Tributes pour in for #Chapecoense players, others killed in plane crash

World football governing body FIFA, Brazilian President Michael Temer and football fans have paid tribute to members of Brazilian football team Chapecoense and others killed in a plane crash on Tuesday.

A plane flying the football team, its officials and journalists to Colombia for a football match crashed in a mountainous region, killing 76 of 81 people on board.

The tragedy has left the football world in shock with thousands of fans sending their condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.

Injury woes for Barca ahead of El Classico

Pique, Alba

Barcelona suffered a fresh injury blow on Monday as left-back Jordi Alba is a huge doubt for Saturday’s showdown clash with Real Madrid after suffering knee and ankle knocks.

Alba battled on to finish the 90 minutes in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad despite suffering the injuries before half-time.

“The tests carried out this morning reveal that Jordi Alba has heavy bruising on his right knee and a strain of his left ankle,” Barca said in a statement.

Barca’s interest in Moses triggers Chelsea contract talk

Victor Moses

Victor Moses’ impressive displays for Chelsea this season is set to land him a new and improved contract with Chelsea.

According to Sky Sports, Chelsea’s plan comes amid reports that the Nigerian international had become a transfer target for Barcelona.

Moses, who was shunned by Mourinho and failed to impress on loan at Liverpool, had thrived as wing-back for Chelsea under Antonio Conte.

Andy Murray fights fatigue with fire to end 2016 in blistering fashion

Andy Murray enjoying the winner's confetti at the O2 arena, after beating Novak Djokovic to seal his place as the year ending world No. 1 tennis player

It was framed as a question but it sounded more like a threat. Novak Djokovic was merrily destroying the hopelessly outmatched Kei Nishikori on Saturday night when a cry from the stands at the O₂ Arena threw the narrative forward to the following evening: “Are you watching, Andy Murray?”

The crowd chuckled nervously and it was difficult to find too many optimistic Murray fans before he faced Djokovic in the final match of the year. Murray had taken so long to win his epic match against Milos Raonic at the ATP World Tour Finals on Saturday afternoon that he was walking into his press conference around the same time that Djokovic began a clinical humiliation of Nishikori. That seemed to confirm the Serb was finally back to his fearsome best after a wretched few months that began with his shock defeat to Sam Querrey in the third round of Wimbledon and resulted in him dropping to No2 in the rankings after Paris two weeks ago.

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray book finals shootout for No1 spot

• World’s two best players reach ATP Tour final
• Murray’s semi-final took more than three hours, Djokovic’s 66 minutes.

 

Who ends the year at the top?

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic meet for the 35th time on Sunday in a match loaded with more significance than even some of their many contests for majors: the championship of each other, as someone once described the trilogy of world heavyweight title fights between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

They have not absorbed as many physical bruises as did those fine, departed warriors, but there has been pain, psychological as well as physical, since they first played as youths nearly 20 years ago and kept punching all the way through their professional careers, with Djokovic ahead in these surely latter stages of the rivalry, 34-10. “This maybe is one of the biggest matches that we have ever played against each other, so let’s enjoy it,” said the Serb.

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Andy Murray celebrates No1 status with Paris win and earns everyone’s respect

Andy Murray’s gift to tennis goes beyond the excellence he brings to the court and the occasional bon mot, intentional or otherwise, with which he embroiders his many triumphs. In celebrating his capture of the one crown that many doubters thought was beyond his reach, the No1 world ranking Novak Djokovic held for 122 weeks until this weekend, he reminded us again of his ability to inspire admiration and respect from both his rivals and those close to him.

Even the man he beat in the Paris Masters final here on Sunday, John Isner, acknowledged the Scot is a cut above in every way. “He’s the guy that everyone is looking up to right now,” the American said after Murray had ground out a tenacious 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 win over two hours and 17 minutes on Court Central.

Manchester City masterclass exposes brittle Barca

Barcelona's Argentinian striker Lionel Messi (L) and Barcelona's Brazilian striker Neymar (2L) react as Manchester City's Spanish midfielder Jesus Navas (2R) and Manchester City's German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan leav the pitch following the UEFA Champions League group C football match between Manchester City and Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England on November 1, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS

Defeat to Manchester City shouldn’t dent Barcelona’s chances of Champions League progression but the manner in which the English side stormed to victory exposed the brittleness of a Barca side badly missing the injured Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta.

Barca had won all five previous meetings between the sides over the past two years and a landmark European victory looked set to be beyond City once more when Lionel Messi finished off a lethal counterattack for his 15h goal in his last 13 games against English opposition.

Arsenal, Atletico, Bayern make Champions League last 16

Arsenal’s midfielder Mesut Özil celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League Group A football match between PFC Ludogorets and Arsenal, on November 1, 2016 at the Vassil Levski stadium in Sofia. / AFP PHOTO / NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV

Last season’s runners-up Atletico Madrid were one of four teams to clinch a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with two group matches to spare on Tuesday.

Atletico beat Russian side Rostov 2-1 in Spain with Antoine Griezmann scoring both goals as they sealed their progress from Group D along with five-time European champions Bayern Munich, who were 2-1 winners at PSV Eindhoven.

Meanwhile, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain both clinched qualification from the knockout stage from Group A.

Arsenal came from two goals down to win 3-2 away to Ludogorets in Bulgaria to go through along with PSG, who were 2-1 winners over Basel in Switzerland.

AFP

Inter sack Frank De Boer

Frank de Boer

Frank de Boer has been sacked as coach of Inter Milan after the Serie A giants slipped to 13 points off the pace in Italy’s top flight.

“Inter Milan announces that Frank de Boer has been relieved of his duties as first-team coach,” said a club statement.

“The first-team squad will be taken over provisionally by our youth team coach, Stefano Vecchi, who will be on the bench for the Europa League game against Southampton.