Guillermo Rai

David Alaba is set to feature for Real Madrid for the first time in over a year after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that the Austrian defender took part in training on Friday and could play off the bench in Madrid’s La Liga game against Las Palmas on Sunday. “He’s (Alaba) fine, he played 40 minutes yesterday with a good feeling,” said Ancelotti. “Obviously he needs a bit of rhythm, the knee responds well. He won’t start tomorrow, but he can get some minutes.” Alaba has not played since...

Alaba is set to feature today after a long spell on the sidelines with an ACL injury. This is the full story of his recovery

Former Wolfsburg chairman Francisco Garcia Sanz has joined Real Madrid’s board in one of three executive additions following president Florentino Perez’s re-election. Perez was re-elected as Madrid president for a fifth successive term on Sunday after standing uncontested. The club also confirmed the appointments of three new board members until 2029 following Sunday’s board meeting: Garcia Sanz, Manuel Redondo Sierra and Jose Angel Sanchez. Garcia Sanz was Wolfsburg chairman between 2009 and 2018 and had been on the Bundesliga club’s board since 2004. Redondo Sierra...

Rudi Garcia has been appointed Belgium head coach. The 60-year-old Frenchman has been out of football since November 2023 when he left Napoli, where he won eight of his 16 matches in charge having replaced Serie A-winning head coach Luciano Spalletti. Garcia’s managerial career has spanned over two decades and is most well-known for five seasons at Lille before three-year stints at Roma and Marseille respectively. His career has also seen him coach Saint-Etienne, Dijon, Le Mans, Lyon and Al Nassr, whom he left in April 2023 after eight months in charge. Garcia will replace Domenico...

Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that Vinicius Junior is “very happy” at Real Madrid and “wants to make history” at the club amid speculation over his future. The 24-year-old was linked with a move abroad during last year’s transfer window and The Athletic reported in August 2024 that his representatives held discussions over a possible move to the Saudi Pro League (SPL). “I have direct information from the player, is that he is very happy here and wants to make history at Madrid,” Ancelotti told a news conference on Friday, when asked about a possible...

The 20-year-old Argentina international has been superb in Serie A and has created more chances than any other under-21 in top five leagues

Guillermo Rai breaks down the key points from Real Madrid's win in Valladolid on Saturday

Luis de la Fuente has agreed a new contract with the Spanish men’s national team through to the end of Euro 2028. The 63-year-old took over as head coach of the senior side after Luis Enrique departed following the team’s round-of-16 exit at the 2022 World Cup. De la Fuente’s existing deal with the RFEF (Spanish Football Federation) is due to expire after the 2026 World Cup, with the 63-year-old last signing a contract extension in February 2024. That came a few months before Spain won the European Championship under De la Fuente in Germany, their first major title since Euro 2012. Spain...

Villarreal are working to finalise a deal to sign Canada international Tajon Buchanan on loan from Inter Milan. Buchanan has started only once for Inter since returning from a broken leg earlier this season. That injury was sustained during a Canada practice session in July and came only a few months after Buchanan had joined Inter from Club Brugges. The 25-year-old signed for Inter in a deal worth an initial €7million (£6m; $7.7m) plus add-ons in January 2024 but did not start a game for the Italian club, featuring 10 times as a substitute as they won the Serie A title. Buchanan previously...

Marco Asensio and Joao Felix are among the list of options Aston Villa are considering as they aim to recruit an attacker this window. Villa manager Unai Emery has held long-standing admiration for Paris Saint-Germain’s Asensio and has been interested in signing the attacking midfielder in previous windows. Similarly, Villa wanted to sign Chelsea’s Portuguese forward Joao Felix, 25, last summer and in early 2023. The club are aiming to recruit an attacker following the departure of Emiliano Buendia to Bayer Leverkusen and the imminent sale of Jhon Duran to Al Nassr. The Colombian...