Dani Alves said wearing the Barcelona jersey makes him feel like a superhero after returning to Camp Nou as he tries to rescue the club.

Alves is back at embattled LaLiga powerhouse Barca for a second spell following his departure from Brazilian giants Sao Paulo.

The 38-year-old Brazilian full-back, who signed a deal until the end of the season but will not be eligible to play until January, left Barca five and a half years ago.

Alves made 247 appearances for Barca after arriving from Sevilla in 2008, winning six LaLiga titles and three Champions League crowns among 23 honours.

There are two shirts I wear that make me feel like a superhero: the Brazil shirt and the Barcelona shirt, Alves told Barca TV.

So putting that shirt back on will give me…

Sergio Aguero has confirmed his retirement, at the age of 33.

The Barcelona forward announced his decision in a statement on Wednesday that was delivered at an event featuring president Joan Laporta and the club s first-team players.

Aguero, who starred for Atletico Madrid before becoming a Manchester City great, suffered chest pain in the draw with Deportivo Alaves on October 30, which the club confirmed was down to a heart arrhythmia.

He scored just one goal for Barca – an injury time consolation in October s Clasico defeat to Real Madrid.

But it will be his time at City that will be most fondly remembered, and he undoubtedly goes down as one of the club s greatest signings.

Aguero s arrival in 2011 came three years after the Abu Dhabi Uni…

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Greece will be riding high on confidence after their stunning 2-1 win over England at Wembley, a result that not only shocked many but also demonstrated their resilience and tactical discipline. Backed by this emotionally charged victory, the Balkan side will look to build on their momentum when they return home to face the Republic of Ireland on Sunday in their next UEFA Nations League clash.

Similarly, Ireland will enter the contest on a positive note after securing a 2-1 victory over Finland. The Boys in Green have been looking to solidify their place in League B Group 2, and a win over Greece would keep them on track.

Greece

The tragic passing of former Greece international and Sheffield United right-back George Baldock cast a …

Nicola Rizzoli could get the chance to complete a European Championship and World Cup double next year after being named on UEFA s 18-man referee list for Euro 2016.

The Italian took charge of the World Cup final in 2014 as Germany beaten Argentina 1-0 after extra time in Brazil and he could officiate the Euro showdown, unless Antonio Conte s side reach the showpiece.

Rizzoli is one of seven referees to head to France after representing UEFA in Brazil, a list that includes the 2015 Champions League final referee Cuneyt Cakir from Turkey.

Felix Brych, Jonas Eriksson, Bjorn Kuipers, Milorad Mazic and Carlos Velasco Carballo complete the list of officials heading to a second consecutive major finals.

England will be the only nation to be represented by t…

Watford have announced the signing of Tom Ince for an undisclosed fee from Sky Bet League One side Reading.

The 31-year-old arrives at Vicarage Road having signed a two-year contract with the option of a further season.

Ince has a wealth of experience in the Championship having featured for Derby, Nottingham Forest, Stoke, Luton and most recently Reading. He has also played in the Premier League for Hull and Crystal Palace before joining Huddersfield during the 2017-18 season.

Ince’s nine goals in 38 games last season was not enough to save Reading from being relegated to the third tier.

The son of former England and Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince has scored 96 times in the Championship over 365 games and becomes Valerien Ismael’s second signi…

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With all eyes falling on Berlin this weekend, Spain and England will meet in this summer’s European Championship final.

Spain

Starting with Spain, only continuing on what has been a real EURO 24 romp this summer, La Roja have continued to receive a string of plaudits from across the continent. Collecting another heavyweight scalp on Tuesday night as they secured a thrilling 2-1 victory against former world champions France, Luis de la Fuente s men find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high. Opening their European adventure on June 15th with a thumping 3-0 win against World Cup bronze medalists Croatia, Spain have won all of their six appearances this summer and have laid down quite the marker. Sending host nation Germany packing …

Manchester United are a better buy than Liverpool for potential investors and will generate more interest, according to former Red Devils defender Gary Neville.

England s two most successful clubs are on the market, with United and Liverpool s American owners open to offers.

The Glazer family have been in charge of United since 2005, while fellow Americans Fenway Sports Group have owned Liverpool since 2010.

Liverpool may have enjoyed far greater success than United over the past decade, but Neville insists his former side will be considered the more attractive club to purchase.

I don t want to be disrespectful to Liverpool at all because they re a massive football club, Neville told Sky Sports.

When you look at the height of English football w…

England boss Sarina Wiegman is awed by her World Cup hopefuls’ advocacy away from competition but readily recognises their performance on the pitch is what ultimately provides the platform.

Just days after winning their first major tournament at last summer’s home Euros, the Lionesses collectively released a letter to then-Conservative leadership candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss with a host of demands including a school football provision for girls identical to that offered to boys.

Their campaign paid off in March when the government responded with a new package of measures designed to grant equal access to all school sport, backed by over £600million in funding over the next two academic years.

We see this as only the beginning.

An open lette…

Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe concedes his international career is probably over after he was left out of England s provisional squad for Euro 2016.

Former Tottenham star Defoe returned to the Premier League from Major League Soccer side Toronto FC to join Sunderland midway through last season and his 15 top-flight goals this term were a key factor in Sam Allardyce s men escaping relegation.

But England boss Roy Hodgson plumped for uncapped Manchester United teenager Rashford to complete the line-up of forwards in his initial 26-man group, alongside the expected picks of captain Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge.

In an interview with Sky Sports News, Defoe revealed Hodgson did not contact him over his prospects of selec
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Manchester United had Casemiro sent off but racked up a sixth consecutive Premier League home win as Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford scored in a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace.

Palace were on the back foot from the off in Saturday s game and fell behind to Fernandes typically cool penalty inside the opening 10 minutes, before Rashford added a second goal shortly after the hour.

Casemiro was then dismissed following a VAR review after he put his hands around Will Hughes neck during an altercation between both sets of players, and Jeffrey Schlupp set up a tense finale with a goal 14 minutes from full-time.

United held on, though, to move three points behind second-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand – while Palace remain 12th, six points clear of…