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ATLETICO MADRID are La Liga champions after beating Real Valladolid in a dramatic final round of fixtures.Diego Simeone’s side were trailing at the break, but stormed back through Angel Correa and Luis Suarez.
Real Madrid also came from behind to win in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough for Zinedine Zidane’s men.

Final scores: Valladolid 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid 2-1 Villarreal

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ADIOS
And breathe.
Atletico Madrid never like to make it easy for themselves, but the main thing is that they got across the line.
Despite Real Madrid turning it around at Villarreal, Los Rojiblancos 2-1 victory against Real Valladolid was enough in the end for them to claim their second La Liga title this century.
Nobody can say that Simeone’s men never deserved it because they were top of the league for 32 out of 38 weeks this campaign.
But one man who deserves a lot of credit is Luis Suarez.
The Uruguayan was forced out the Barcelona squad but welcomed with open arms at Atletico Madrid and he has repaid them massively.
His 21 goals has really help fire Los Rojiblancos to the promise land.
Thank you for tuning in people, I can’t believe it’s the end of the season already.
Make sure you check out all the coverage for the final day of the Premier League tomorrow, there’s going to be even more drama than today.
I can feel it.

LIONEL ‘PICHICHI’ MESSI
He didn’t play today and he may well have already played his last game in a Barcelona shirt but Lionel Messi has just picked up his 8th Pichichi award by scoring the most goals in the La Liga this season (30).
The Argentine has now extended by two but will that be his last?

NUEVA CLASIFICATION DE LA LIGA
So it’s not the final league standings because there is still one more game to go tomorrow but all of the main spots have been confirmed.
Atletico Madrid’s victory ensured them to clinch the La Liga title by two points.
Real Sociedad and Real Betis both qualify for the Europa League with Villarreal having to settle for a Europa Conference League spot unless they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final on wednesday.
And Elche’s huge 2-0 victory over Athletic Club means that they survive to see another day in the Spanish top tier.
Which then leaves the last two relegation places left for SD Huesca and Real Valladolid who accompany already relegated Eibar.

TEARS OF JOY
Luis Suarez is still at it with the water-works.
Who can blame him? The man was unbelievable this season.

SUBLIME SIMEONE
In continuation to Diego Simeone, the Atletico head coach has just picked up his eighth major title as manager of Los Rojiblancos.
2x La Liga, 2x Europa Leagues, 2x UEFA Super Cups, 1x Copa Del Ray and a Spanish Super Cup.
No Manager for Atelti has won more.
8 – Diego Pablo Simeone 🇦🇷 has recorded his eight title for @atletienglish: two @LaLigaEN (2014 & 2021), two Europa Leagues (2012 & 2018), two UEFA Super Cup (2012 & 2018), Copa del Rey (2013) & Spanish Supercup (2014), more than any other Atlético’s manager ever. Legend#Atleti pic.twitter.com/YvYl4sZdsE— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 22, 2021

WELL SAID SIMEONE
The Atletico gaffer was asked for his opinions on the signed of Luis Suarez and this was his response:
Maybe he was lucky, maybe I was lucky but it’s Suarez. The name speaks for itself.Diego SimeoneLaLigaTV
SUAREZ SOBS
Cometh the hour, cometh the man – Luis Suarez fires Atletico to their first La Liga title since 2014 and here is some quotes from his post-match conference once he finished wiping the tears of joy.
The Uruguyan forward said: “I am delighted the way in which Atletico have appreciated me.
“They have given me the chance to keep showing that I can perform on this stage so I am delighted and I thank them for trusting in me.
“A lot of people who suffered with me, my wife my children my family from day to day.”
“I’ve been playing football for many years and this is the year that my family have suffered the most and I have suffered the most.
“It’s just an amazing feeling to have performed on the final game of the season.”
RESULTS AROUND LA LIGA
Here are all the results around the rest of the Spanish top tier this evening with the biggest one being second from bottom!

CAMPEONES! CAMPEONES! OLE OLE OLE!
Atletico are Champions of Spain, whilst Real Valladolid get relegated. What a cruel sport we love.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/lg7YG32GK4— LALIGA CHAMPIONS 🔴⚪️🏆 (@atletienglish) May 22, 2021

BUT IT’S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH!
IT’S ALL OVER AT ESTADIO JOSE ZORRILLA!
ATLETICO MADRID ARE THE CHAMPIONSSSSSSSSSSS!
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
LUKA MODRICCCCCCCCCCC!
YOU JUST SIMPLY CANNOT COUNT THIS REAL MADRID SIDE OUT!
THREE MINUTES ADDED IN BOTH THE MADRID GAMES!
REAL MADRID 1-1 VILLARREAL
86. What a season Karim Benzema is having and what a finish that was as his curled effort sailed into the roof of the net.
It was about time too.
But will it be enough to clinch the title as we enter the final minutes of the La Liga trophy hunt.
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
BENZEMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
AND THIS TIME IT WILL COUNT!
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
ISAK HAS PUT REAL SOCIEDAD IN FRONT!
WHICH CHANGES THE EUROPA LEAGUE SPOT POSITINING FOR A THRID TIME!
REAL MADRID 0-1 VILLARREAL
82. I THOUGHT THAT WAS IN!
Luka Modric fired a shot from around 25-yards-out and from the angle I am sitting in, that looked a certain goal.
Zinedine Zidane’s men have less than 10 minutes to not only turn this game around, but they need to hope that Valladolid can equalise against Atletico Madrid too.
EIBAR 0-1 BARCA
79. That’s the second time I have spoken too soon because just as I said Barcelone were having a quiet game, Antoine Griezman pops up with a half-volley.
It won’t mean much in the context of things, but the Frenchman can add that to his tally of outstanding goals.
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
ANTOINE GRIEZMANNNNN!
WHAT A FINISH THAT WAS SON!
SEALED WITH A KISS
Luis Suarez for the second time in a week with a huge goal and it could be the one to win the tile for Atletico.

EIBAR 0-0 BARCA
72. It’s been a quiet game for Barcelona with their much changed squad this evening.
If Ronald Koeman wanted to go out on a high, he’s certainly not edging towards that.
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
ELCHE HAVE GOT THEIR SECONDDDDDDDDD!
THEY ARE FIRMLY IN THE DRIVING SEAT TO STAY UP!
CELTA VIGO 2-3 REAL BETIS
69. That’s a big goal in the race for the Europa League spots because it moves Real Betis back above Villarreal into 5th spot.
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
AFTER GRABBING THE EQUALISER!
REAL BETIS HAVE PUT THEMSELVES OUT IN FRONT!
IT’S REALLY HEATING UP ALL AROUND LA LIGA!
VALLADOLID 1-2 ATLETICO
66. I hoped for drama this second half and I sure got it.
The two players I spoke about in the build-up were both in the firing line but one squandered his chance in Karim Benzema.
And the other, Luis Suarez, pounced on a horrible mistake made by the Valladolid defence to potenitally fire Ateltico Madrid to the La Liga title.
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
LUIS SUAREZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
HE’S FINALLY DONE IT!!!!!!!!!!
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ATLETICO MADRID can wrap up the La Liga title with victory over Vallodolid today.But if they slip up, big rivals Real Madrid are ready to pounce in what could be a dramatic final day in Spain.

TV/Live stream: Premier Sports
Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Militao, Varane, Migeul, Valverde, Casemiro, Odiozola, Asensio, Vinicius Jr, Modric, Benzema.
Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak, Trippier, Felipe, Gimenez, Hermoso, Koke, Saul, Llorente, Carrasco, Correa, Suarez.

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REAL MADRID 0-0 VILLARREAL
2. It’s just as hectic at Alfredo Di Stefano because Real Madrid have flown out the blocks themselves.
Alvaro Odriozola played a beautiful one-two with Odriozola before whipping the ball into the box.
And just before Benzema could get his head on it, goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli plucked the ball from the sky.
VALLADOLID 0-0 ATLETICO
2. WHAT A BLOCK ALREADY!
Luis Suarez was put through by Koke and he looked destined for at least a one-on-one opportunity but Jawad El Yamiq put his body on the line to stop the shot.
Atletico mean business this evening.
REAL VALLADOLID 0-0 ATLETICO
1. THIS! IS! IT!
The final round of La Liga is under-way and I have goosebumps just thinking about what could happen this evening.
Let’s hope for some drama people.
REST IN PEACE FRANCESC ARNAU
Before we hear the first whistle, I would like to send condolences to the family and friends of former Barcelona and Malaga player, Francesc Arnau who has tragically passed away at the age of 46.
You will be deeply missed and your legacy will live on always.

REAL MADRID LAST WARM-UPS
Get them stretches in lads, it’s going to be a long 90 minutes for all of you physically and emotionally.

ATLETICO MADRID FINAL PREP
I don’t think you need to warm up boys, the title race is hot enough as it is.

KEY STAT
Luis Suarez (10) and Karim Benzema (8) are in the top three for winning goals in La Liga this season.
But will one of Europe’s top strikers be able to grab a winning goal to secure the title?
3 – Top three players with the most winning goals in LaLiga this season:10 – LUIS SUÁREZ 🇺🇾9 – Youssef En-Nesyri 🇲🇦8 – Karim Benzema 🇫🇷Punch. pic.twitter.com/38JzXOjrH7— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 17, 2021

SIMEONE’S SERIOUS
The Atletico Madrid gaffer was not messing around when he mentioned in his pre-match press conference that:
It’s a final and we will both fight for our lives.Diego Simeoneatleticodemadrid.com
It’s all or nothing for Atletico and Real Madrid in the final round of fixtures.
FELICIDADES
Last bit about Karim Benzema I promise, unless he scores later of course.
The French international has been awarded the Onze d’Or for player of the season from French magazine Onze Mondial.
Congratulations are in order.

BENZEMA’S BRLLIANCE
No wonder Didier Deschamps couldn’t continue to leave Karim Benzema out of the French international set-up.
Take a look at his stats from this season.
32 starts in 33 appearances – that alone is impressive.

THIS IS KARAZY
One player who could be crucial to which way the title swings is Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema.
The 33-year-old has been a pivotal part of everything Zinedine Zidane’s side have tried to achieve this campaign.
Not only does the Frenchman lead from the front by scoring loads of goals, but he often drops deep to help out his fellow team-mates too which is why many are labelling him a standout player for the 13x Champions League winners this season.
And now, Benzema may have just received the ultimate ego boost needed going into Los Blancos final match-day because after a 5-year+ absence, he has finally been called up to the French squad for the Euro’s this summer.
The Madrid forward made his debut for Les Bleus in 2007 and quickly became a star-man under Didier Deschamps scoring 27 goals in 81 appearances.
However, Benzema fell out of favour with the national team program due to his alleged involvement in the Mathieu Valbuena sex tape scandal and his exile looked set to continue especially when Deschamps responded with “I’m not Santa Claus” to whether there was a potential chance of Madrid’s top goal scorer landing a place in the side for the delayed competition.
But since then, the France gaffer has made a massive u-turn on his initial decision which means we may finally get to see the trio of Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema up-top.
Another good thing about Benzema’s France squad recall is that it seems to illustrate the past being swept under the carpet so all that is left for Madrid’s talisman to do, is to prove that Didier Deschamps made the right decision by firing Los Blancos to the title this evening.
REAL’S READY
Los Blancos have arrived at Villarreal and it’s all smiles for now but I guarantee you all of their minds are on one thing and it’s not the pay cheque they would have received last Friday.

STEADY ATLETI
Diego Simeone’s men are in the building people!
I couldn’t even begin to imagine the kind of team talk the Ateltico boss is going to give his side before kick-off. He is one passionate man.

POSSIBLE SCENARIO
Just in case any of the readers are not aware, some of La Liga’s rules and regulations slightly differ to the way the leagues are ran in the United Kingdom.
If two teams are tied on points after the final round of fixtures have been concluded, whether that be for the title, a place in Europe or during a relegation battle, instead of reverting to who has the better goal difference, the Spanish officials declared that the spot is decided by a head-to-head rule.
The head-to-head rule is simply who has won the most games against each other during the course of the season.
Let me apply that rule to the current situation at hand between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid to make things a little clearer.
If Atletico were to draw against Real Valladolid and Real Madrid were to beat Villarreal later on today that would result in both sides finishing the table on 74 points.
Which then means Zidane’s side would be crowned champions because in the two games where Atletico and Real Madrid went head-to-head, Los Blancos won the first match and the most recent game ended in a tie.
I hope that made a bit of sense to anyone who is unsure about the procedures in La Liga and if you had no idea about this, don’t worry, you learn something new every day.
REAL MADRID SEASON SO FAR
After a shaky start to La Liga back in September and an anti-climax ending to any cups they have participated in, Zidane’s side massively stepped it up during the course of the year.
Here’s the stats to prove it.

ATLETICO MADRID SEASON STATS
Los Rojiblancos have been disappointing in the cup competitions this season but nobody can disregard their dominance in the league up until this point so let’s take a look at who has been their shining lights during the campaign.

MADRID LEFT FEELING BLUE
I just realised that I have spent a majority of the blog giving both Atletico and Real Madrid the praise that they deserve, but to balance it out, the 2020/21 campaign hasn’t been exactly smooth sailing for either of them.
Cup competitions have been both of their downfalls especially in the Copa Del Ray when they embarrassing both lost to Segunda Division B teams.
But what’s even more ironic is that a certain team from London were the ones who knocked Atleti and Real out of the biggest club tournament going.
Can anyone guess who that was? I left a big clue in the header.
Yes it was Thomas Tuchel’s revamped Chelsea side and it’s fair to say that both Madrid’s got torn apart by the boys in blue when they went toe-to-toe in the Champions League.
Atletico’s fate was decided in the last 16, whereas Real Madrid were evicted in the semi-finals and although the score-lines don’t show it, the West London club was dominant in both ties across both legs too.
With Atletico chasing their first La Liga title in seven years, it was a little understandable as to why they were caught in two minds whether to stick or twist.
But as for Los Blancos, they are known as the kings of Europe because they have won the Champions League more than any other club (13) so there was no excuse for that sort of display.
Anyways, that is the past and the focus is now on the Spanish crown jewel but which side will be left still feeling the blues come the end of today?
BATALLA DE DESCENSO
Let’s come away from the title race for a second because the relegation battle is just as intense especially as there is two teams that are guaranteed to drop down this evening.
The only disappointing thing is that unfortunately, the teams fighting for survival have been halved from six to three now and I’ll explain why.
Eibar’s ship was sunk by Valencia when Los Murcielagos put four past them last weekend, then victories from both Deportivo Alaves and Getafe was enough to ensure their safeties.
So the remaining teams trying to avoid the drop zone are SD Huesca and Elche who are both currently on 33 points.
Leaving Real Valladolid to complete the trio and they have some serious ground to make up because Blanquivioletas only have 31 points to their name.
Elche are potentially the favourites to stay up especially after their inspired win against Cadiz on match-day 37, but when you add final day nerves into the equation, you just never know what is going to happen.
VILLARREAL vs REAL MADRID LINEUPS
Villarreal XI: 13 Rulli, 2 Mario Gaspar, 3 R.Albiol, 4 Pau, 5 Parejo, 7 Gerard, 9 Bacca, 14 M. Trigueros, 24 A. Pedraza, 25 Capoue, 30 Yeremy
Villarreal Bench: 1 S. Asenjo, 6 Funes Mori, 12 Dani Raba, 15 Estipinan, 17 Paco Alacer, 18 Alberto. M, 19 Coquelin, 20 R. Pena, 21 J. Costa, 23 Moi Gomez, 32 Alex. B, 34 F. Nino

Real Madrid XI: 1 Courtois, 3 E. Militao, 5 R. Varane, 9 Benzema, 10 Modric, 11 Asensio, 14 Casemiro, 15 Valverde, 19 Odriozola, 20 Vini Jr., 35 Miguel
Real Madrid Bench: 13 Lunin, 26 Altube, 4 Sergio Ramos, 6 Nacho, 12 Marcelo, 22 Isco, 24 Mariano, 25 Rodrygo, 31 Blanco

ATLETICO MADRID vs REAL VALLADOLID LINEUPS
Atletico Madrid:  13 Oblak, 23 Trippier, 18 Felipe, 2 Giminez, 22 Hermoso, 14 Llorente, 6 Koke, 8 Saul, 21 Carrasco 10 Correa, 9 Suarez
Atletico Madrid Bench: 1 Grbic, 12 Renan Lodi, 24 Vrsaljko, 4 Kondogbia, 16 Herrera, 20 Vitolo, 7 Joao Felix, 19 Dembele

Real Valladolid XI: 1 Masip 16 Janko, 4 Kiko Olivas, 15 El Yamiq, 25 Olaza, 10 Oscar Plano, 20 Fede S, 17 Roque Mesa, 19 Toni Villa, 16 Marcos Andre, 9 Weissman
Real Valladolid Bench: 28 Samu Perez, 2 Luis Perez, 24 Joaquin, 5 Javi Sanchez, 22 Nacho, 11 Herivas, 8 Kike Perez, 21 Michel, 40 Jota, 23 Waldo, 7 Sergi Guardiola

THE TEAM SHEETS ARE IN!
REAL MADRID SQUAD UPDATE
Los Blancos have a tough task to overcome Villarreal in their final La Liga fixture and it just became even harder because of the injuries to key players which Zinedine Zidane will have to deal with.
Spaniard’s Lucas Vazquez and Dani Carvajal are both set to be side-lined and they will be accompanied by Frenchman Ferland Mendy too.
Carvajal is struggling with a hamstring injury whereas Vazquez is suffering with knee problems.
Ramos also had a slight issue with his hamstring but the club captain has reportedly stepped up his recovery pursuit and may even make the bench.
Raphael Verane  is continuing to nurse an abductor injury hence why he was not declared fit to play in the win over Atletic Club but he was spotted in training on Thursday which could signal that the French international could have some sort of involvement this evening.
As for Ferland Mendy’s, his leg troubles are still keeping him out.
Toni Kroos is another absentee for the heavyweight clash against Villarreal because Real Madrid revealed that the midfielder has contracted COVID-19 and the 31-year-old even confirmed that he is feeling weak after testing positive.
ATLETICO MADRID TEAM NEWS
Diego Simeone will be relieved that he has no fresh injury concerns ahead of potentially the biggest match of his managerial career.
However, Thomas Lemar hasn’t been able to recover from the muscle issue that the Frenchman sustained against Barcelona earlier on this month.
In addition to that, the Atletico boss will have to make do without the services of Stefan Savic who’s booking in the dramatic 2-1 victory against Osasuna has resulted in the midfielder getting a one-match suspension.
TABLA DE LA LIGA
One symmetrical point in both Atletico and Real Madrid’s form charts is the victory which each team managed to salvage last weekend and they’ll be hoping for the same thing this evening.
A couple places below those two is the battle for who will be finishing in 5th 6th or 7th and with there only being a point separating the three teams, it’s anybody’s game.
Looking further down the table; SD Huesca, Elche and Real Valladolid are all trying to avoid joining Eibar in de Segunda divison next season.

REAL MADRID RECENT FORM
Zinedine Zidane’s men only have four wins to Atletico Madrid’s five and they have recently been included in two score-less draws which doesn’t happen often.
However, they have shipped less goals than Los Rojiblancos and are currently on a 17-game unbeaten streak in La Liga.

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CHELSEA are looking forward to the Champions League final – and reportedly eyeing a summer swoop for Bayern’s Niklas Sule.Elsewhere we’ve the very latest on Tottenham’s manager search, while Sergio Aguero is reportedly set for a move to Barcelona.
And French superstar Kylian Mbappe could be on the move to the Spanish capital this summer, with reports suggesting he has an ‘agreement’ to join Los Blancos.
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WHERE THERE’S A WIL
Wilfried Zaha has insisted again he would leave Crystal Palace for a ‘top’ club after reports of interest from Tottenham and Arsenal.
He told The Face: “I feel like I can have another shot at the top teams, because my dream is to win things.
“I’m good enough to go out there and compete with the best.
“If the opportunity came, I wouldn’t turn it down, because I feel like I deserve it. It’s so I can show my kids: ‘This is what daddy won’.”

PLAY BAL
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could give Manchester United wonderkid Hannibal Mejbri his Premier League debut against Wolves.
And Shola Shoretire could also feature as the Red Devils prepare for their Europa League final with Villarreal.
Solskjaer said: “They’ve had good seasons [in the academy].
“Both of them. Hannibal and Shola, both of them will be involved. Maybe we can get some minutes in them.
“We want to go into the [Europa League] final with lots of energy but also confidence, so we will freshen up a few faces on Sunday.
“We want to enjoy it and give a few minutes to some who might need it before the final.”

RED REVOLUTION
Manchester United are expected to spend big this summer as they look to bridge the gap on champions Manchester City.
Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Declan Rice have all been heavily linked with moves but they are just three of FIVE big names on United’s radar.
LaLiga stars Raphael Varane and Kieran Trippier are also said to be appealing to the Red Devils with fans hoping club chiefs will back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Here is how Man Utd could line up at the beginning of next season.

BEES BUZZING
Brentford are just one win away from the Premier League after stunning play-off turnaround against Bournemouth.
Thomas Frank’s side came from two goals behind in this rollercoaster semi-final to beat the ten-man Cherries 3-2 on aggregate.
Now they will take on either Swansea or Barnsley for a £100m-plus shoot-out at Wembley next weekend for a place in the top-flight.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg on the South Coast, Brentford’s day got off to the worst possible start on five minutes when Arnaut Danjuma caught them on the counter to break the deadlock.
But Ivan Toney soon got them back into it from the penalty spot before Chris Mepham was sent-off for Bournemouth on 28 minutes.
Vitaly Janelt then levelled the tie five minutes into the second half as the Bees piled on the pressure for a winner.
And finally that moment arrived with just nine minutes remaining as Marcus Forss stabbed home to book their date with destiny at Wembley.

DIM VIEW
Harry Kane should be allowed to leave Tottenham for the good of the club, ex-Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov has claimed.
He told Betfair: “I saw the clip of [Kane] waving and clapping the fans after the defeat to Aston Villa and he could have just been thanking the fans for their support, after all that was the first time they were back at the stadium.
“I can see why that could be seen as him saying goodbye, but let’s not jump to conclusions and at the end of the day he’s still at the club and he’s got a big couple of months coming up.
“It’s never a good thing for a player and the club to fight, if a player has expressed they want to leave then they have made up their mind.
“If a club fights and makes a move away complicated for the player then it’s not a pleasant situation for everyone involved, including the fans and other players.
“If Kane has told the club he wants to leave then they should find a reasonable way to agree what the fee should be and how to part ways.”

Credit: Getty
BALED OUT
Gareth Bale has defended Eden Hazard for laughing after Real Madrid’s recent Champions League exit at the hands of Chelsea.
Referencing the now-infamous El Chiringuito clips, Bale, 31, told The Times Magazine: “I’ve seen it.
“It was literally as if he’d just murdered everybody. It’s a game of football at the end of the day.”

FERGIE ON MESSI
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he made a mistake around marking Lionel Messi in the 2011 Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona.
Barca won the game 3-1 with Messi netting the second in a special display from Pep Guardiola’s side.
The ex-Man Utd boss said: “ I should have changed at half time and put Ji Sung Park on Messi.
‘If I had played him against Messi I think we would have beat them.”
Credit: Reuters
‘DOOR IS STILL OPEN’
Anton Ferdinand says John Terry never contacted him before or during production of the former West Ham defender’s documentary Football, Racism and Me.
But Ferdinand insists the ‘door is still open’ and urged the Aston Villa coach to call him now.
The CPS charged Terry for using racist language during Chelsea’s game against Ferdinand’s QPR in October 2011.
Ferdinand accused him of calling him a ‘f****** black c***’.
Terry, 40, was cleared and then subsequently charged by the FA, fined £220,000 and given a four-game ban.
Ferdinand, 36, revisited the damaging incident and the aftermath in the powerful documentary released in November.
And in it he called for Terry to offer an explanation. But in an interview with the Times, Terry suggested contact was made but rebuffed.
However, Ferdinand – who said he was made to feel like the guilty man – has refuted the claim but invited Terry to call him now.
Ferdinand wrote: “I never received a call personally from JT prior to the documentary or during the process.
“As I stated on the doc, the door is still open to have a conversation if he’s serious about racism in football & wanting to create positive change. Call me then JT?”

‘MY DREAM’
Wilfried Zaha has insisted again he would leave Crystal Palace for a ‘top’ club after reports of interest from Tottenham and Arsenal.
Zaha told The Face: “I feel like I can have another shot at the top teams, because my dream is to win things.
“I’m good enough to go out there and compete with the best.
“If the opportunity came, I wouldn’t turn it down, because I feel like I deserve it. It’s so I can show my kids: ​’This is what daddy won’.”

BLUE KNEW?!
Jose Mourinho taught John Terry football rules even referees didn’t know.
Terry told the Times: “When José Mourinho first came to Chelsea, he’d be in at 8am, putting the cones out, putting the balls down, making sure that drinks were there, the bibs are lined out.
“I made notes about what he said in team meetings, what he did in training sessions. I learnt so much from him.
“These are bits you pick up from top managers like Mourinho.
“He always said to me and Gaz [Gary Cahill], with five minutes to go, if we were winning 1-0 and the cross comes in, both go for a header, but both go down after.
“If you both go down you don’t have to come off the pitch. Gaz and me didn’t know about this rule.
“So this cross comes in, we go up for a header, we both go down, the ref blows the whistle and I said, ‘You all right Gaz?’. ‘Yes.’ ‘Stay down.’
“The ref comes over, ‘You both have to go off the pitch’. ‘No, you don’t, this is the rule.’
“The ref goes, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’ Mourinho was so far ahead of the game. It ran the clock down. That can win or lose you games.”

ACROSS CRIS
Manchester United are ready to snap up Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus this summer, according to reports.
And should the Portuguese icon be available, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ‘would not hesitate’ in sanctioning a move for his former team-mate.
Ronaldo, 36, is set to consider his options after Sunday’s Serie A final day, following a desperately disappointing season for the Old Lady.
Juve currently sit fifth in the table, trailing the Champions League places by a point.
But even if Andrea Pirlo’s side do clinch a top four berth, Ronaldo may opt to leave a year before his contract expires.
And according to The Athletic, Man United chiefs are ‘monitoring’ their former No7’s situation with increasing interest.

BLUE MY MIND
John Terry has revealed his No1 aim is to manage Chelsea – who his current club Aston Villa face tomorrow in a Champions League decider.
The former England captain said: “My ambition is very clear. There’s an end goal for me and that’s managing Chelsea Football Club.
“My team will be winning — hopefully — very honest, very organised, very well drilled, very well prepared and with a back four.
“I look at Lamps [Frank Lampard] and Stevie [Gerrard] and the success they’ve both had. Lamps in his first season at Chelsea, and what Stevie’s done up at Rangers is unbelievable.
“I probably wasn’t ready to go into coaching then. I am now. But I’m not just going to jump into anything. I’ve turned down two jobs since I’ve been here.
“Decent-sized clubs. But it’s going to take something special for me to leave here. I’ve got one more year left at Villa. I’m in a privileged position because I’m in no rush. I want to be a No 1 but I’ll get there at some point.”

KING’S RANSOM
Manchester United have reportedly told Kingsley Coman they are ready to pay him £200,000 a week AFTER tax.
The Bayern Munich star has two years left on his contract but is yet to agree terms over a new deal.
Bild claim Coman, 24, earns £200k a week before tax but ‘would like to have it in net’.
United have apparently ‘indicated’ to the Frenchman they are willing to meet his demands – and make him their joint fifth top earner.
But there is no guarantee of a quick transfer as Bayern are in no rush to make a decision on his future.
And the Bundesliga champions will be able to demand a hefty fee, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £58.5million.

AGUERO TO BARCELONA
A reminder of the biggest story from the last 24 hours…
Sergio Aguero has agreed a two-year Barcelona contract as Manchester City’s record scorer heads for a summer free transfer.
That’s the claim from journalist Fabrizio Romano as Aguero battles to be fit for City’s Champions League final against Chelsea on May 29.
Aguero is likely to miss the Premier League kings’ domestic finale against Everton in front of returning home fans on Sunday with his leg injury.
But Romano believes the Argentina striker, 32, has made dramatic progress off the field in reported talks with Barcelona.
He tweeted that Aguero is “set to join until June 2023, agreement reached. Bonus included in case Barca will win the UCL”.

ING FOR A PENNY
Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Southampton striker Danny Ings if they fail in their pursuit of Harry Kane.
Pep Guardiola’s side are thought to be among the Premier League sides chasing Kane, with Manchester United and Chelsea also competing for the England captain who has recently expressed his intent to leave Tottenham.
But if that does not come off, The Athletic are reporting that Man City have the same idea as their local rivals Man Utd in signing fellow English forward Ings.
He has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but may feel his options will be limited at the club after Edinson Cavani signed an extension to keep him there another season.

PHIL US IN
Manchester City star Phil Foden has revealed what he said to Norway international Erling Haaland after his team’s win against Borussia Dortmund.
🗣 “Am I allowed to say?” 👀Phil Foden reveals what he said to Erling Haaland after Man City faced Borussia Dortmund pic.twitter.com/VX9xmGkCPf— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 21, 2021

BIG DAY
So, today we have the second legs of the Championship play-off semi-finals and a League One second leg too.
The Scottish Cup final is on between St Johnstone and Hibernian.
Then there is also the final day of the Bundesliga and the La Liga title will be decided in Spain.
Huge day across Europe.
Credit: Getty
ROO THE DAY
Dimitar Berbatov has shared how he and his Manchester United felt after Wayne Rooney handed in a transfer request at the club.
Analysing the Kane situation for Betfair, Berbatov reflected on the occasion in 2010 when Rooney expressed his unhappiness.
He said: “Transfer requests are a normal thing in football, players want to leave clubs. I was at Manchester United when one of the biggest names in football at the time, Wayne Rooney wanted to leave and handed in a transfer request.
“There were a lot of questions about why he wanted to go at the time and there was a lot of speculation, but in the dressing room you try to understand motives behind something like this and you don’t ask about it.
“You just try to put yourself in the player’s situation and see things from their side.
“As a player you can’t pay too much attention to these things and get distracted by it because it can affect your own game and performance.
“Moments like this can bring tension to a team which is why you shouldn’t focus too much on it, you can only hope that it gets resolved as quickly as possible for the good of the team.”

WOLVES NEXT MANAGER ODDS
Here are the odds for the manager to replace Nuno Espirito Santo at the end of the season.
Wolves Next Manager Odds – Betfair

Bruno Lage 6/5
Paulo Fonseca 9/2
Vitor Pereira 5/1
Rafa Benitez 8/1
Rui Faria 9/1
Scott Parker 10/1
John Terry 12/1
Roberto Martinez 12/1
Chris Wilder 14/1
Sean Dyche 14/1
Eddie Howe 16/1
Frank Lampard 16/1
Patrick Vieira 16/1
Pedro Martins 16/1
Steven Gerrard 25/1
BETFAIR: BET £5 GET 20*

DEPAY HIM
Memphis Depay will quit Lyon this summer, with Barcelona reported to be interested in signing the ex-Manchester United forward.
The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season – and it’s bad news for United, who are set to receive nothing from the player’s sell-on clause.
Speaking to French newspaper L’Equipe, Depay said: “It will be strange to think that I will play my final game for the club on Sunday against Nice.
“I am a bit sad that I won’t be able to do that in front of the fans, in an empty stadium without my friends, the fans and my family.
“I’ve had some great times here. I have played in the Champions League, I have captained the team and I am a much better player now.
“I want to go to one of the two or three best clubs in the top five leagues. I don’t know where I will end up yet, but that’s my plan.
“If people don’t consider me a player of that level then they have a problem with me. If I am not on the list of great players then it’s their problem.”

ART ATTACK
Mikel Arteta is not getting too excited at the prospect of celebrating St Totteringham’s Day again — as Arsenal are nowhere near where they should be.
If Spurs fail to win at Leicester tomorrow, the Gunners can overtake their bitter local rivals with a final-day home victory over Brighton.
But Arteta said: “We have two more points than last season — but it’s nowhere near where we want to be.
“Every Arsenal supporter should be aiming for us to be winning trophies and, when that is not the case, they are not going to be happy. There cannot be any other ambition at this football club.
“But there is only one winner of the Champions League and one winner of the Premier League and the rest of the teams all failed.
“Finishing second or third is not a big achievement but our supporters know what has been going on here.
“It’s not because of what has happened today, yesterday or last year. We all know where this club used to be, but that is the past and now we need to focus on the future.”
TUCHEL SHUTS DOWN KANE TALK
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has refused to be drawn on the club’s interest in signing Tottenham hitman Harry Kane, who wants to leave the north Londoners this summer.
He said: “If you find any coach around the world who would not like to have Harry Kane in his team, call me again. I would like to speak with the guy and hear about his ideas of scoring and attacking.
“Everybody loves Harry Kane but let’s be very, very clear. He is a player for Tottenham.
“He has a long-term contract and we will not get involved in any press conference with any disrespectful comments about that.”
Tottenham hitman Harry Kane wants to move on to pastures newCredit: PA
DISAPPEARING GINI
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has refused to be drawn on the future of Georginio Wijnaldum, whose contract at the club is set to expire in the summer.
The German said of the midfielder: “Nothing to say in this moment.
“Gini’s character is without question, a sensational guy, completely committed to the club and the team until the last day.
“It’s not the first time we had situations like that. The boys are used to being in negotiations, stuff like this.
“We will see about all these things on Sunday. Nothing else to say on this.”
Georgino Wijnaldum’s Liverpool contract expires at the end of the seasonCredit: PA

GOOD MORNING FOOTY FANS
Sergio Aguero has agreed a two-year Barcelona contract as Manchester City’s record scorer heads for a summer free transfer.
That’s the claim from journalist Fabrizio Romano as Aguero battles to be fit for City’s Champions League final against Chelsea on May 29.
Aguero is likely to miss the Premier League kings’ domestic finale against Everton in front of returning home fans on Sunday with his leg injury.
But Romano believes the Argentina striker, 32, has made dramatic progress off the field in reported talks with Barcelona.
He tweeted that Aguero is “set to join until June 2023, agreement reached. Bonus included in case Barca will win the UCL”.
Sergio Agüero to Barcelona, here we go! He’s set to join until June 2023, agreement reached. Bonus included in case Barça will win the UCL. 🔵🔴 #FCBMore: Barcelona are also getting closer to sign Memphis Depay. He confirmed to his new lawyers that he wants to join Barça 🚨🇳🇱— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 21, 2021

Romano also suggested that Holland attacker Memphis Depay, 27, will join Aguero at the Nou Camp last season.
That comes after Depay confirmed he would be moving on when his contract expires at the end of the season.
He told French newspaper L’Equipe: “It will be strange to think that I will play my final game for the club on Sunday against Nice.
“I am a bit sad that I won’t be able to do that in front of the fans, in an empty stadium without my friends, the fans and my family.
“I’ve had some great times here. I have played in the Champions League, I have captained the team and I am a much better player now.
“I want to go to one of the two or three best clubs in the top five leagues. I don’t know where I will end up yet, but that’s my plan.”
DEL HELL
Sir Alex Ferguson has questioned the recent form of Tottenham star Dele Alli.
The legendary coach thought the 25-year-old midfielder was going to become a ‘top player’ and has admitted he ‘doesn’t know what’s happened’ to his promising career.
Speaking to SPORTbible, Ferguson said: “I thought Dele Alli was going to be a top player, I must admit.
“I don’t know what’s happened there.”
The 79-year-old had been asked if there was anyone from the current game he’d try and sign if he was still a manager.
He was about to talk about Harry Kane before unexpectedly turning his attention to his Tottenham colleague.
Alli burst on to the scene in 2015 when he joined Spurs from MK Dons for £5million, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in his first season at White Hart Lane.
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