Summary

  • Weekend football build-up

  • Runners prepare for London Marathon

  • Get involved: after Samuels' salute, your best #sportingbanter

  • Barcelona draw Bayern Munich, Juventus v Real Madrid in Champions League semis

  • Johnson free to play for Sunderland

  1. Champions League draw reactionpublished at 13:05 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Real Madrid forward Toni Kroos tweets:, external On the #roadtoberlin we have to overcome @juventusfc. A tough challenge but with you madridistas we will make it!

  2. Manuel Pellegrini news conferencepublished at 12:58 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Manchester CityImage source, Manchester City fc

    Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini is the next Premier League manager up in front of the media, ahead of his side's visit of Aston Villa on Saturday.

  3. Jose Mourinho news conferencepublished at 12:56 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Arsene Wenger and Jose MourinhoImage source, Getty Images

    Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger have had the occasional run-in down the years, including earlier in the season when the Chelsea boss received a touch-line shove from his Arsenal rival. However, the Blues boss has played down the rivalry between them...

    "For me, he is not my rival, he is the manager of a big club in the same city where I work and live. It is a big club with the same objectives we have. Because of that always comes a bit of rivalry, but for me it is not different from when I was at Inter with the Milan manager or at Real with the Atletico manager."

  4. Jose Mourinho news conferencepublished at 12:54 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    It looks like Chelsea top-scorer Diego Costa will not be making his return from injury against Arsenal, but may be back for the Blues' game against Leicester. Here is what Jose Mourinho had to say about the subject at his press conference...

    "Diego Costa is nearly there. If not Arsenal then Leicester. We are coping for the difficulties of every match without him. The team is playing in a different way but we are doing our job. We are more strategic and less artistic but are getting results.

    "I would love Diego to be back but I trust the other people. [Dominic] Solanki did not play yesterday with the U21s to be ready if we need him."

  5. Jose Mourinho news conferencepublished at 12:52 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has been asked about Eden Hazard's contribution to Chelsea's season and Zinedine Zidane's assertion that the Belgian is in the top three players in the world at the moment...

    "In this moment, he is a fantastic player. I always say the most important thing is the team and their targets. If he wins the Premier League his season is fantastic. If on top of that he gets individual awards then it is nice.

    "He just signed a new contract. We didn't put a gun to his head. He likes Chelsea, he likes the league and he has made a commitment to that. I don't think he is interested in going."

  6. London Welsh complete triple signingpublished at 12:49 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Some Rugby Union news for you.

    London Welsh have signed centre Guy Armitage, 23, winger Josh Drauniniu, 29, and full-back Martyn Thomas, 28, for next season's Championship campaign.

  7. Mourinho news conferencepublished at 12:44 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Cesc FabregasImage source, PA

    Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho does not think Cesc Fabregas, who makes his first return to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, will struggle to cope should he get a hostile reception.

    "If he has some bad reactions he can cope," he said. "I know he chose Chelsea. I don't know why he didn't choose Arsenal."

  8. Champions League drawpublished at 12:41 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    RafinhaImage source, Rafinha Alcantara

    Let the sibling rivalry commence.

    Barcelona attacking midfielder Rafinha Alcantara,, external whose brother Thiago Alcantara plays for Bayern, tweets "Always a pleasure, @Thiago6 ...!!!" after the two were drawn together in the Champions League semi-final.

  9. Jose Mourinho news conferencepublished at 12:33 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is talking to the media ahead of Saturday's huge Premier League trip to Arsenal.

    Stay here for what he has to say...

  10. Rotherham deducted three pointspublished at 12:28 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Big news in the Championship as Rotherham United have been deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player against Brighton.

    They are now just a point ahead of Millwall, who are in the last relegation spot, with a game in hand. Game on again in the battle to beat the drop.

  11. 'Bring it on'published at 12:25 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Mario GotzeImage source, Mario Gotze

    You imagine the Bayern Munich forward Mario Gotze would have labelled any draw a "great draw". But, he is right, Barcelona v Bayern Munich should be terrific...

  12. Champions League drawpublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Semie-final drawImage source, AFP

    Luis Enrique, Barcelona coach, talking to the Champions League website, external about being drawn against Bayern Munich:

    "It is a special game because of Pep, for me and for the players. It's a great date for all Barca fans. We will go with the objective of winning both at home and away from home. The process is the same."

  13. Get involvedpublished at 12:12 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Allan Abbas: Juventus will win the Champions league if they avoid Barcelona in the final.

    David Ivett: Predicting a Munich v Juve final... Looking forward to that.

  14. El Clasico final?published at 12:11 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    An El Clasico Champions League final remains a possibility this season. It would be the first, although there have been three semi-finals between the fierce rivals. We've already the covered the first in 1959-60. The other two have been in more recent times.

    In 2001-02, Real again beat Barca en route to victory in the final as Zinedine Zidane and Steve McManaman gave them a 2-0 away win before Raul's goal gave them a home draw in the second leg to seal their progression.

    Nine seasons later, Barcelona would get their revenge courtesy of an identical set of results. Lionel Messi scored twice in the Bernabeu and Pedro's goal helped the Catalan club to a home draw. Barca would go on to beat Manchester United in the final.

  15. Champions League drawpublished at 12:09 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Jordi Mestre, Barcelona vice-president told the Champions League website: The draw wasn't a surprise, but Bayern and, above all, the first game at home makes things difficult. We know Josep Guardiola well, Luis Enrique and he know each other well and that will bring another attraction to the game.

    "Josep Guardiola is a coach who has given us a lot, and when he comes to the Camp Nou he will be treated for what he is; a great coach and Barcelonista. The tie is 50-50 and Bayern will be a very tough opponent."

  16. El Clasico final?published at 12:04 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Ferenc Puskas scores against Eintracht FrankfurtImage source, Getty Images

    So, with all due respect to Bayern Munich and Juventus, there remains the potential for an El Clasico final in Berlin. There has never been a Barcelona v Real Madrid final in the European Cup before, although there has been three semi-finals between the two.

    The first, in 1959-60, Real Madrid won 6-2 over two legs, with Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas doing most of the damage. Real would beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the final (Di Stefano scored three, Puskas four) in what is widely regarded as one of the greatest games of all time.

  17. Friends reunitedpublished at 12:00 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    BarcelonaImage source, .

    The Champions League, external have designed this tasty little graphic, pointing out that former Barcelona team mates Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique will be going head-to-head as managers of Bayern and Barca respectively.

    This semi-final has all the makings of being an absolute belter...

  18. Get involvedpublished at 12:00 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Robert Judd on Facebook: C'mon Juve and I don't care who wins between Bayern and Barca. As long as Real don't win.

    Nick Anderson: It could be a nightmare for Barca or go completely the other way and Barca might dominate with their technical skills. If only Messi would wake up and start scoring goals again.

    George Evans: When Italians walk this far its not in vain Juve's year.

  19. Champions League votepublished at 11:52 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    Champs LeagueImage source, Getty Images

    So who is going to win the Champions League? You can vote on this page until 14:00 BST, and the results will be published soon after. Please be aware of the terms and conditions.

  20. About time for Juventuspublished at 11:51 British Summer Time 24 April 2015

    David Trezeguet scores against Real Madrid in 2003Image source, Getty Images

    Juventus are in Champions League semi-finals for the first time in 12 years - they haven't won it for 19.

    In 2003, their last-four opponents were also Real Madrid. The Old Lady lost 2-1 in Madrid but won 3-1 in Turin to set up an all-Italian final against AC Milan, which they lost on penalties at Old Trafford.

    The neutral would take a repeat of that...