Tim Vickery in South America

With his dramatic title-winning goal for Manchester City, Sergio Aguero paid off a fair chunk of his reported £38m transfer fee - some of which filtered down from Atletico Madrid to Independiente in Argentina, the club which produced him.

Producing such a magnificent striker has already done wonders for Independiente's finances. The money they received for selling him to Spain was used to rebuild their entire stadium, the Estadio Libertadores de America - named after South America's equivalent of the Champions League, which they have won a record seven times.

The Copa Libertadores is not only close to the heart of Independiente, it is a huge deal in Argentina nationally.

Louise Taylor: Ten big issues for the summer in the Premier League

What to expect in the close season from Manchester City's next spending spree to what to do with Joey Barton.

Ten Big Issues

Kevin McCarra: A Premier League of ups, downs and outs leaves a legacy of flaws

The Champions League finalists finish sixth in the league, Manchester United lose an eight-point lead and Manchester City lose five away games but end up winners.

Alex McLeish sacked as Aston Villa manager

Aston Villa have sacked manager Alex McLeish after 11 months in charge. The 53-year-old former Scotland manager said his farewells to the club's staff on Monday morning. Villa have endured a poor Premier League campaign, finishing just above the relegation zone after winning only four of 19 games at home. McLeish was an unpopular appointment as he arrived from Birmingham City last year but poor results and performances worsened his relationship with fans.

Paolo Bandini in Italy

Juventus wasted no time prodding the hornets’ nest. No sooner had they been confirmed as Serie A champions, than staff began handing out bottles of champagne labelled No. 30 - a figure representing how many league titles the club would have won, had two of them not been revoked as a result of the Calciopoli scandal. Last Wednesday saw an enormous Scudetto badge pasted onto the Juventus Stadium bearing three gold stars – each one representing 10 titles.

Phil Ball in Spain

I can't quite remember when it began, but final days haven't always been like this. Watching the summing up of the final day on Spain's La Sexta channel on Sunday evening, with the programme switching giddily from ground to ground, you'd have been forgiven for not knowing who had just won the league title and who had just saved themselves from the gallows, pardoned by a sweating messenger at the eleventh hour. But such are the stakes now. Zaragoza's justifiable delight at remaining in the top-flight after trailing the rest by 12 points at one stage resulted in scenes in Getafe resembling a Champions League victory. At Vallecas, where both Rayo Vallecano and Granada both appeared to be relegated as the 88th minute ticked by, Radamel Falcao - the man of the week - scored for Atletico at Villarreal, and two minutes later the veteran Raul Tamudo, historically a specialist on these occasions, scored for Rayo and sent Villarreal back to the Segunda Division, from whence they came in the 1999-2000 season. In many ways, it was the most shocking of the events from a predictably dramatic afternoon, and most of it happened in Madrid.

Fire/Sporks 5/13

Grazzini penalty, Oduro celebrates his winner with Anibaba.

Monday MLS Breakdown

Another turning point for Freddy Adu after controversial dismissal against New York.

Adu must push aside his inconsistencies and find some way to replicate his performance from Sunday's 3-2 home defeat to New York, plus a few tidbits from other Week 10 matches.

Ruud van Nistelrooy Retires

Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, 35, has announced his retirement from football. The Dutchman had been playing with Spanish side Malaga but endured a difficult season, scoring only five times in 35 games.

Spain: La Liga Weekend Review

Real Madrid capped its dominant Spanish league campaign with a 4-1 win over Mallorca on Sunday to give the champions a record 100 points this season, while Villarreal and Sporting Gijon joined already relegated Racing Santander in being demoted to the second division. Malaga, which had made a ?70-million ($90-million) overhaul of its squad this season, saw its investment finally pay off when it beat Sporting Gijon 1-0 through Jose Rondon's header to secure a fourth-place finish. It will join Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia in the Champions League for the first time ever.

Review

Italy: Serie A Weekend Review

Alessandro del Piero scored in his last league appearance for Juventus as the newly crowned Serie A champion defeated Atalanta 3-1 on Sunday to become only the second Italian side to win the title by going the whole season unbeaten. It was also emotional at San Siro as AC Milan bid farewell to club stalwarts Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Filippo Inzaghi as well as Mark van Bommel. Inzaghi scored to help Milan beat Novara 2-1. Udinese secured a spot in the Champions League qualifying stages for the second year in a row, winning 2-0 at Catania. Lazio, Napoli and Inter Milan will play in the Europa League.

Review

England: Joey Barton attacks Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker on Twitter after Match of the Day criticism

Fresh from elbowing Carlos Tevez during QPR's 3-2 defeat against Manchester City, Joey Barton has taken to Twitter to vent his anger at BBC pundit Alan Shearer and presenter Gary Lineker.

All The Twitter Fun With Joey

England: Premier League Weekend Review, Reports, Analyses, Insanity, Fallout, Team of the Week, Final Table

With Manchester City's dream dying in the embers of an exhilarating Premier League season Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero wrote themselves into club folklore with stoppage-time goals to seal a breath-taking 3-2 victory over Queen Park Rangers on Sunday and snatch their first title for 44 years. In a tension-wracked climax to one of the most dramatic title battles for decades, City looked doomed to failure when trailing 2-1 to relegation-haunted QPR while illustrious neighbours Manchester United were closing in on a 1-0 win at Sunderland and a 20th championship. Away from the euphoria of Manchester there was heartbreak for Bolton Wanderers who drew 2-2 at Stoke City and were relegated with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers. Arsenal claimed third spot and a Champions League place with a 3-2 win at West Bromwich Albion. Tottenham Hotspur were fourth after a 2-0 win at home to Fulham and Newcastle United ended fifth after losing 3-1 at Everton. Tottenham face an anxious wait to see if they get another crack at Champions League football as victory for Chelsea in this year's final against Bayern Munich would mean they take a spot in next season's competition at Tottenham's expense.

Review

Manchester City 3 - 2 Queens Park Rangers

Henry Winter at the Etihad Stadium
Phil McNulty at the Etihad Stadium
Richard Jolly at the Etihad Stadium
Daniel Taylor at the Etihad Stadium
Sam Wallace at the Etihad Stadium
Richard Williams at the Etihad Stadium

Martin Rogers: One for the ages
James Lawton: Aguero delivers on his promise

Sunderland 0 - 1 Manchester United

Kevin McCarra at the Stadium of Light
Alistair Magowan at the Stadium of Light

West Bromwich Albion 2 - 3 Arsenal

Barney Ronay at The Hawthorns
Phil Shaw at The Hawthorns
Jeremy Wilson at The Hawthorns

Tottenham 2 - 0 Fulham

Paul Doyle at White Hart Lane

Chelsea 2 - 1 Blackburn

Amy Lawrence at Stamford Bridge

Stoke City 2 - 2 Bolton

Paul Wilson at the Britannia Stadium

Swansea City 1 - 0 Liverpool

Joe Lovejoy at the Liberty Stadium

Everton 3 - 1 Newcastle

Andy Hunter at Goodison Park

Norwich City 2 - 0 Aston Villa

Report

Five Things We Learned

Five Things We Learned II

Best of the Final Day
Team of the Week

Uhhh...no.

PREMIER LEAGUE 2011-2012 - FULL TABLE

Pos. Team Pl W D L GF GA +/- Pts
1 Manchester City 38 28 5 5 93 29 64 89
2 Manchester United 38 28 5 5 89 33 56 89
3 Arsenal 38 21 7 10 74 49 25 70
4 Tottenham Hotspur 38 20 9 9 66 41 25 69
5 Newcastle United 38 19 8 11 56 51 5 65
6 Chelsea 38 18 10 10 65 46 19 64
7 Everton 38 15 11 12 50 40 10 56
8 Liverpool 38 14 10 14 47 40 7 52
9 Fulham 38 14 10 14 48 51 -3 52
10 West Bromwich Albion 38 13 8 17 45 52 -7 47
11 Swansea City 38 12 11 15 44 51 -7 47
12 Norwich City 38 12 11 15 52 66 -14 47
13 Sunderland 38 11 12 15 45 46 -1 45
14 Stoke City 38 11 12 15 36 53 -17 45
15 Wigan Athletic 38 11 10 17 42 62 -20 43
16 Aston Villa 38 7 17 14 37 53 -16 38
17 Queens Park Rangers 38 10 7 21 43 66 -23 37
18 Bolton Wanderers 38 10 6 22 46 77 -31 36
19 Blackburn Rovers 38 8 7 23 48 78 -30 31
20 Wolverhampton Wanderers 38 5 10 23 40 82 -42 25

The Fifth Official

Few of us like Monday but The Fifth Official does, for it brings with it a chance for him to point the finger and laugh. Here he pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from a week brimming with potential victims.

England: Premier League Final Previews, Predictions, Insanity

The Premier League season is set for a spectacular culmination on Sunday afternoon with matters still to be decided at the top and bottom of the table. Manchester City will be looking to stay one step ahead of their illustrious neighbours Manchester United and win their first top flight title in 44 years. Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle, meanwhile, are intent on snaring third place and a guaranteed spot in next year's Champions League. Plus, at the bottom of the table, Bolton and QPR are striving to avoid the fate already suffered by Wolves and Blackburn - relegation to the Championship.

Preview

Steve Wilson: All Set For Dramatic Finale

Premier League Spotlight

Team News

Manchester City vs. Queens Park Rangers: Preview

Paul Merson's Predictions

Lawro's Predictions

Premier League final Sunday: 10 matches, 10 issues on the last day

Martin Rogers: Soccer and religion meet on the pitch, where the English Premier League considers a change

English soccer is poised to change one of its oldest traditions following an awkward moment at the end of Manchester City's dramatic victory at Newcastle on Sunday.

Yaya Toure was presented with a ceremonial magnum of champagne for his man-of-the-match performance in the 2-0 triumph that left City just one win away from clinching its first English Premier League title.

Toure, however, refused to accept the bottle and immediately handed it over to teammate Joleon Lescott.

Toure is a devout Muslim who does not drink alcohol.

"I don't drink because I am a Muslim," Toure told Lescott. "So you keep it."

Italy: Nesta to leave AC Milan, ponders move to MLS

Nesta helped Milan to two Serie A titles and two Champions League trophies. The defender also won the World Cup with Italy in 2006.

England: Henry Winter selects his squad for Euro 2012

Henry's Squad

England: Blackpool advances to Championship playoff final

Blackpool will play West Ham on May 19 at Wembley for a spot in the Premier League after tying 2-2 at Birmingham on Wednesday night in the second leg of their League Championship playoff semifinal to advance on 3-2 aggregate.

The Big Interview: John O'Shea

The 31-year-old faces his old club United for the first time on Sunday and is determined to be on the winning side.

Sunderland will not be an easy ride for Manchester United.

UEFA Europa League: Final Reports

Atlético Madrid 3-0 Athletic Bilbao

Mark Lomas at Arena Nationala

Jonathan Wilson at Arena Nationala

Fans clash with police in Madrid

Rewind to 1995

Blackburn are facing a bleak future with relegation confirmed, but back in 1995 they were involved in one of the great days of sporting drama on the final day of the Premiership season - which could be repeated this year as Manchester City and Manchester United are separated by goal difference with one game to play.

Uli Hesse in Germany

Even though the team was not involved in the two issues that were finally resolved on the last matchday of this season, common decency demands we open this report with new - and old - league champions Borussia Dortmund. That's because their 4-0 victory over Freiburg completed a campaign the likes of which the Bundesliga has not seen before.

MLS Week 9 Power Rankings: Sounders surging, Timbers failing

Pacific Northwest rivals continue to head in opposite directions. That and more after a spirited Week 9 in MLS.

Houston Dynamo have a new home as MLS puts down its roots

Houston Dynamo will play its first game in the new BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, signalling the end of a journey that has taken in San Jose, a couple of MLS Cups, and a long term rental. It is a sign too of MLS's journey.

UEFA Europa League: Final Previews

Who: Atlético Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao

When: 2:45pm EDT

Where: National Arena, Bucharest, Romania

U.S. TV: DirecTV

Preview

Preview II

Mark Lomas: Bucharest anticipates Spanish sizzler

Kevin McCarra: Europa League finalists typify a tournament that makes Thursdays fun

England: Tuesday's Premier League Reports

Liverpool 4 - 1 Chelsea

Henry Winter at Anfield

Richard Jolly at Anfield

Andy Hunter at Anfield

Dave Whelan: 'Roberto Martínez would have been brilliant as England manager so why FA overlooked him I do not know'

There is no doubt in my mind that Roberto Martínez is the best manager I’ve worked with. He has done incredible things at Wigan and it’s a good thing nobody at the Football Association has got enough sense to go for the best manager in the Premier League.

John Brewin: This was how it felt to be City

Champions-elect and deservedly so on the balance of the 2011-12 season, Manchester City are footballing proof that "Money Changes Everything", as Wythenshawe Blue Johnny Marr once entitled a Smiths instrumental. Just don't expect everyone to applaud you when big investment finally pays off. City were once admired throughout the country for the loyalty of their fans, and the sharp gallows humour displayed at Maine Road.

Sid Lowe in Spain

Granada's fury at their defeat was inexcusable but the league organisers do not help ease the concerns of suspicious minds.

Granada lose their bottle and respect by pointing finger at referee.

England: Tuesday's Premier League Preview

Liverpool and Chelsea renew their rivalry in the Premier League on Tuesday just three days after contesting the final of the FA Cup.

Euro 2012: Poland's football hooligan fears

Some Wisla fans sang an anti-Semitic song about the supposed Jewish origins of their rivals and when a Cracovia player left the pitch, fans shouted: "To the gas chambers." When the match ended Wisla players went over to their fans to thank them, some of them making obscene chants about Jews. Beforehand, some Cracovia fans made monkey noises at Wisla's Brazilian player, Cleber, when he was sent off.

Juventus revel in redemption after their first Serie A title since 2003

Juventus coach Antonio Conte gestured to his players from the sideline, holding up three fingers of his right hand and two of his left. "It was like a Pope giving a blessing," wrote La Gazzetta dello Sport, describing the moment Conte informed his players that they were all but champions of Italy for the first time in nine years. It signalled that, crucially, Inter had taken a 3-2 lead through Diego Milito's hat-trick in an enthralling Derby della Madonnina against AC Milan. If the scores remained the same, Juve - who were 2-0 up in their match with Cagliari in Trieste - would seal the scudetto with a week to spare. Shortly afterwards, word got round that there had been another goal at San Siro. Juventus fans have cursed Inter's full-back Douglas Maicon in recent years, but not any more. His shot from outside the box, which made it 4-2 to Inter, was not the one famously heard around the world but it did travel from Milan to Trieste in double quick time and the celebrations really got going.

Americans Abroad

Clint Dempsey scores a free kick beauty, Sacha Kljestan wins a title.

The Rest

Henry Winter: Manchester City's players shine away from the pitch too and it's time to ditch the mercenary tag

Manchester City are the club of immense wealth, of controversial individuals such as Carlos Tévez and Mario Balotelli, spicy themes that tend to dominate headlines. City are also the club of a 26-year-old community department, of good citizens such as Vincent Kompany and Micah Richards. When critics talk of the riches spent in edging City towards a first title in 44 years, they should remember the richness of character in Roberto Mancini’s dressing room.

MLS: 5 things we learned in week nine

Los Angeles woes for Galaxy and Chivas; Vancouver upset the San Jose bandwagon; Impact's joy is Sporting's disappointment; Seattle have momentum for busiest month.

Five Things

Raphael Honigstein in Germany

Poor performances from the boardroom, the managers and team have seen the club relegated for the fifth time in 15 years.

Black cloud over Köln as the shambolic club goes down in smoke.

Ben Lyttleton: Yaya Toure is City's Driving Force

Maybe Arsene Wenger was right all along. The Arsenal coach had Yaya Toure on trial at Arsenal in 2003 and thought his best position was playing behind a center forward. That was where he scored for the Gunners back then in a friendly match against Barnet; and from a similar position this weekend, he scored two goals that swung the title race decisively Manchester City's way.



The author is incorrect when he says Toure was "snubbed" by Arsenal...

Raphael Honigstein in Germany

Dortmund must roll with changes for success in Champions League.

England: Blackburn Rovers Relegated

As a tale of cowboys and Indians reached a suitably bloody climax, there was a starring role for a chicken. That is Blackburn Rovers, a club where the sad and the surreal mix, where relegation came coated in rancour and where the image of an ignominious campaign came when the farmyard met the football field.

Eduardo Alvarez in Spain

El señor Ball and I chose to swap columns - he wrote a remarkably accurate Quiniela on Friday, while here's my weekend summary - in what was probably one of the busiest weeks in Spanish football this year. Even though the league title already had a rightful owner in Real Madrid after their sixteenth away win of the season in San Mamés last Wednesday, there was still plenty to decide in the standings and several off-the-pitch events demanded our undivided attention.

Monday MLS Breakdown

Colorado continues to adapt to a new coach and his positive approach...

Oscar Pareja's side has ditched its pragmatic leanings and embraced a possession-oriented philosophy, plus a look at the key moments in Week 9.

Breakdown

Didier Zokora assaults Emre Belozoglu in a very painful part of his body but only earns a yellow card

Safe also to say that such a horrible attack was not a result of mere over-exuberance. Emre admitted racially abusing Zokora in a match earlier this season. Despite calling Zokora "'A dirty n*****'," Emre said "In the heat of the moment in matches, you say bad things to one another."

England: Clint Dempey's Goal vs. Sunderland

England: Premier League Weekend Review, Reports, Analyses

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson concedes neighbours City have 'probably two' hands on the Premier League trophy as the penultimate weekend of the season ended precisely as it had started with both clubs locked at the top, but with Roberto Mancini's side boasting a significantly superior goal difference. On a day when Manchester City needed a big performance on their travels to Newcastle United it was Yaya Toure who led by example as his exquisitely taken brace was enough to silence an expectant St James' Park, while United beat Swansea by the same 2-0 scoreline in the day's late kick-off. Alan Pardew's UEFA Champions League hopefuls threatened intermittently to do Manchester United a favour but few would deny Mancini's champions elect were full value for a three-point haul that takes them to the cusp of ending a 44-year wait for a league title. Aston Villa are now all but certain of hosting top flight football after holding Tottenham to a draw in the Midlands, while QPR left it late to grab a hugely significant win over Stoke City. Bolton let a two-goal lead slip at home to West Brom to drop two precious points, while Fulham won the day's only mid-table affair in edging past Sunderland. At Molineux a stalemate was played out as Everton could not find a way past already down Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Review

Arsenal 3 - 3 Norwich City
Amy Lawrence at the Emirates Stadium
Ben Findon at the Emirates Stadium


Newcastle 0 - 2 Manchester City
Henry Winter at St. James' Park
Daniel Taylor at St. James' Park


Aston Villa 1 - 1 Tottenham
Kevin Palmer at Villa Park
Stuart James at Villa Park


Fulham 2 - 1 Sunderland
Julian Bennetts at Craven Cottage


Manchester United 2 - 0 Swansea
Kevin McCarra at Old Trafford


Five Things We Learned

Team of the Week

Garth Crook's Team of the Week

England: Chelsea Win FA Cup

Chelsea 2 - 1 Liverpool

Kevin McCarra at Wembley

Duncan White at Wembley

Paul Wilson at Wembley

Richard Jolly at Wembley

Italy: Juventus Win Scudetto

Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero and vice captain Gianluigi Buffon led the title celebrations after the Bianconeri secured a first Scudetto since 2003 on Sunday.

Paolo Bandini: Unbeaten Juventus scale the barriers to be crowned champions again

The Fifth Official

Few of us like Monday but The Fifth Official does, for it brings with it a chance for him to point the finger and laugh. Here he pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from a week brimming with potential victims.

Off the Ball

Off the Ball never rests in its mission to scratch around the underbelly of professional football to find the most bizarre, humorous and inexplicable stories.

This week, Liam Gallagher hogs the City spotlight, Roy Hodgson is ridiculed by the Sun but revered by the West Brom fans, Javi Martinez puts Ronaldo in his place, Neymar predicts a Santos result and Delio Rossi is sacked for smacking his own player.