Lionel Messi is looking forward to football getting back to normal after admitting it is horrible  to play games without fans present inside stadiums. 

Due to the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, leagues across Europe continue to carry out fixtures behind closed doors in the 2020-21 season. 

This was also the case to finish the previous campaign, meaning Messi has not played in front of supporters at Camp Nou since LaLiga was paused in March. 

The Argentine superstar feels the impact of empty venues has been felt on the pitch too, as it negates any home advantage for teams and leads to more even contests. 

It s horrible to play without fans. It s not a nice feeling, Messi told Marca after picking up the Pichichi award …

The Irishman is seen in the video asking the current crop of players whether they have what it takes to be a true red devil – reference to the return of the fan favourite red devil emblem on the jersey.

“So you’re a devil are you? Well let’s remind you of the terms,” Keane says. “The devil isn’t something you wear. It’s more like a pact, a deal, shall we say.

“It’s not for everyone. We expect a lot. And as sure as the sun will rise, we will know if you mean it. So have a good long think.

“What do you get in return? What’s on offer? It’s Manchester United.

“So there it is. No small print. Sign on the dotted line. But you already signed, didn’t you? Before you were even born.”

Keane ends the sequence sitting at a tabl…

Bernardo Silva is still wary of the threat posed by Liverpool and Chelsea despite Manchester City moving to the top of the Premier League following a 3-1 win over Watford. 

Chelsea had been at the summit but suffered a 3-2 defeat to West Ham and allowed Liverpool and City to leapfrog them. 

Just two points now separate the trio, and Silva is not getting carried away despite a dominant performance in which the champions enjoyed 77.1 per cent of the ball and took 26 shots, more than they have attempted in any top-flight game this season, and hit the target with 13. 

It was definitely a very good job in the first half, Silva said to Sky Sports.  The team started very well, creating chances and not allowing them to counter-attack. We scored two in the first half…

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci could face a three-year ban for his role in the Scommessopoli scandal.

The Italian FA (FIGC) has announced that the centre-back will face charges of sporting fraud, with Bonucci s name among those of 44 players revealed across 13 clubs that have been indicted for their part in the match-fixing probe, with Bonucci being one of the more high-profile players.

The 25-year-old is believed to have been involved in fixing the result of matches during his spell at Bari in 2009-10.

Furthermore, Juve coach Antonio Conte could be suspended as he faces charges of failing to report two attempts of match-fixing during his time at Siena.

The Scudetto-winning trainer was questioned by the prosecution earlier this off-season, and was cl…

Milan issue hands off warning over El Shaarawy

Serie A giants Milan have rejected speculation linking talented forward Stephan El Shaarawy with a January exit from San Siro.

The 19-year-old has enjoyed a bright start to the season, scoring 4 goals in 6 Serie A games, and has attracted attention from top European clubs in the process.

Manchester United are being mentioned as one of the suitors, but Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani was quick to point out that the young forward is not for sale.

“El Shaarawy is an investment for this club and we are very happy with him,” Galliani told Sky Sport Italia.

“Manchester United have fallen in love with him? Our policy is to focus on youngsters and he won’t be moving from here.”

Stepha…

Injured Schalke midfielder Marco Hoger has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the Veltins Arena until 2017.

The 26-year-old has endured a difficult time with injuries since moving to the club in 2011 and suffered cruciate ligament damage in the win over Hamburg last month that looks set to rule him out for a lengthy period.

Hoger, who has made 117 appearances for Schalke in all competitions, has extended his contract by a year, with sporting director Horst Heldt explaining the move was always in the pipeline.

Shortly after Marco got injured, we decided to get him signed on for longer, he told Schalke s official website.

In the last few years, Hoger has given everything for Schalke, so we wanted to give something back. We will now giv…

Joaquim Batica the agent of Arsenal striker Joel Campbell has said that the striker is determined to help fire the North London club to trophy success, .

Having signed for the Gunners in July 2011, the Costa Rica international finally scored his first goal for the club in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Swansea City though he has spent the majority of the last four years out on loan.

He had season-long spells with Lorient, Real Betis and Olympiacos before spending the second half of the 2014/15 campaign with Villarreal and now he is back at the Emirates Stadium, he is keen to prove his worth.

Despite being just twenty-three, Campbell has been capped fifty-five times for his country scoring eleven goals – one of which came at last summer’s World Cup finals in Braz…

The most famous rivalry in club football resumes on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu as Liga leaders Barcelona visit second-placed Real Madrid.

Luis Enrique and Rafael Benitez the latter preparing for his first Clasico as Madrid head coach confirmed on Friday that they are likely to have full-strength teams to call upon, with Lionel Messi back in full training, Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos available again and Ivan Rakitic and James Rodriguez showing promising signs of recovery.

As ever, talking points abound ahead of European league football s greatest fixture, from allegations of referee pressure to the form of Cristiano Ronaldo, but here are five issues which could well be key to deciding the first Clasico of the season

Messi a major risk in more ways tha…

Michel Platini s appeal against the temporary lifting of his 90-day FIFA suspension has been rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but football s governing body has been ordered not to extend the sanction.

UEFA president Platini along with outgoing FIFA boss Sepp Blatter was banned in early October by FIFA s Ethics Committee over a disloyal payment allegedly made to the Frenchman in 2011, though both deny any wrongdoing.

Platini launched an appeal against the sanction in November, but on Friday CAS announced the three-time Ballon d Or winner had been unsuccessful.

As a result, he will be unable to attend UEFA s Executive Committee meeting in Paris on Friday and Saturday s draw for Euro 2016.

Platini is also unable to revive his bid to …

Relegation-threatened Stoke City could be in for a summer exodus if they fail to preserve the Premier League status.

One of the first-team players that has already started drawing plenty of attention from potential suitors is the Switzerland forward Xherdan Shaqiri.  

Shaqiri joined Stoke City from Inter Milan in 2015 as part of the ambitious project that was supposed to transform Stoke City in the standard top-table dwellers but at the end of his third season at the club Potters are facing an uphill struggle.

Premier League sides Everton, West Ham and Crystal Palace are likely to go into a bidding war over Shaqiri’s services this summer.

A standout performer is otherwise underperforming side, Zherdan Shaqiri is a huge threat in front of goal and …