Denzel Ward will become the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history after agreeing to a five-year contract extension with the Cleveland Browns.

Ward was drafted fourth overall by Cleveland in 2018 and has gone on to make the Pro Bowl on two occasions.

He has played 52 times for the Browns across four seasons with the franchise. He made 34 tackles and three interceptions in the 2021 campaign.

ESPN – citing Tory Dandy of CAA Sports, who negotiated the deal – reported on Monday that Ward had agreed fresh terms with the Browns, with the extension worth $100.5million. Of that, $71.25m is guaranteed.

The 24-year-old's average annual salary of $20.1million moves him above Jalen Ramsey of the Los Angeles Rams, the previously highest-paid CB in the league.

Ward's new deal runs through the 2027 season though he remains under contract for $13.3m in 2022 after Cleveland exercised their fifth-year option on his old deal.

Ward joined the Browns in the same draft as quarterback Baker Mayfield, but the latter is expected to be traded before the start of the new season.

Cristian Garin was on the end of a shock thrashing by Denmark's Holger Rune in the first round of the Serbia Open on Monday.

The Chilean fifth seed, who was the highest-ranked player in action, is regarded as one of the ATP Tour's best on clay but hardly got a look-in as 18-year-old Rune emerged with an impressive 6-3 6-1 win.

Rune has risen to a career-high 72 in the ATP rankings and showed every sign that he will continue to climb over the season as he produced an aggressive performance that saw him take six of 17 break points.

Playing in only his fifth ATP Tour match on clay, Rune needed just an hour and 25 minutes to see off Garin – the winner of five tour-level titles on the surface – and set up a second-round clash with either Dusan Lajovic or Taro Daniel.

Sixth and seventh seeds Fabio Fognini and Miomir Kecmanovic avoided similar shocks, though their respective wins were wildly different.

Kecmanovic crushed veteran Richard Gasquet 6-0 6-3, while Fognini was forced to overturn a one-set deficit in his defeat of fellow Italian Marco Cecchinato 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-2.

No seeds were in action at the Barcelona Open, but Italian prospect Lorenzo Musetti enjoyed a hard-fought 7-5 7-5 defeat of Argentina's Sebastian Baez to seal his spot in the second round.

The 20-year-old is now 5-2 for the clay season and will go up against Dan Evans next. Joining Musetti in progressing is another promising youngster in Brandon Nakashima, who beat Nicolas Alvarez Varona 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 to tee up a clash with number two seed Casper Ruud.

Mackenzie McDonald, Elias Ymer, Kwon Soon-woo and Federico Coria were among the other victors, while retiring 2004 champion Tommy Robredo bowed out with a 6-1 6-1 loss to Bernabe Zapata Miralles.

Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette is open to a return to former club Lyon, explaining that he is in talks with "many clubs" ahead of his contract expiring.

However, the 30-year-old also wants to play European football next season, and is eyeing a Champions League move after failing to make a single appearance in the competition for the Gunners. 

Lacazette has made 25 Premier League starts this season as Mikel Arteta's team chase a top-four finish, but looks set to end his five-year spell in north London when his deal expires at the end of June.

The Frenchman has scored just four league goals this campaign, but leads the Gunners squad for assists after laying on seven, and says he has multiple options open to him.

Lacazette said Lyon, whom he left for the Gunners in 2017, could be among them, expressing regret that a talented generation of French players, including himself and Corentin Tolisso, left the club at similar times.

"I am in discussion with many clubs," Lacazette told Canal Plus.

"I have never cut contact with Lyon since I left. I try to return to the club once or twice a year to see the medical staff again because we are really close. So yes, now that Lyon knows that I am free, they have to come with a proposal.

"It would be good, but it's not me who decides. It's true that it's a bit sad and a shame that we all left at the same time, it may have been a mistake from the club."

However, Lacazette also emphasised his desire to play Champions League football, having arrived at Arsenal immediately after their most recent campaign in Europe's top competition, and hinted the absence of European football could be a stumbling block to any Lyon return, as they sit 8th in Ligue 1 with just six games remaining.

"I want to play in Europe, it's been a long time since I played in the Champions League too so I miss it," he added. "Nothing is impossible in life but it's a little more complicated [without European football]."

Lacazette was absent due to a positive COVID-19 test when Arsenal fell to their third consecutive Premier League defeat against Southampton on Saturday, as the Gunners saw their top-four hopes dealt another blow.

The Match will return in 2022 and this time it will pit two of the NFL's greatest quarterbacks of all time against two well on their way to assuming the same title.

Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady were on opposing teams in The Match IV last year, Rodgers and Bryson DeChambeau beating Brady and Phil Mickelson, but the two future Hall of Famers will team up this time around.

Indeed, Brady and Rodgers will face off against two quarterbacks who are rapidly developing a compelling rivalry of their own on the field in Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.

Mahomes and Allen faced off in one of the best playoff games in NFL history last season as the Chiefs fought back to beat the Bills in the AFC Divisional Round 42-36 in overtime, Kansas City having led a game-tying field goal drive in just 13 seconds to force the extra period.

There is no doubt they are the future of the NFL, but the June 1 meeting in Las Vegas with Brady and Rodgers will mark the first time their golf game will be on show for a worldwide audience.

Announcing the matchup on Twitter, Brady made it clear he and Rodgers are ready to strike a blow for the NFL's old guard.

He wrote: "We tried to make this a tag team cage match but the lawyers said our contracts wouldn't allow it… #CapitalOnesTheMatch is back, June 1st. Let's kick their a**."

Marshawn Lynch feels he has achieved "something special" by becoming a minority investor in the Seattle Kraken alongside Macklemore.

Former NFL running back Lynch spent the best part of his career with the Seattle Seahawks.

He was part of the Seahawks team that won Super Bowl XLVIII, scoring a rushing touchdown in the title game as Seattle beat the Denver Broncos.

Lynch had led the NFL in rushing TDs (12) in the regular season and did so again the following year (13), again scoring in the Super Bowl but this time in a defeat to the New England Patriots.

The five-time Pro Bowler announced his retirement after the 2015 season but returned to the NFL and eventually the Seahawks, finishing his career in Seattle in 2019.

And now Lynch is again part of the sports scene in the city, with he and rapper Macklemore – a Seattle native – welcomed on board by Kraken owner Seattle Hockey Partners.

"I've been a part of a lot of things, but this is something I never would have imagined," Lynch wrote on his Twitter page.

"As a young hyena I always dreamed of playing on a professional team but owning one is something special.

"Thank you @SeattleKraken, shout out to @macklemore. Seattle, I'm here. Stand Up!!!"

The Kraken are in their inaugural season in the NHL but sit bottom of the Western Conference's Pacific Division with a 24-44-6 record.

The Toronto Raptors will have to cope without star rookie Scottie Barnes against the Philadelphia 76ers, although the forward said he is already "feeling better".

Barnes sprained his left ankle in the fourth quarter of Game 1 in the first-round playoff series, a 131-111 defeat in Philadelphia.

Raptors coach Nick Nurse subsequently acknowledged the fourth overall pick was unlikely to play in Game 2, and he was officially ruled out at shootaround on Tuesday.

Gary Trent Jr., who is ill, and Thaddeus Young, with an injured thumb, were also set to miss out, but Barnes' absence was particularly damaging after a superb season.

The 20-year-old is a Rookie of the Year finalist after averaging 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds in the regular season, ranking third and second respectively among rookies.

Barnes had 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in his playoff debut and at least assured Raptors fans he is on the road to recovery, even if there remains no return date.

"I thought it was going to be bad, man," Barnes said. "I hit the ground and I was like, 'Damn, it's just the beginning, just getting started'.

"But afterward, I was just still trying to have positive thoughts and keep myself into it.

"I don't know [when he will return]. Might be soon. We just have to see. Feeling better, though, each and every day."

Carlo Ancelotti says he feels "lucky" to coach Real Madrid, and claimed that former Los Blancos boss Jose Mourinho can make history at Roma.

Ancelotti's Madrid side clinched a dramatic 3-2 win over Sevilla on Sunday to move 15 points clear at the top of LaLiga, and seem all but certain to be crowned champions with second-placed Barcelona having just eight games to play.

Madrid have also advanced from thrilling Champions League ties against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the second half of the campaign, and will face Manchester City for a place in European football's showpiece event.

Ancelotti left Everton to join Madrid for a second spell in charge, and is thrilled with how his return has unfolded so far.

"The magic of this club, of the team and of these players is coming out," Ancelotti said. "I can say I'm a lucky coach. 

"I'm coaching a team that I feel a lot and that gives me great satisfaction, [at] a very well organised club. It is I who have to thank Real Madrid for giving me the opportunity to return to coaching this team.

"Real Madrid have the possibilities for history, tradition and quality to compete until the end. Now we have a very tough challenge against City. It was very tough also against PSG and Chelsea.

"The new rule that the away goal no longer counts as double makes these challenges more balanced and exciting."

Ancelotti was also asked about the club's potential acquisition of Kylian Mbappe, with the striker widely tipped to swap Paris for Madrid at the end of his contract.

I will say that the future of this club, thanks to president [Florentino] Perez, is of the highest level," he added.

And it will also be in the next few years, regardless of the players who may come. Real Madrid made football history and will continue to do so for many more years."

Turning to Serie A, Ancelotti believes Mourinho is on the right track to succeed with Roma after difficult spells at Tottenham and Manchester United.

Ancelotti said: "I think Mourinho has given back enthusiasm to a team that needed it.

"[They have done] extraordinary work thanks to his qualities. I think Mourinho can be an important piece in the history of Roma."

Roma are in the hunt for Champions League qualification in Serie A, while they will face Leicester City for a place in the final of the Europa Conference League.

The joined actions of some of the most powerful figures in modern football unwittingly created an ever mightier alliance on April 18, 2021.

The announcement of a new European Super League united Manchester, with fans and players of United and City joining those invested in the fortunes of Liverpool and the three London giants of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham in opposition.

Although the reaction in Italy and Spain may not have been quite as damning, the protests that followed over the course of an extraordinary few days were enough to derail the plans.

A year on, Stats Perform looks back on one of the most controversial proposals in the sport's history and where it stands now.

What is/was the European Super League?

The past week has shown exactly what makes the Champions League great, whether Villarreal's upset of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid withstanding Chelsea's fightback, a thriller between Liverpool and Benfica in a tie widely considered over or the blood and thunder of Manchester City's defeat of Atletico Madrid.

But Arsenal and Tottenham did not qualify for the Champions League this season, while Barcelona and Milan failed to make it beyond the group stage.

In another season, another superpower – the clubs whose names and riches have made the Champions League what it is – might miss out on these great games.

That was the fear of a dozen leading sides, anyway. Barca had a prominent role, along with Real Madrid and Juventus, as the European Super League was launched.

The competition was to be backed by United States-based investment bank JP Morgan and managed by the owners of the founding clubs, who would be guaranteed entry to the competition.

Three clubs were hoped to join the initial 12, followed by five others qualifying each year to form a 20-team tournament, which would be split into two 10-team leagues prior to a knockout stage.

The idea was for the Super League to replace the lucrative Champions League, rather than domestic leagues – hence its inception on the eve of Champions League reforms. The interested parties even claimed the money raised would benefit "the wider football pyramid".

But the reception was widely critical, while there were notable absentees in the form of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, the previous campaign's Champions League finalists.

PSG had spent too much time – and, of course, money – establishing themselves among European football's elite to risk it all in the breakaway.

Meanwhile, Bayern, like most German clubs, are partly fan-owned. And it would soon become clear football fans in general were not enthused by the prospect of seeing Europe's best teams slog it out in a closed-shop tournament.

Then what?

The 12 clubs must have imagined some sort of response, but what followed appeared to stun those involved.

Their own players and coaches announced opposition, with many frustrated these plans had provided such a distraction at a key stage in the season. Notably, Jurgen Klopp fumed when Leeds United, Liverpool's next opponents, told the six-time European champions to "earn it" if they wanted to play in the Champions League.

The rest of football appeared united against those who had sought to cut loose, as former Manchester United captain Gary Neville called for the Old Trafford club to be relegated along with Liverpool and Arsenal.

Unsurprisingly, UEFA, FIFA and even the UK government railed against the Super League, too.

But most importantly, the fans – particularly in England – made clear they would not stand for this apparent betrayal of the sport and its roots.

Chelsea were the first team to back out of the European Super League while Petr Cech attempted to negotiate with furious supporters blocking the team's entrance to Stamford Bridge prior to a drab goalless draw against Brighton and Hove Albion.

With protests following at stadiums up and down the country, the Premier League clubs soon quit the breakaway competition, and they were joined by Inter, Milan and Atletico Madrid, as the Super League was declared dead mere hours after its birth.

Football had won, it was widely acknowledged.

And they all lived happily ever after?

Well, not quite. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus have continued to pursue the European Super League, their owners refusing to relent.

The huge debts racked up during the coronavirus pandemic contributed to their desperation to land this lucrative deal, with Barca since forced to let club legend Lionel Messi leave on a free transfer due to their inability to afford a new contract for the 34-year-old.

Those who backed out of the controversial plans have at least returned to the European Club Association, in which PSG were huge beneficiaries of their reluctance to follow their elite rivals. Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the PSG president, now leads the ECA in a role that previously belonged to Juve chief Andrea Agnelli.

But even Barca, Madrid and Juve have been able to continue playing in UEFA competitions – those they have qualified for, anyway. Madrid have made the Champions League semi-finals as they bid for a record-extending 14th European crown.

And sceptics could be forgiven for wondering if the new Champions League format sounds a little 'European Super Leaguey'.

As of 2024-25, the group stages will be no more, replaced by – yes – a league. And although the competition is increasing in size to 36 teams, two of the additional four slots are reserved for clubs who have the highest UEFA coefficients but have qualified only for one of the organisation's lesser competitions.

Barca, who toiled in the early stages of this season, or Juve, facing a fight for a top-four finish in Serie A, would have to slump significantly not to be assured of a seat at the time.

The Super League is dead... but long live the Super League?

Simone Inzaghi thinks Inter's recent struggles against rivals Milan will act as extra motivation ahead of their Coppa Italia semi-final second leg.

Inter face Serie A leaders Milan on Tuesday, bidding for a first appearance in the Coppa Italia final since they defeated Palermo to lift the trophy in 2011.

Inter, however, have failed to win any of the three previous derby encounters this season, picking up just a single point in their two league meetings before drawing the first leg of the semi-final 0-0.

Three winless derbies marks Inter's worst such run against the Rossoneri since 2005, but Inzaghi believes the Nerazzurri can use those results to give them an edge this time.

"We've had three derbies so far, two in the league and one in the Coppa Italia," Inzaghi told a news conference.

"We know we have to [win], and we want to win tomorrow because we want to reach the final.

"We could've got more [from the previous games]. We needed to be sharper to make key moments go our way, as they can be pivotal. It's such an important game.

"Certainly [the results could motivate Inter]. The three derbies have all been different. We played very well in the first two, whereas the two teams cancelled each other out in the last one, knowing that there was a second leg to come.

"That was a very cagey game. The team knows that, and we know it's a wonderful chance for us, which we want to grab with both hands.

"We're on track to achieve both of our targets. We're doing very well and mustn't forget that we also won the Italian Super Cup in January."

Inter have been eliminated in each of their last four Coppa Italia semi-final ties, having progressed on six of their previous seven appearances at this stage. Overall, no team has suffered more semi-final eliminations than Inter (19).

Meanwhile, Inter failed to score when classified as the away team in last month's first leg, leaving them at risk of losing on away goals if they concede.

Inzaghi believes, as is the case in UEFA competitions, that the rule should have been abolished this season.

"There had already been talk about the away goal rule before the first leg, but it was too late," he added.

"I think it should've been the same as it is in Europe, but once the decision was made, it's only fair for it to carry on in the same way [as earlier in the competition].

"We'll need to be even more focused, because as we didn't score in the first leg, every moment in the game could prove to be decisive.

"We know how important away goals could be, so we'll have to be fully focused at every point in the game, knowing that we're up against a top side. We'll need to keep focused for the full 95 minutes and for possible extra time as well."

Inter and Milan have faced off in the Coppa Italia on 26 previous occasions, with the Nerazzurri managing eight wins.

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer believes the team's Renault power unit is within 10 brake horsepower of the best on the grid.

A strong start to the 2022 Formula One season has seen Alpine score points in each of the first three races.

Esteban Ocon has finished in the points in every race, though Fernando Alonso has failed to do so in each of the last two events, suffering misfortune in Saudi Arabia and Australia.

After struggling with engine performance last season, the team at Renault's Viry-Chatillon powertrain division concentrated on delivering a major upgrade for 2022.

Szafnauer has been impressed with the work they have done, the strength of this year's engine carrying extra significance because of a development freeze in place until the end of 2025.

"We think we've made a step on the power unit," Szafnauer said. "And we're within probably 10bhp of the best, and somewhere in the middle.

"I think Viry have done a brilliant job. And it's up to us now to keep developing the car.

"So that [the development freeze] allows us to work closer with our power unit team to make some improvements that we might be able to make with architecture changes on the chassis.

"Some other things that are still free to us. But also to now focus with what we have to improve on the chassis for the future."

Alonso was forced to retire in Saudi Arabia after a water pump failure led his engine to overheat, with Alpine unable to save that unit.

He was on a lap that may have put him in contention for pole in Melbourne, only for an oil pressure drop to force his engine to shut down in Q3.

The two-time world champion was last among the 17 drivers to finish the race, having seen several strategy calls backfire.

"It was O-ring on an oil seal," said Szafnauer of Alonso's qualifying failure. "The O-ring fretted, the oil leaked out.

"We have a fail-safe mode to try to save the engine, so when you see a drop in oil pressure, the fail-safe mode kicked in. And that's what happened. So the fix was an O-ring change."

F1 returns to action in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend at Imola, where Ocon and Alonso finished ninth and 10th respectively last year.

Milan's Coppa Italia semi-final against rivals Inter will not have a decisive effect on the Serie A title race, according to Stefano Pioli.

Inter trail Serie A leaders Milan by two points, though now the focus switches to the second leg of their Coppa Italia tie.

The Milan giants played out a 0-0 draw in last month's semi-final first leg at San Siro, and will do battle again on Tuesday with 10 editions of the Coppa Italia having passed since either lifted the trophy. 

While Milan will be desperate to lift Italy's domestic cup for the first time since 2003, Pioli does not believe Tuesday's result will give either team an advantage in Serie A.

"From now until the end, we need to try and win all our matches," Pioli said. "The team are very focused and motivated, and positive energy must accompany us.

"We know very well what we need to do in the league, and I don't think tomorrow's derby will be decisive in this regard. 

"We need to try and win all our Serie A games, regardless of what happens in the Coppa Italia."

Having picked up a win and a draw from the teams' Serie A encounters this term, Milan are on their longest unbeaten run against their rivals (three matches) since a 10-game sequence ending in 2005.

This is the 14th season in which Milan and Inter will face each other on four occasions, and the first since 2004-05, when Milan managed three wins and a draw. The Rossoneri have gone unbeaten throughout all four clashes on seven of the previous 13 instances, but Pioli was mindful of the threat posed by Simone Inzaghi's team.

"All of our past experiences have allowed us to become a team with more awareness," he added. "Every single one of our matches against Inter have been difficult, and the details will make the difference tomorrow.

"There will be moments where we need to put our foot on the pedal, and others where we need to slow down. Inter can be dangerous when given space, and we need to manage the ball as best we can."

Milan's pursuit of silverware has been boosted by a run of seven consecutive clean sheets in all competitions, a sequence that began with Pioli's men denying Inter an important away goal in the first leg.

"Not conceding is important," Pioli added. "I'm a bit surprised because we're a team that takes a few risks in our defending, but the whole team have grown in a significant way. We need to reach high standards when it comes to our application, intensity and focus.

"Our attitude against Inter has always been very consistent, even if it's difficult to prevent them from creating dangerous situations. They take up positions that will force us to do a lot of running, but we have a strategy that we'll try to implement as best we can."

Ralf Rangnick sent a pointed message to the Manchester United board regarding their search for a new manager as he insisted the success of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp has been no coincidence.

United travel to Anfield on Tuesday trailing the Reds by 19 points in the Premier League, with Liverpool once again challenging for the title while the Red Devils appear in danger of missing out on the top four altogether.

This is the third time since Klopp's late-2015 arrival that Liverpool have battled for the title, having narrowly missed out – but won the Champions League – in 2018-19 and then ended their 30-year wait for a league championship in 2019-20.

In 2021-22 they could yet win an unprecedented quadruple: the EFL Cup trophy is already theirs, they are into the FA Cup final and Champions League semis, and Manchester City have just a one-point lead over them in the top flight.

Rangnick, considered something of a mentor to Klopp earlier in his career, was hired as United's interim manager in November last year following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the German's reputation of establishing new processes and tactical setups at other clubs seemingly marking him out as a someone who could lay the groundwork for a rebuild before moving into a consultancy role.

His period in charge of the team cannot yet be considered a success given their largely disappointing form, but ahead of Tuesday's trip to Anfield, Rangnick was given another opportunity to outline what he thinks can bring success, and Liverpool remain a clear example after allowing Klopp time to establish himself and his ideas.

Asked if the relationship between Klopp and Liverpool was a "template" to follow, Rangnick told reporters: "The same happened at other clubs, like when he was at Borussia Dortmund or when he started his coaching career with Mainz.

"He developed all those clubs and developed those teams – not just the team, the whole club – to a different level, and this is what management is all about.

"He's no doubt one of the best, if not the best coach, not only now but in the past couple years. If this is a role model, I don't know, but it's definitely again no coincidence what's happened there in the last six years.

"In his first year when he came there after eight or nine games I think, they finished eighth at the end with a point average of 1.6, and thereafter they just made the necessary adaptations.

"They brought in the right players, got rid of the right players, they just built. They really built a squad and that's why they are where they are."

The links between Rangnick and Klopp are plentiful, with another obvious one being the number of players in the current Liverpool squad who have previously played for clubs where the former once held significant influence.

Ibrahima Konate, Sadio Mane, Takumi Minamino and Naby Keita all played for or signed from Red Bull-owned clubs; Roberto Firmino joined from Hoffenheim; and Joel Matip played under Rangnick at Schalke.

In Rangnick's eyes, Klopp's tendency to go for such players is evidence of their similar tactical preferences, but beyond that it also suggests a recruitment strategy that matches up with the manager's style, something United have often been criticised for routinely getting wrong over the past decade.

"I didn't say how much influence I had on those players, but it's pretty obvious that a big club like Liverpool, one of the best in Europe for the last few years, that they have six former players of us – either Schalke, Hoffenheim, Salzburg or [RB] Leipzig," he continued.

"It's probably the highest number of players that nobody knew at the time we signed them, or gave them their debuts.

"This obviously has something to do with a similar idea of football. Jurgen and I have known each other for a long time, I know how he wants to play and having six players from former clubs of mine is obviously not a coincidence."