It's fair to say LaLiga's reputation took a battering last week as three of its four representatives were eliminated from the Champions League with a match still to be played in the group stage.

What made this scenario even uglier for Spanish football is that none of it was even that surprising.

Barcelona's elimination before they'd even played was the headline-grabber, but Atletico Madrid and Sevilla both had their fates sealed as well, albeit in rather different circumstances.

Sevilla won 3-0 at home to Copenhagen, though the score flattered them greatly, while Atletico drew 2-2 with Bayer Leverkusen, Yannick Carrasco seeing a last-gasp penalty saved before Saul Niguez headed the rebound against the crossbar and a follow-up effort was blocked on the line by Carrasco.

Last week's woes mean that for the first time since the Champions League expanded to 32 teams in 1999, there will only be one Spanish side in the knockout stages – Real Madrid.

But given LaLiga's decline, that might become the norm before long.

Dark days

Barcelona and Sevilla can at least point to having particularly difficult groups.

Most would still have expected Barca to at least get in the top two, but Bayern Munich and Inter were always likely to be problematic, and so it proved. As for Sevilla, realistically the best they could've hoped for was second behind Manchester City, but Borussia Dortmund's starting XI simply boasts far more quality than the Andalusians'.

And then there's Atletico. Alongside Club Brugge, Porto and Bayer Leverkusen, Diego Simeone's side would've been most people's favourites, and yet they head into matchday four with the possibility of finishing bottom.

They also go into Tuesday's trip to Porto winless in their past four Champions League games, their worst run since going nine without a win between December 2008 and December 2009.

That, of course, makes it their worst such run in the competition under Simeone, although Barca can beat that in the 'woes' stakes as they fail to get out of the group for the second year in a row.

Before last season, Barca got to at least the last 16 for 19 campaigns in succession, and if they lose away to Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday, it'll be the first time they've lost four consecutive Champions League away games since October 1997.

The fall from grace

It wasn't so long ago that LaLiga was at worst considered the main 'rival' – if leagues can have rivals – of the Premier League. It had superstars, El Clasico, teams winning at various levels in Europe and there was a brand of football widely associated with the competition.

LaLiga still has its draws, and let's not forget we've seen Spanish teams win the Champions League and Europa League in the past 18 months, but the Premier League is now undoubtedly world football's biggest domestic league in virtually every way.

This has more or less become the case through money, something many LaLiga clubs do not have much of.

For example, last season in the Premier League, Sporting Intelligence estimated only Norwich City received less than £100million (€116.1m) across prize money and TV revenue. Even then, Norwich raked in £98.6m (€114.5m), and £79m (€91.7m) of that was the equal share every club gets.

By comparison, that's roughly the same as the €115m (£99.1m) Barcelona took in last season. Only Atletico Madrid (€154m, £132.7m) and Real Madrid (€158m, £136.1m) earned more in LaLiga, which highlights the financial might of the Premier League.

In football, few issues can be completely separated from money, but there's an argument Spanish football has suffered from a lack of evolution.

The Premier League's always been regarded as "physical", but the competition has so much power now that the clubs are able to sign most of the best technical players as well. Their resources and the improved coaching make it easier than before to turn technical players into greater physical specimens and physical players into greater technicians.

Similarly, the competition can boast a range of different playing styles and philosophies. Again, it would be unfair to say this is exclusive to the Premier League, but the point is there are signs of evolution everywhere in English football when it might once have been seen as somewhat insular.

Barcelona's ingrained principles make it pretty difficult for them to alter course; stylistically, Atletico have hardly changed at all through Simeone's tenure; and Sevilla work with the same buy-to-sell model as they have for 20 years, while on the pitch they're currently paying the price for failing to adapt to key defensive losses and signing too many ageing players over the past three years.

Of those three and Madrid, Los Blancos are probably the only ones you could say have evolved with the times, with Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti both valuing approaches regarded more pragmatic than perhaps the club is known for.

Nevertheless, there's a perception LaLiga football is slow, and this certainly doesn't help the idea the Spanish game has struggled to modernise. It considers itself a greater financial power than the German Bundesliga, and yet, in eight Champions League meetings between teams from those countries this term, Spain has one win to Germany's five.

Too little, too late?

Coaching remains a high standard in Spain, and that's highlighted by the technical qualities of the players, but with money at a premium compared to the biggest clubs and the Premier League, the best managers and players soon move on.

Evolution is difficult: you're just hoping your team lands on the perfect combination of coach and sporting director, but after one or two – if you're lucky – good seasons, one is lured away and the cycle starts again.

That may be a simplistic way of looking at it, granted, but it's difficult to shake the notion LaLiga is paying the price for its own lack of vision.

In 2015, a new TV money distribution agreement came into effect, with 50 per cent of all revenue being shared equally among all clubs. It was much needed but arguably too late.

LaLiga had the world's best players for over a decade, but much of the money from that era just went into the pockets of the big two rather than to improving the league's infrastructure or commercial clout.

However, the new TV money distribution deal was a big win for LaLiga as a whole, and the league's crackdown on financial irregularities also stands to help the competition build a sustainable future.

In that regard, the future could be quite bright for LaLiga. But will it ever be the same again? Due to the might of the Premier League, probably not.

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner took his opportunity on the podcast of ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski to lay out the case for why the Los Angeles Lakers should trade for him.

Turner, 26, led the NBA in blocked shots per game in the 2018-19, 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. His career average of 2.29 blocks per game is second among all active players, trailing only Lakers star Anthony Davis (2.34).

Of all the players to average at least two blocks per game across the past two seasons, only Memphis Grizzlies big-man Jaren Jackson Jr has also averaged at least one made three-pointer per game.

His unique combination of shot blocking and shooting at a relatively young age has made him an intriguing trade chip for the Pacers, who are well-and-truly in the middle of a total rebuild, led by young point guard Tyrese Haliburton.

There were reports in the offseason about a potential trade between the Lakers and Pacers that would have seen Russell Westbrook and the Lakers' first round draft picks in 2027 and 2029 sent to the Pacers for Turner and shooter Buddy Hield.

Speaking on the Woj Pod, Turner, who is in the last year of his contract, said he believes it is a deal the Pacers should revisit.

"Coming into a contract year as well, you can’t lose me for [nothing]," he said. 

"[The Pacers] can’t have the notion of me playing out this year, they don’t trade me, and it’s like 'okay, say free agency comes around and I don’t re-sign here'. Let’s just be real – that’s just bad on the organisation.

"If they do trade me, and they do get assets for me coming along, they’re doing what’s best for them and doing what they’re paid to do. There’s no hard feelings with that."

He then laid out his case for why he believes he would be a strong fit, and be more appreciated with the Lakers.

"I know what I can provide for a team," he said. "My leadership, my shot-blocking, my three-point ability and just my ability to make plays out there on the floor.

"If I'm the Lakers, I take a very hard look at this with the position that you're in… but as far as pulling the trigger, I get paid to shoot. I'm not paid to make these calls, so I couldn't answer that.

"I just feel like here in the Midwest we don't get the love that I think we deserve... it doesn't get taken in on the national level.

"You are under the microscope out there in the West. When you are doing bad, you're going to hear about it. When you are doing great, you are going to get a lot of love, especially with the love that the Lakers get.

"I think that another aspect that is [appealing is] playing with greatness and playing under LeBron. I feel like he demands a certain level of excellency, especially at this point of his career. It's just one of those things; when you are out there, you got to perform.

"People are going to expect you to go out there and hold on to that legacy that the Lakers have built over the years."

The NBA trade deadline is not until February 9, but with the Lakers starting their season 1-5, they may act with urgency to turn things around.

Aryna Sabalenka fought from a set behind to come back and defeat Ons Jabeur 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 in their first match of the WTA Finals on Monday.

Sabalenka, 24, has now won her past three matches against Jabeur, and this time around it was her ability to limit the effectiveness of the Tunisian's serve that turned the tide.

Jabeur's serve dominated the opening set, winning 73 per cent (16-of-22) of her service points while not allowing Sabalenka a single break point opportunity.

The second set was a different story, as some double faults crept into Jabeur's game and her success rate on her service points dipped to 51 per cent (24-of-47), allowing Sabalenka to break three times before forcing a decider with a close tiebreaker.

Sabalenka finally got on top in the third set, narrowly edging the total points count 37 to 31 in the frame while converting both of her break point chances to finish off the victory.

She now sits second in the Group B standings, trailing Maria Sakkari due to the Greek winning her match in straight sets.

BREAK POINTS WON

Sabalenka - 5/8

Jabeur - 6/10

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Sabalenka - 21/26

Jabeur - 37/29

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Sabalenka - 1/6

Jabeur - 7/5

The Cleveland Browns were never in any trouble during their 32-13 home triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.

Things got off to a poor start for the visiting Bengals, with quarterback Joe Burrow throwing an interception on the opening drive of the game.

After a scoreless first quarter, Nick Chubb powered home a three-yard touchdown run early in the second period, also converting the two-point conversion, and a late field goal would give his Browns an 11-0 lead at the long break.

The Browns came out of halftime strongly, manufacturing an 11-play drive that culminated in a three-yard touchdown scamper from quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

A four-yard goal-line fade to Amari Cooper blew out the margin to 25-0, before a few late touchdowns finally put some Bengals points on the board.

Burrow ended up completing touchdown passes to Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins to salvage a respectable day, completing 25 of his 35 passes for 232 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Brissett was strong, completing 17-of-22 for 278 yards, one touchdown and one fumble, but Chubb was the engine that made the offense move.

Chubb ran the ball 23 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns, while through the air it was Cooper leading the way with five catches for 131 yards and a score.

With the win, the Browns snapped a four-game losing streak and moved to 3-5. They remain behind the Bengals (4-4) and the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) in the AFC North.

Big performances from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez carried the Milwaukee Bucks to a 110-108 victory against the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

With their win, the Bucks are now 6-0, and the NBA's last remaining unbeaten team.

Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo led the way with a game-high 31 points on 12-of-23 shooting, and he delivered in an important stretch of the game.

After the Bucks came out of halftime with a 60-52 lead, the Pistons got on a quick run, cutting the margin to one at 62-61, before Antetokounmpo scored his team's first 10 points of the third quarter to steady the ship.

He was supported well by Holiday, who scored 25 points with an efficient long-range shooting performance, finishing seven-of-15 from the field while hitting five of his 11 three-point attempts. He also added 10 assists and seven rebounds

Meanwhile, Lopez was a force in the middle of the paint, scoring 26 points (10-of-16) with nine rebounds and two blocks.

For the Pistons, Cade Cunningham was excellent with 27 points (11-of-23), seven assists and six rebounds, while the fifth overall pick from this year's NBA Draft, Jaden Ivey, had seven of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to make it a game down the stretch.

Harden narrowly misses career-high 

James Harden was one assist shy of his career-high as he dished out 17 in the Philadelphia 76ers' 118-111 win over the Washington Wizards.

His 17 assists matched his regular-season high, becoming the 10th time he has reached that figure, while he had 18 assists in a playoff game for the Brooklyn Nets against the Boston Celtics in the first round of 2021.

Against the Wizards, Harden also added 23 points (eight-of-17 shooting) and seven rebounds, with Tyrese Maxey finishing as their top-scorer with 28 on 12-of-22 shooting.

Washington's Kristaps Porzingis was the game's highest scorer with 32 points (10-of-17), nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Durant and the Nets get back in the win column

The Brooklyn Nets snapped a four-game losing streak when they defeated the Indiana Pacers 116-109.

Superstar duo Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving led the way as Ben Simmons missed the game with swelling in his knee.

Durant finished with a game-high 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting, while adding nine rebounds and seven assists. Irving was not far behind, posting 28 points (nine-of-19) with six rebounds, six assists and four steals.

Second-year wing Chris Duarte was impressive for the Pacers, scoring 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting, hitting five-of-10 from long range.

Maria Sakkari defeated Jessica Pegula 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-4) in the opening match of the WTA Finals on Monday in Fort Worth.

It was a highly anticipated first match after the same two competitors faced off in the Guadalajara Open final just eight days ago, with Pegula taking that contest 6-2 6-3 in convincing fashion.

That final lasted just 71 minutes, but the rematch would be a far more gruelling affair, with the first set alone reaching 73 minutes.

Illustrating the even nature of the contest, both players won exactly 52 out of 104 total points played in the opening set, with both players converting three of their five break point opportunities.

Sakkari created a slight edge in the second set, winning 52 per cent of the points (42-of-81) and creating four break point opportunities to Pegula's one.

Pegula took her only chance to break, and then saved two match points to force a tiebreak, but Sakkari would not be denied as she secured the victory and moved to the top of the Group B standings.

BREAK POINTS WON

Sakkari - 4/9

Pegula - 4/6

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Sakkari - 3/1

Pegula - 3/4

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Sakkari - 22/22

Pegula - 22/28

Game 3 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros has been pushed back a day as inclement weather prevented play from starting on Monday.

It means the entire series will also be adjusted to allow for the scheduled off-day to remain, with Game 4 now scheduled for Wednesday, Game 5 on Thursday, and a day off on Friday.

If Game 6 and Game 7 are required, they will be contested back in Houston on Saturday and Sunday after Philadelphia hosts Game 3, Game 4 and Game 5.

The series is currently tied at 1-1 after the Phillies won the opener in a thrilling comeback, before Houston levelled things with a convincing Game 2 victory.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been stripped of a pair of second-round draft picks for holding conversations with free-agent players prior to the NBA's allotted time period, the league announced Monday.

Philadelphia will forfeit their second-round selections in the 2023 and 2024 drafts after being found to have engaged in early discussions with forwards P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr., both of whom later signed with the team.

The NBA said in a statement that the 76ers fully cooperated with the investigation.

Tucker, a 12-year veteran and defensive specialist, signed a three-year, $33million contract in July, a move made possible by star guard James Harden declining a $47m player option and re-signing with the 76ers at a lower salary to create cap flexibility.

House, a reserve averaging 2.7 points per game this season, was signed to a two-year deal worth around $8.4m.

Philadelphia are the fourth team in the past two years to lose second-round picks for a violation in player negotiation rules. The Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls were previously hit with similar penalties.

Carlos Alcaraz views fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal as another competitor and "not my enemy", despite the pair's battle for top spot in the world rankings.

The 19-year-old continues to break records at the top table in tennis, becoming the first teenager to be crowned world number one in the Open Era.

Alcaraz, aged just 19 years and 129 days, also set a new benchmark as the youngest number-one ranked male player in the world since rankings were published in 1973.

Those feats came after winning September's US Open, where he joined Arthur Ashe (1968) and Rod Laver (1969) as the only Open Era players to win on their first or second main-draw outing at the tournament.

Now, Alcaraz has Nadal – a record 22-time major winner – chasing him for top spot, though the youngster assures there will never be bad blood between himself and his compatriot.

"I don't see it that way," Alcaraz responded to Eurosport when asked if he was embroiled in a battle with Nadal.

"It's true, Rafa is fighting for the No.1. Some players have the same goal – to be No.1, so I need to do my best. Outside the court [Rafa and I] are colleagues, at least it's the way I see it.

"Rafa is not my enemy. I say hello, I don't see that competition. With the rest of the players, it's the same. Beyond that relationship, I'll try to keep being No.1."

While Alcaraz remains the world's top-ranked male player, he intends to savour the moment after a surreal victory at the US Open.

"It is an incredible feeling, waking up as No.1, the US Open winner. It's a dream come true," he added.

"I am enjoying this moment so far. I keep working, my life is still the same, I'm still the same kid, same player. I just keep practising, keep improving."

As the teen aims to relish topping the ranks, his next focus turns to the Paris Masters – where he faces Yoshihito Nishioka on Wednesday – with a knee injury not as serious as first thought.

"It's a little pain, but the calendar is very demanding," he said of the injury. "We are playing and travelling with barely any breaks and it's normal that we have a few pains.

"All players have them and we learn how to deal with them. I am feeling good physically and I am ready to play here in Paris and in Turin in the [ATP] Finals."

Jannik Sinner and Marin Cilic were the two most notable first-round losers at the Paris Masters, where Taylor Fritz kept his slim ATP Finals hopes alive on Monday.

World number 12 Sinner, the 11th seed in the French capital this week, suffered a straight-sets loss to Marc-Andrea Huesler, as did 15th favourite Cilic against Lorenzo Musetti.

Ninth seed Fritz downed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-5 6-2, with Cameron Norrie and Frances Tiafoe also recording straight-sets victories against Miomir Kecmanovic and Lorenzo Sonego respectively.

Victory for Fritz kept the American in the hunt for qualifying for November's ATP Finals in Turin for the first time, needing to reach the final in Paris to overtake Felix Auger-Aliassime or Andrey Rublev.

"Right now I'm just focused on kind of playing myself into the tournament," said Fritz. "I feel like any time this year that I've won a couple of matches in a tournament, then I've done well.

"So I'll just try to focus on these early rounds. Turin is still in the picture, obviously, but there's not much else I really could have done.

"Felix has played really, really well, so he deserves it, but I am going to try to steal his spot this week for sure."

Home favourite Gilles Simon awaits Fritz in the second round at the ATP 1000 event after defeating Andy Murray 4-6 7-5 6-3.

Alexander Bublik and Mikael Ymer played out another three-set battle, with the former triumphing 6-1 6-7 (2-7) 6-4.

Richard Gasquet, Yoshihito Nishioka, Karen Khachanov, Maxime Cressy, Nikoloz Basilashvili and John Isner were the other first-round winners on the opening day in France.

It's fair to say that, eight weeks into the 2022 NFL season, it has been a year of surprises.

The New York Giants have six wins, the Seattle Seahawks lead the NFC West and two preseason NFC favourites, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers, have collapsed to 3-5 starts.

This is a campaign in which to expect the unexpected and, as such, three of the top quarterback displays from Week 8 heading into Monday Night Football are entirely in keeping with the theme of 2022.

While one star still shaking the rust off following an injury lay-off delivered the kind of game most have come to anticipate from him, the degree of accuracy displayed by the trio of signal-callers surrounding him at the top of Stats Perform's well-thrown rate chart by the end of Sunday's action was eyebrow-raising to say the least.

And there was one quarterback who tried and failed to find a new team in the offseason who rose above the rest. 

Jimmy G's perfect day

There will never be a game that definitively decides the endless Jimmy Garoppolo debate in the Bay Area, where the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback who was meant to be elsewhere this season remains a beloved but polarising figure.

But nobody could argue Garoppolo was not excellent in Week 8 as the 49ers scored 24 unanswered points to sweep the Los Angeles Rams with an emphatic 31-14 win at SoFi Stadium.

So much of the attention in the immediate aftermath was rightly on Christian McCaffrey, who became the fourth player with a touchdown pass, rushing touchdown and touchdown reception in a single game since the 1970 merger in a remarkable performance just 10 days on from his trade from the Carolina Panthers.

However, Garoppolo also deserves a share of the spotlight following what was, by at least one measure, a perfect game from a quarterback frequently criticised for his volatility.

Garoppolo ended the defeat of the Rams with a 100 per cent well-thrown rate. Each of his 25 passes, excluding throwaways, was deemed to be accurate and well-thrown.

He is the 35th player to achieve such a feat and the second this season following Trevor Lawrence for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts.

While Garoppolo averaged only 6.76 yards per attempt, he still completed a host of big-time throws, including a third-down touchdown shot to a leaping McCaffrey and a 56-yard bomb down the left sideline to Ross Dwelley that was followed by a perfectly placed ball to George Kittle in the back of the endzone on a sprint out pass that iced the game.

At 4-4 heading into the bye with a star-studded offense and a series of players still to return from injury on defense, the 49ers are ideally positioned for a surge down the stretch. They won't get perfect every game from Garoppolo, but if he maintains a level close to what he produced in Inglewood on Sunday, San Francisco will be a major threat in the NFC.

Air Marcus has Falcons on top

Marcus Mariota had hardly been trusted to throw the ball over the four games prior to Atlanta's wild win over the Carolina Panthers by head coach Arthur Smith.

Only once over those four games had he registered more than 20 passing attempts, but Mariota was allowed to air it out on Sunday, and the Falcons should be delighted by the manner in which he did so.

The former second overall pick delivered an accurate well-thrown ball on 92.6 per cent of his 27 pass attempts, maintaining remarkable accuracy while pushing the ball down field with consistency in a captivating shoot-out.

Mariota averaged 10.15 air yards per attempt against Carolina. Just five quarterbacks – Josh Allen (12.96), P.J. Walker (12.33), Tua Tagovailoa (11.79), Russell Wilson (11.04) and Jalen Hurts (11.04) – were more aggressive in that respect.

Of that quintet, Tagovailoa (82.4 per cent) and Wilson (84.6 per cent) were the only two signal-callers to even post a well-thrown rate of 80 per cent.

Mariota blended accuracy and deep-ball aggression in a way most quarterbacks struggle to replicate and, though he tossed an overtime interception that should have cost the Falcons the game, his performance may convince Smith to diversify his approach and shift to a more balanced attack as the 4-4 Falcons look to make a surprise run at the NFC South title.

Dak looks all the way back

The case could be made that the Cowboys were still running the 'Cooper Rush' offense in Prescott's first game back from a finger injury in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions.

Dallas laboured somewhat in that one before pulling away and, though the Week 8 performance was not a faultless one from Prescott, it was one to breed hope the Cowboys can legitimately contend to go deep into the NFC playoffs with him at the helm of the attack.

Prescott posted a well-thrown rate of 92.3 per cent in the Cowboys' 49-29 win over the Chicago Bears, with arguably his most aesthetically pleasing throw coming on his first touchdown pass as he split safeties Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker on a 21-yard rope to CeeDee Lamb on third-and-nine.

Third down did not prove a challenge for Prescott at any point. He completed five of his six third-down throws for 85 yards and a touchdown, with a Bears defense ill-equipped to stop the Cowboys consistently frustrated when they got into positions to get off the field. 

An interception by Jackson was the sole blemish on the day for Prescott, who also had a rushing touchdown, and the room for improvement he clearly still has after a showing of this calibre should be of great excitement to the 6-2 Cowboys as they attack the second half of the season.

Fields fills Chicago with hope 

The Bears did not produce the all-round performance to keep pace with the Cowboys, but it was another effort by last year's first-round pick Justin Fields to boost optimism around his prospects of blossoming into one of the league's better quarterbacks.

After finally building a gameplan around his athleticism in the Monday Night Football win over the New England Patriots, the Bears once again leant on Fields' mobility. He threw seven times on the move, with Chicago also implementing play-action and the quarterback bootleg into the attack.

The results were impressive as Fields finished the game with a well-thrown rate of 90.9 per cent while averaging 9.5 air yards per attempt. On top of that, he did not throw a single interceptable pass, though he did have one pick called back because of a roughing the passer penalty.

Fields was perfect on play-action, with all six of his passes from those concepts well thrown, and he would have had significantly more than 151 passing yards to his name had rookie receiver Velus Jones not dropped an outstandingly placed moonball down the right sideline from the Chicago 47-yard line in the second quarter.

But Fields still accounted for three touchdowns, throwing two and rushing for another in a 60-yard display on the ground. Though the Bears' decision to trade defensive stars Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith will play a role in limiting their wins in 2022, the Bears will be increasingly convinced Fields is the right man to rebuild the team around if he continues in this vein of form.

Anthony Joshua acknowledged he needed to "rest mentally" after being "torn apart" by his loss to Oleksandr Usyk, though he vowed he will eventually face Tyson Fury.

A 'Battle of Britain' clash between Joshua and Fury seemed set for December 3 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, only to for the bout to break down after negotiations collapsed.

The meeting between the two British heavyweights would have followed Joshua's rematch loss to Usyk, who successfully defended his WBA, IBF and WBO belts in August's title match in Saudi Arabia.

While Joshua suggested he will meet in the ring with Fury at some point, the former admitted he needed time off after a draining defeat to the Ukrainian.

"You saw after my last fight, it tore me apart," Joshua said in an interview with DAZN.

"I had so much riding on it, for me, the British fans, the undisputed fight, it just really tore me apart. So from a mental capacity, my close ones are telling me, 'you should rest mentally'.

"Physically, I'm down to fight. I'm a warrior, I like this game, I like competing. But on a mental aspect, I think people have really seen it means a lot.

"I was supposed to be in the ring on December 3. When you're saying, 'when are we going to see you back in the ring?' that was the date but obviously it's not happening. 

"But I've got a good team and I've got to just leave certain things to them because all that other stuff, back and forth and social media, it's quite time-consuming. But you've got to play the game as well.

"And my dance partner, the last geezer I was supposed to fight (Fury), he's a good dance partner, he handles the social media side and I think we do good business behind the scenes to be fair.  

"It will happen, we’re in the same era. Just as two competitors, two fighters. He's definitely someone that's a fighting man."

Joshua is yet to confirm his next opponent after failing to agree a deal with Fury, who settled for another all-British fight with Derek Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 3.

Diego Simeone acknowledged Atletico Madrid are still hurting from their early Champions League exit but vowed to battle with the same intensity to qualify for the Europa League.

Atleti failed to make the knockout stages of Europe's premier club competition for the first time in five years after a 2-2 home draw with Bayer Leverkusen last week, in which Yannick Carrasco missed a late penalty.

Simeone's side also trail LaLiga leaders Real Madrid by nine points, while they are winless in their past four Champions League games, their longest run since between December 2008 and December 2009.

Atleti failed to win in nine games in that period before the appointment of Simeone, who admitted he and his players are still reeling from their elimination ahead of Tuesday's clash at Porto.

"Today we are out of the Champions League. It hurts us, it p****s me off because of the responsibility we have with many people who grow up in the club," the Atleti coach said.

"But it's a reality and we can't go against it. Reality is what we have and I invited us all to be together and see if we can express what we feel on the pitch."

Simeone insisted he is no stranger to an unfavourable situation in the Spanish capital, but suggested not letting those around the club down remains his primary concern.

"In my fourth year the same thing was said, in the sixth the same," the 52-year-old said of recent criticism. "In the [coronavirus] pandemic we were sixth and with a lot of work we achieved our goals. 

"In the following season it seemed that we could not win LaLiga and we won it. Last season, the same – with 14 games to go, the group and the people came together to get back together.

"I suffer more for the people who work and have been around for years. People are always with us. There are things that we did not do well, but competitively I have nothing to complain about. 

"I'm ready to compete, I don't know how to do it any other way. I was raised that way, knowing that you can lose, but it's nicer to win."

Simeone has his sights on the Europa League, needing to match Bayer Leverkusen's result against Club Brugge when they visit Porto to secure third place in Group B.

"They taught me since I was a child to always compete and now we can get in the Europa League," he continued. "For this we have to be strong and want it.

"We will go [every] match with our [best team], knowing that we are not in the Champions League but the Europa League is important."