean anything for this game obviously."
Ancelotti was Milan coach when Liverpool lodged a remarkable comeback in the Champions League final in 2005, coming from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 and then go on to win on penalties.
This season, it has been Madrid who have had a penchant for dramatic turnarounds on the road to Paris.
Madrid roared back to defeat Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 thanks to a hat-trick from Karim Benzema, who subsequently scored a decisive extra-time goal versus Chelsea in the quarter-finals before slotting in a match-winning penalty after Rodrygo inspired a comeback against Manchester City.
Liverpool lost 3-1 to Madrid in Kyiv in 2018, with Gareth Bale scoring twice from the bench, and Klopp backed his own side's experience gleaned from that defeat.
"If we would take only the last 10 minutes of all the knockout games they had, we would say they are pretty much unbeatable," he added.
"The comebacks they had are really special, but these games were longer than only these last 10 minutes and obviously they had to come back in moments.
"So the other team were in the lead, we remember the PSG game where they missed a lot of chances they usually [score]. Madrid kept the door open or PSG left the door open.
"But for sure this team is full of experience. They know exactly how to approach a game, especially a final. We felt that harshly in 2018.
"They had a massive advantage to us that night, that was clear. Since then we gained a lot of experience ourselves, which is very helpful."
The "massive advantage" Klopp referred to might well be an injury to Mohamed Salah, who had to be taken off after a collision with Sergio Ramos four years ago.
Salah went on to net from the penalty spot as Liverpool won the Champions League the following year, beating Tottenham 2-0.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said Thiago Alcantara has a "good chance" of being fit for the Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday.
The Spain international hobbled off with an injury just before half-time during Liverpool's 3-1 win against Wolves on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday, and was not seen in training on Wednesday.
However, Klopp told reporters at a media conference that he was scheduled to do some training later that afternoon, and that he should feature in team training on Thursday.
"I only met him now inside. Good chance [he will make it]," Klopp said.
"He will be training this afternoon, he did some stuff this morning. It was not planned he would be doing this session with players and in the moment it looks like he can be part of training tomorrow, which would be pretty helpful, and then we'll go from there.
"It's surprisingly good. After the game I was not positive about it but we got news that night it was not that bad... and now we will see."
Klopp had already been boosted earlier in the day, with Fabinho and Joe Gomez back in training following injuries sustained in the recent win at Aston Villa.
Saturday's game will see Liverpool and Madrid meet again in the Champions League final, having done so in 2018 when Los Blancos won 3-1 in Kyiv, which included Mohamed Salah being forced off with a shoulder injury in the first half.
Klopp said his players are determined to win the game, but that this does not come from an idea of "revenge", despite Salah saying he wanted it following the semi-final win against Villarreal.
"It was a harsh night for us, tough to take," Klopp said. "We came there on three wheels a bit, players came back just in time for the final, we couldn't replace Mo one for one.
"I don't believe in revenge, but I understand it as well... I'm not sure it's the right thing to do. For us, I understand what Mo said, he wants to put it right, I want to put it right.
"In Germany, we say 'you always meet twice in life', and that sounds more like a threat than it is. It just means behave better in the first moment, when you meet again you will get a better reception.
"It's all fine between me, us and Real Madrid. It is a football game of the highest level, and whoever thinks it's a good idea to give us an opportunity to win this time, I think it would be a great story but not because of what happened in 2018. It will just happen if we make the right decisions on the pitch and I hope we can do that."
Angelique Kerber clinched a career first at the French Open on Wednesday, winning her seventh match in a row on European clay.
Kerber, who has won three grand slam titles, headed to Roland Garros in form on the back of a victory at the Internationaux de Strasbourg.
The 34-year-old, whose last major title came at Wimbledon in 2018, is in the hunt for her first French Open title, which would complete the career Grand Slam.
While that may seem unlikely for the world number 17, she took a step closer on Wednesday by defeating Elsa Jacquemot 6-1 7-6 (7-2).
That sent Kerber into the third round at Roland Garros for the first time since 2018 and also saw her win seven successive matches on clay courts in Europe for the first time in her long career.
"When you've achieved everything, you just play for the love for the game," Kerber explained after her win.
"I love to play tennis, love to play here in front of you guys, love to play for the atmosphere and working really hard to play here, have the energy from the fans.
"I still love it, let's see how long I can stay here and play good at a high level."
Milan have confirmed Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss the rest of 2022 after having surgery on a knee problem, stoking speculation the forward might retire.
Ibrahimovic celebrated Milan's Serie A title success in typical style on Sunday, smoking a cigar as he made his way out onto the pitch for the trophy presentation.
Yet the 40-year-old – who came off the bench in the 3-0 win over Sassuolo that sealed the title – might have made his final appearance for Milan, and possibly of his career, after he underwent surgery on his left knee.
Milan revealed on Wednesday that Ibrahimovic will face between seven and eight months out of action, but that the surgery was a success.
"AC Milan announces that Zlatan Ibrahimovic underwent surgery on his left knee today by Dr. Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet, in the presence of club medical director Stefano Mazzoni, at the Hopital Jean Mermoz in Lyon," read a Milan statement.
"The arthroscopy had been planned for some time to definitively resolve the instability of the joint through reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, with lateral reinforcement and meniscal repair. The operation was perfectly successful and the prognosis is estimated at seven-to-eight months."
Ibrahimovic scored eight goals from 23 Serie A appearances this season, though his last start in the competition came in January. His contract ends in June.
Reports in Italy earlier this week claimed Milan would only be offering the Sweden international a new deal should surgery not be required, also suggesting Ibrahimovic would consider retirement if an operation was needed.
Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has said he intends to play for the club next season despite having just one year left on his contract.
The Egypt international remains in talks with Liverpool over a new deal, although reports suggest an agreement is not imminent.
Salah has scored 31 goals and recorded 15 assists in 50 appearances in all competitions this season, and some reports have linked him with a move at the end of this campaign in light of his contract situation.
However, speaking at a media conference ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Real Madrid, Salah made clear he intends to remain at Anfield for at least one more year, telling reporters: "I am staying next season for sure."
Salah has previously said he does not want to talk about his contract situation until the end of the season, and he reiterated that stance, adding: "In my mind, I don't focus on the contract, I don't want to be selfish. It's about the time now, it's an important week for us. I don't want to talk about the contract."
The 29-year-old was also asked about his motivation ahead of the clash with Madrid, having previously declared he wanted "revenge" following their 2018 meeting in the Champions League final that the Spanish giants won 3-1; Salah went off injured in the first half with a shoulder issue caused by former Madrid defender Sergio Ramos.
"I am very motivated," he said. "After what happened with Madrid last time and also after what happened on Sunday, everybody is motivated to win the Champions League because this is an unbelievable trophy for us and every season we fight for it since I came here, and everyone wants to fight for it."
Liverpool were denied the opportunity to continue their pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple on Sunday when Manchester City's comeback win against Aston Villa clinched the Premier League title ahead of Jurgen Klopp's men.
While the players were disappointed, captain Jordan Henderson told reporters they are only looking forward now to Saturday.
"The mood's good to be honest," he said. "Training was very good today. I can see the excitement in them, ready for the weekend.
"Of course we're disappointed on Sunday with the outcome, coming so close and then finding out what was happening in the other game. It was tough to take, but I couldn't be more proud of the lads for the season and how we've competed in every single competition.
"We've given absolutely everything, played the maximum number of games that we could have played, won two trophies so far and got a big opportunity on Saturday to win another.
"It's all positive here, really good morale in the camp, and we just can't wait to get going again on Saturday and give absolutely everything one last time this season and try to get over the line to bring the Champions League trophy back to Liverpool."
Borussia Dortmund fans will soon be able to "party like never before", says Edin Terzic, if they unite behind the side ahead of next season.
Terzic was named as Dortmund's new coach on Monday, replacing Marco Rose, who was dismissed after the culmination of the Bundesliga campaign.
Rose only had a sole season in charge, leading BVB to second place but exiting the Champions League in the group stage and failing to advance through a Europa League play-off against Rangers.
Terzic enjoyed an interim spell in charge of Dortmund in 2020-21 after Lucien Favre was sacked and led the club to DFB-Pokal glory, and he has now looked to rally the fans again.
"I would like to thank all those responsible at BVB around Hans-Joachim Watzke, Sebastian Kehl and Michael Zorc for this great trust, the great opportunity and the huge responsibility that is being handed over to me," said Terzic as he was presented as Dortmund coach.
"But now to you, dear BVB fans. Just under a year ago, we were allowed to celebrate the DFB-Pokal victory in Berlin. But it was far too quiet [due to COVID-19 restrictions].
"Nevertheless, for me, it was the best day in the life of a Borussian. Today it's similar. Especially for me. Therefore, a small request. Let's be as hungry as never before.
"Let's work as hard as never before. But let's also be as positive as never before. Most importantly, let's be louder than ever.
"Then I'm sure we'll have a great chance to party like never before. I'd love that. In this sense. See you soon in the most beautiful stadium in the world."
Emma Raducanu has completed her "pretty positive" first year on the WTA Tour after exiting the French Open in defeat to Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Wednesday.
Raducanu made her WTA Tour main-draw debut last June as a wildcard at the Nottingham Open, which directly follows Roland Garros.
The Briton's stunning ascent could scarcely have been imagined at that stage, as she went on to enjoy remarkable, record-breaking success in winning the US Open later in 2021.
Subsequent progress has not been quite so smooth, and Raducanu's latest grand slam campaign ended in the second round against Sasnovich in Paris.
The 19-year-old appeared to be in command after taking the opener but collapsed to lose 3-6 6-1 6-1.
Yet speaking after the match, Raducanu reminded reporters her senior career is merely 12 months old, meaning she is still happy to focus on the positives rather than rue another upset defeat – the world number 12 ousted by an unseeded opponent.
"We were saying with my team this morning: it's pretty much a year anniversary since my comeback to competitive tennis," she said. "I was playing a Brit tour in Connaught [in May 2021].
"I think I have come a long way since then. I think I do really welcome going around the second time. I think this year was always going to be challenging for me to adjust, find my feet.
"There's always something new. Like I'm always asking where everything is. I have no idea where everything is. It's going to be a lot more familiar this time around.
"I feel like in the last 12 months, I have definitely grown a lot. On and off the court, I feel like I have probably improved, like how much I fight.
"I think that's one of my biggest strengths and even more so on the tour this year, and it's definitely opened my eyes to just how good everyone is and how much depth there is in the game.
"But I think that it has been a pretty positive year just because I have learnt so much, and I think that the amount of learning that I have kind of done outweighs any sort of result, to be honest."
That "learning" was the theme of Raducanu's post-tournament assessment, explaining she is now "taking it better" when she is beaten and will "just look at everything as a lesson".
She said: "I know exactly where I went wrong, where I can improve, where other people are better than me.
"To be honest, I am learning every single day, every single match, every practice.
"I would say that I'm at this level, but there are definitely aspects of my game that need to improve and catch up to where my current ranking is."
Brighton and Hove Albion right-back Tariq Lamptey is "considering" playing for Ghana instead of England at international level, according to England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley.
Former Brighton boss Chris Hughton was appointed technical director of the Ghana national team in February, and is reported to have proposed that Lamptey declare for the Black Stars ahead of the World Cup later this year.
The 21-year-old has made two appearances for England's U21 team, but is yet to feature at senior level.
Lamptey has struggled with injuries this season, making only 32 appearances for Brighton (18 starts) in all competitions, and was not named in either Gareth Southgate's latest senior Three Lions squad, or Carsley's U21 squad for upcoming games.
"There's an issue over his dual nationality," Carsley said, as reported by The Athletic. "He's had an approach. It’s something he’s considering at the minute.
"He's asked to be left out of the squad for a bit of head space. He's not switched, it’s not cemented or anything like that. But he's had an approach. We have to respect that.
"We've made it clear how important we see him to us. I know the seniors have as well. It's not something that we've given up on. Tariq is fully aware of how important we see him.
"To be fair, I have rang him every day. I probably shouldn't have, I probably pushed him. You can only make it clear so many times.
"I wouldn't say we've done as much as we can, but he knows where we stand with him. I think we have to respect now that he's got a decision to make. Not only with himself, but with his family."
Ghana face Madagascar and Central African Republic next month in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah also rumoured to be someone who could declare for them soon.
Meanwhile, Nketiah's club team-mate Emile Smith-Rowe was named in Carsley's squad for the UEFA Under-21 Championship qualifiers, despite having played for the senior team.
Both Barcelona's Adama Traore and Western Sydney Wanderers' Adama Traore got on the scoresheet as the Blaugrana saw off the A-Leagues All Stars in a 3-2 friendly win on Wednesday.
Xavi's men beat their hosts at Accor Stadium in front of an engrossed local crowd in New South Wales, as Ansu Fati's strike with 13 minutes to go claimed victory for the visitors.
In just the third-ever A-Leagues All Stars game – and first since 2014 following the format's revival – Dwight Yorke's side fell behind to the Spanish heavyweights just past the half-hour mark.
Ousmane Dembele – potentially playing his final match for Barca – latched on to a throughball before striking a clean left-footed strike into the bottom-right corner to ensure the visitors were ahead at the interval.
But Wellington Phoenix midfielder Reno Piscopo bundled home early in the second half to level matters after Barca were sliced open at the back, and he then teed up Ivory Coast international Traore to take a surprise lead.
Hopes of a shock scalp were dashed though when the latter's namesake – in possibly his last Blaugrana game as well – equalised as the goalkeeper failed to keep out his ferocious drive.
Fati then got the winner five minutes later, providing a cool finish after Antonio Aranda's solo run.
Andy Murray has hit out at the suggestion that Wimbledon will not feel as important without ranking points.
The All England Club's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing at the grand slam has resulted in the WTA and ATP stripping Wimbledon of any ranking points, which has led to the suggestion some players may skip the tournament.
Naomi Osaka, the former WTA world number one and a three-time grand slam champion, suggested after her first-round exit at Roland Garros that she was considering missing Wimbledon as she feels the tournament may feel "like an exhibition".
Other high-profile players, such as Denis Shapovalov, are also considering whether they take part, though Russian Andrey Rublev, who is one of the players who has been banned due to his nation's invasion of Ukraine, believes the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who have no concern over ranking points but are instead going for history, will feature.
Former world number one Murray, who won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, has insisted that the grand slam will forever be a crucial part of the tennis calendar, however, comparing it to the FIFA World Cup and one of golf's majors – The Masters.
Murray tweeted: "I follow golf very closely and have no idea how many ranking points the winner of The Masters gets.
"Me and my friends love football and none of us know or care how many ranking points a team gets for winning the FIFA World Cup.
"But I could tell you exactly who won the World Cup and the Masters. I'd hazard a guess that most people watching on centre court at Wimbledon in a few weeks' time wouldn't know or care about how many ranking points a player gets for winning a third-round match.
"But I guarantee they will remember who wins. Wimbledon will never be an exhibition and will never feel like an exhibition. The end."
Liverpool midfielder Fabinho resumed training on Wednesday in a boost for Jurgen Klopp ahead of the Champions League final.
The Premier League side take on Real Madrid in Paris on Saturday for the biggest prize in European club football, but it was feared Klopp could be without two of his key midfielders.
Thiago Alcantara remained absent from the AXA Training Centre after suffering an Achilles injury in Sunday's win over Wolves, but Fabinho – who has not played since sustaining a muscle strain at Aston Villa two weeks ago – was in attendance and appeared to take part in full training.
Klopp had previously expressed confidence that the Brazil international will be fit for the final.
Liverpool have had a slightly better win percentage this season in all competitions with Fabinho in the side (74.5 per cent with, 73.3 per cent without) and have conceded marginally fewer goals on average (0.7 per game with, 0.9 per game without).
Joe Gomez, who came off injured with an ankle issue in the win at Villa, was also back in training but is unlikely to feature from the off at the Stade de France having made just 11 starts for the Reds in all competitions this season.
Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny has signed a new deal with the Premier League club.
The Egypt international signed for the Gunners in January 2016 from FC Basel, making his debut in an FA Cup win over Burnley.
He has since played 147 games for the Gunners, scoring five goals as well as recording 10 assists. Arsenal have not confirmed the length of Elneny's contract.
Speaking to Arsenal Media, Elneny said: "I love this club and I feel like part of this family.
"I want to continue at this amazing club and amazing family and I'm very happy and very excited for the future."
Arsenal narrowly missed out on fourth place and Champions League qualification on the final day of the Premier League season, and Elneny was in and out of the side during the campaign, partly due to his participation in Egypt's run to the Africa Cup of Nations final.
The 29-year-old played 14 league games, eight of which were starts, and no Arsenal player had a better passing accuracy percentage in league games than his 93.45.
Elneny spent time away from Arsenal in the 2019-20 season, when he joined Besiktas on loan, and his contract was due to expire at the end of June.
Mikel Arteta said on Sunday following Arsenal's 5-1 win over Everton that the futures of Elneny, Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette (the other two players out of contract) had been decided, and it was simply a matter of communicating the news.
"Mo is a really important part of the team," Arteta told Arsenal Media following confirmation of Elneny's new deal.
"He brings endless energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the team and is loved by everyone.
"He's an important player for us on and off the pitch, a real role model to our younger players and I'm delighted he's staying."
Tottenham teenager Dane Scarlett has signed a new contract that will take him through to the end of the 2025-26 season in north London.
The forward became the youngest player to feature for Spurs in the Premier League when he made his debut against West Brom in February 2021, at the age of 16 years and 320 days.
He had previously become the club's youngest player to feature in a major European competition, following a Europa League appearance against Ludogorets in November 2020.
His assist against RZ Pellets WAC in February saw him become the fourth different 16-year-old to provide an assist in the Europa League (since the 2009 rebrand) after Romelu Lukaku, Iker Muniain and Kylian Mbappe.
Scarlett made seven first-team appearances in the 2021-22 season, including being named in the starting XI for three Europa Conference League fixtures.
While Spurs clearly see a future for Scarlett, reports have suggested Antonio Conte has been promised up to six new signings ahead of next season after securing Champions League qualification.
On Tuesday, Tottenham announced a capital injection of up to £150million from the club's majority shareholder ENIC Sports Inc (ENIC) that could further boost Spurs' transfer plans.
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson says he hopes having more weight will improve his performances after piling on the pounds following a disappointing rookie season in the NFL.
The 22-year-old was selected second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft but did not have the desired impact during his first season out of college.
Wilson threw for 2,334 yards, just nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions, with a dismal pass completion rate of 55.6 per cent.
He also struggled physically over a punishing first year, sacked 44 times in 13 games as no QB in the NFL lost more sack yards (370, tied with Joe Burrow).
But the ex-BYU man has added 13 pounds over the offseason, returning to the Jets as "a better athlete", he says.
"I feel better for sure," Wilson added. "The energy, the ability to have that stamina throughout the whole practice is better.
"In the long run, once we get into a game when we actually get hit and tackled, having more size on me will help."
Having gone 3-10 as a starter last year, Wilson hopes for a stronger second season.
The Jets have bolstered their offensive ranks, adding tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin and drafting wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall.
"I feel like the entire staff, from the GM to ownership on down, those guys have done a great done of getting the pieces we need," Wilson said.
"I think it comes back to my job. Now I have to do my job of getting these playmakers the ball.
"How can I get these big tight ends, these really good receivers and these running backs the ball in space and do what we brought them here to do?
"We're definitely going to be better. I don't think we'll be able to tell until the first game, but the improvement is there.
"We have the talent, we have the guys. Now can we tie it all together and put something together?"
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