Shuvaditya Bose

Both midfielders have taken the less obvious route to the top, playing for smaller clubs in search of game time, but are now integral to their teams' prospects

A legend of the game both as player and Real Madrid manager, he is not a slave to any formation or philosophy and is considered a great man-manager

FIFA World Cup: The two heroes, who fashioned Spain's winner in the World Cup final, had their own fights to conquer before they ruled the biggest stage in football

An anomaly because of how it unfolded. Sharma – the world's No. 1-ranked T20I batter not too long ago – meekly pushed a Blessing Muzarabani delivery straight to Ryan Burl at backward point.

After weeks of scrutiny over his strike rate, the vice-captain's response was immediate: a 29-ball 60 in India's 219/5, sealing a 90-run win and a maiden series victory for captain Shreyas Iyer

Paolo Maldini's mission to restore Italy led him from Pep Guardiola to Andrea Pirlo, before politics, power struggles and a familiar face brought Roberto Mancini back to the Azzurri dugout.

Aziz Abdul says he shouldn't be judged by his relation with former Ugandan dictator, but isn't running away from his lineage

Financial trouble behind pullout; club unable to pay first instalment of participation fee for league, the last day for which was Friday

Alongside head coach Vijay Sharma, Mirabai Chanu has emerged as an integral part of India's support system.

Jamshedpur FC's shock exit has exposed the financial challenges threatening the sustainability of Indian football clubs.