Ex-Bayern president Hoeness released from jail

The Bavarians' former president woke up a free man on Monday after being released halfway through his prison sentence for tax evasion

Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness was released from prison on parole on Monday midway through a three-and-a-half-year sentence for tax evasion, the Bavarian Ministry of Justice has confirmed.

Hoeness was released the night before the scheduled February 29 date to spare the 64-year-old the attention of the media.

The 1974 World Cup-winner was convicted in March 2014 and sent to prison the following June having evaded €28.5million in taxes - a figure finally acknowledged by his legal team after Hoeness was initially charged with attempting to evade €3.5m.

It remains to be seen if he will return to Bayern and, if so, in what capacity.

Having made over 300 appearances as a player for the club, he served as sporting director for 30 years before assuming the role of president in 2009.

He has worked in Bayern's youth department since early 2015 on day release.

Blow for Real Madrid as Benzema suffers hamstring injury

The France striker could miss games against Levante, Celta and the Champions League last 16 second leg meeting with Roma after picking up a knock against Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid are set to be without Karim Benzema for at least their next three matches after the club confirmed that the striker has suffered a hamstring injury.

Benzema was withdrawn at half-time of Saturday's derby defeat to Atletico, with Borja Mayoral replacing the France international forward who was only passed fit for the match on Thursday having been suffering from a hip problem.

Indeed, the 28-year-old was absent from the 1-1 draw with Malaga and is now set for a further spell on the sidelines that could see him miss La Liga fixtures against Levante and Celta Vigo, as well as the Champions League last-16 second-leg clash with Roma.

A statement on Madrid's official website read: "After tests at the University Hospital Sanitas La Moraleja the player Karim Benzema has been diagnosed with a muscle injury to his right hamstring."

Benzema has scored 23 goals in all competitions for Madrid in the 2015-16 campaign but has only struck once in his last four games for Los Blancos.

The striker joins Gareth Bale on the sidelines although the Welshman could be close to a return having started individual training on February 25 as he steps up his recovery from a calf problem.

Cycling:Jasper Stuyven wins Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne with solo attack

Jasper Stuyven claimed a surprise solo victory in the one-day Belgian classic Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday.

The race is usually won by sprinters but Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) attacked out of a small lead group with 16km to go and hung on to win by 17 seconds.

Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) won the sprint for second place, narrowly beating Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) into third.

Stuyven said: "It was really hard coming in alone, but I tried to manage and go as aero as possible."

Scott Thwaites (Bora-Argon 18) was Britain's highest-placed finisher, in 10th.

Result

1 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo, 4:53:51

2 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha, +17sec

3 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, same time

4 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo, st

5 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Etixx - Quick-Step, st

Golf:Adam Scott claims Honda Classic victory ahead of Sergio Garcia

Adam Scott edged through a final day battle with Sergio Garcia to claim a one-shot victory at the Honda Classic.

Last week's Northern Trust Open runner-up mixed three birdies with as many bogeys during a topsy-turvy final round 70 at PGA National, sealing a first PGA Tour victory in nearly two years with a close-range par putt at the last.

Playing alongside Garcia for the second day running, Scott seized the early initiative by sinking a 15-foot gain at the first and doubled his advantage with a birdie-two at the short fifth.

The Australian saw his lead drop back to one after failing to get up and down from the greenside bunker at the ninth, before a wayward drive and a poor chip at the next saw the former world No 1 post a second successive bogey and slip back joint-top of the leaderboard.

A run of 10 consecutive pars came to an end for Garcia when he missed a two-foot putt at the 11th, as Scott regained his two stroke cushion with a superb approach from the bunker and a kick-in birdie at the next.

The Spaniard responded by carding a first gain of the day at the 14th, but gave his shot back when his second shot in to the par-four 16th landed short of the green.

A three-putt bogey from 40 feet by Scott at the same hole briefly handed Justin Thomas a lifeline two strokes back, but a double-bogey at the par-three 17th ended his hopes of victory.

Garcia posted back-to-back dropped shots when he found the rough off the penultimate tee and couldn't save par from 13 feet, as Scott tapped-in for a three to extend his cushion heading to the last.

With Scott deciding to lay-up at the par-five 18th, Garcia attempted to find the green in two but ended up firing his approach in to the spectators.

Although Garcia pitched to 15 feet and trickled in a late gain to close a one-over 71, Scott was able to seal victory and secure a place back in the world's top 10 by nudging in a three-footer.

"I fought hard and I thought I stayed calm," Garcia said. "I gave it my all, but hit a couple of bad shots on a couple of difficult holes and it wasn't good enough.

"I think he deserved it. I don't feel like my swing was anywhere near where I wanted it to be but I scored nicely.

"I putted well and chipped well but he played great. He played better than me at the end of the day, it's as simple as that."

Thomas carded a one-under 69 to end the week tied-third alongside Blayne Barber, with Graeme McDowell a further stroke back.

Vijay Singh recovered from dropping three shots in a three-hole stretch along the back nine to post his first top-10 finish on the PGA Tour since 2013, as one-time leader Rickie Fowler ended a frustrating final round with a one-over 71.

Tennis:Great Britain begin Davis Cup defence against Japan but how does 2016 bid look?

Against the odds, Andy Murray and Great Britain won the 2015 Davis Cup, they begin their defence this week against Japan and we take a look at their potential route to another final

So here we are again, it is just over three months since a heady weekend in Ghent when captain Leon Smith saw the Murray brothers lead the team to a first Davis Cup success in 79 years and on Friday they will take on Japan in Birmingham.

Great Britain v Japan: Davis Cup squads

Great Britain Japan
Andy Murray Kei Nishikori
Kyle Edmund Taro Daniel
Jamie Murray Yoshihito Nishioka
Dominic Inglot Yasutaka Uchiyama
Victory over Belgium in the final was preceded by victories in three home ties, including a semi-final triumph over Australia, a quarter-final victory over top seeds France and a first round success over USA, memorable for Dan Ward's epic five set victory over John Isner, winning 15-13 in the fifth.

Having won the trophy for the first time since 1936 can GB now emulate their 1930s predecessors whose triumph was the last of four in succession having also won the title in 1935, 1934 and 1933.

Since 2008 both Spain and the Czech Republic have managed to successfully defend the trophy but things could hardly be more difficult for Smith's team who face a difficult looking draw if we are to witness a repeat of those celebratory scenes in Belgium.

So what does the tournament and the draw have in store for the holders.......

First Round - Japan

Captain Smith has named a full strength squad with world No 2 Murray making his return to the court following the birth of his daughter. The Scot enjoyed an impressive start to 2016 reaching the Australian Open final, only to run into a familiar brick wall in the shape of Novak Djokovic who claimed the title.

Murray was beaten for the fifth time in Melbourne final, four of them against Djokovic who could provide quarter-final opposition for Smith's team.

Kyle Edmund has once again been given the nod over Dan Evans and James Ward, while Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot provide the options in the doubles, although it is likely to be the brothers who pair up for any final - Jamie buoyed by winning the men's doubles title in Melbourne.

World No 6 Kei Nishikori leads the Japan bid with world No 87 Taro Daniel likely to play the other singles rubber. Yoshihito Nishioka and Yasutaka Uchiyama make up the squad captained by Minoru Oeda.

Having lost their World Group first round match to Canada last year, Japan dropped into the play-offs but came through their tie against Colombia on clay in Bogota in November - Daniel fighting back from two sets down in the opening rubber against Santiago Giraldo.

Quarter-Final - Serbia (or Kazakhstan)

Now it gets interesting, Serbia have named a full strength squad for their first round tie with Kazakhstan and that means Djokovic is included. Whether he plays or not remains to be seen having pulled out of his Dubai Championship quarter-final with Felicano Lopez last week with an eye condition.

World No 24 Viktor Troicki is a more than capable second singles player, and equally adept at doubles where Nenad Zimonic provides the experience of eight career Grand Slam titles. Filip Krajinovic completes the squad.

Djokovic's appearance is likely to be crucial as without the 11-time Grand Slam champion they were beaten 4-1 on clay in last year's quarter-final having beaten Croatia 5-0 in the first round.

Having won the competition in 2010 and reached the final in 2013 (lost to Czech Republic), the threat from the Serbs is obvious.

Kazakhstan's threat is not so obvious but they have played in the world group since 2010 and were on the brink of reaching the semi-finals for the first time until Australia overturned a 2-0 deficit to complete a remarkable fightback.

They are led by world No 84 Mikhail Kukushkin. Andrey Golubev (180) or Aleksandr Nedovyesov (190) are likely to play the other singles rubber and Dmitry Popko (236) completes the squad.

The nature of Davis Cup means the tie will be hosted by the team who did not host the last meeting so for GB a Serbia win would mean an away tie, while a Kazakh win would mean would mean a first meeting between the countries and a drawing of lots to decide the venue.

Semi-Final - Italy (or Switzerland, Argentina, Poland)

Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka give the Swiss two players in the world's top four but neither have been named for their trip to Italy, meaning Marco Chiudinelli at No 146 is their highest ranked player.

Henri Laaksonen, Adrien Bossel and Antoine Bellier give the Swiss line-up an unfamiliar look against an Italian side likely to be favourites with Andreas Seppi (39), Paolo Lorenzi (52) and Simone Bolelli (73) three consistent tour stars joined by Marco Cecchinato in their squad.

Argentina and Poland meet on the hard courts in Gdansk and with big serving Jerzy Janowicz and Lukas Kubot leading the squad they may just edge Argentina who would favour a meeting on clay but have reached the semi-finals in five of the last six years, losing their only final to Spain in 2011.

Leonardo Mayer, Carlos Berlocq are experienced regulars but Rio Open finalist Guido Pella and Renzo Olivo are both in line for Davis Cup debuts.

We pick Italy to come through and provide Britain's opposition in the last four and the good news is that it would be a home tie following their last meeting in Naples two years ago. For the record Poland would be away while Argentina and Switzerland would also be home ties.

Final - France (or Canada, Germany, Czech Rep, USA, Australia, Croatia, Belgium)

Let's take captain Yannick Noah and France to come through from the bottom half of the draw - all four of the players named in their squad for an intriguing first round tie against Canada are ranked in the world's top 20.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon are included for a tie that will be played on clay in the French region of Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean.

A strong Canada will provide stiff opposition but with big serving Milos Raonic their top ranked player, the French have opted to play the tie on clay.

Vasek Pospisil, Daniel Nestor and Frank Dancevic make up the squad with Nestor's doubles experience vital to if they are to have a chance of progressing.

France will have to overcome Germany or the Czech Republic in the quarter-final - a strong Czech side led by Tomas Berdych should squeeze through in Hannover, with Lukas Rosol, Jiri Vesely and Radek Stepanek completing the squad for the 2012 & 2013 winners. Philipp Kohlschreiber, teenager Alexander Zverev, Dustin Brown and doubles specialist Philipp Petzschner make up the German squad.

Leyton Hewitt will hope his on-court passion translates to the role of Australia captain - his squad of Bernard Tomic, Nick Kyrgios, Sam Groth and double specialist John Peers looks to be one of the most exciting with Tomic and Kyrgios looking like they could fulfill their vast potential this season. Although their tie against a USA team featuring John Isner, Jack Sock and doubles legends Bob and Mike Bryan looks like being a thriller.

Australia should prevail on the grass and play either Croatia or Belgium in the quarter-final with a strong Croatia side of Marin Cilic, Borna Coric, Ivan Dodig and Marin Draganja likely to come through in their home tie against last year's beaten finalists Belgium who have named David Goffin, Kimmer Coppejans, Ruben Bemelmans and Arthur de Greef in their squad.

So Australia to play France in the semi-final with the French providing the opposition for Murray and co in the final, with France the hosts........

Tennis:Stan Wawrinka beats Marcos Baghdatis to claim Dubai Championships title

Stan Wawrinka claimed a second ATP title of the year with a 6-4 7-6 victory over unseeded Marcos Baghdatis at the Dubai Championships.

A match low on quality - with 79 unforced errors - caught fire late in the second set culminating in an epic tie break that Wawrinka clinched 15-13 after a string of missed opportunities for Baghdatis.

The Cypriot was chasing a first ATP title since 2010 but it proved to be beyond him as Wawrinka's superior consistency was enough to suppress his opponent, who offered only minor glimpses of the irrepressible talent he can produce on occasions.

For the Swiss it followed a victory in Chennai earlier in the year and a remarkable ninth successive victory in ATP finals.

After a couple of comfortable early holds from both players it was Baghdatis who edged ahead, breaking in the fifth game of the match only to see Wawrinka hit back immediately.

With the game back on serve in the tenth game, a fourth and fifth double fault handed Wawrinka three break points and with it set points, but Baghdatis rallied to save all three.

With the Cypriot clearly struggling with his serve it was no surprise when Wawrinka clinched the opener at the fifth time of asking thanks to Baghdatis' sixth double fault of the match.

With the crowd on his side the world number 57 wasted little time in rallying himself and the supporters with a fabulous cross-court volley in the opening point of the second set - which even drew the applause of his opponent.

Seemingly free of the nerves that inhibited him throughout the first set, Baghdatis began to throw himself around the court, but mixed some thrilling play with some wayward shots.

Despite his first serve problems, down at 41% midway through the second set, Baghdatis managed to hold on to his first three service games, mainly due to some untidy play from the second seed who was far from his best.

An improvement of the Baghdatis serve ensured the set was nip and tuck throughout, with Wawrinka surviving a potential scare in the seventh; rallying from 0-30 on his serve with four impressive points and a more dominant look to his game.

After a strong hold to love from the Swiss the pressure was on Baghdatis but he held impressively to level the second set at 5-5.

A magnificent forehand and an equally stunning backhand from Wawrinka wasn't enough to break Baghdatis and the second set headed into a tie-break, which was to offer some of the most exciting moments of the match.

The Swiss ace broke in both of Baghdatis' opening service games in the breaker and was soon 4-1 in front, before Baghdatis rallied to get the first set point at 6-5 - Wawrinka held both his serves to force his first Championship point

Set points came and went for Baghdatis including a first on his own serve at 9-8 and another at 10-9 before Wawrinka clinched the title on his fourth championship point.

"It's been an amazing year. I'm playing my best tennis since a few years now so hopefully I can keep this level," Wawrinka said.

Boxing-Carl Frampton vs Scott Quigg: Frampton wins on split decision

Carl Frampton was crowned as a two-belt world champion after a split decision win over super-bantamweight rival Scott Quigg.

Frampton controlled the early rounds with a disciplined display and added the WBA Super to his IBF belt after receiving two scores of 116-112 from the judges, with the third scoring it 115-113 for Quigg in Manchester.

But debate about who is the best domestic fighter in the division could continue as Quigg felt his late aggression should have earned him the verdict.

A simmering feud between the two squabbling camps had threatened to boil over in the build-up and there was even a row about use of the 'home' dressing room.

Quigg, just a few miles from his own front door, received a harsh welcome from the travelling Irish fans and then Frampton was roared to the ring by his vociferous support.

After years of anticipation, the two fighters shared a ring at last, and tension was etched on their faces in the tentative opening minutes, with Quigg landing a short counter left hook.

Frampton tried to set the tone with his stabbing jab in the second round and Quigg was inches away from landing a looping hook in the closing seconds.

With the 'Jackal' content to edge forward behind his jab, Quigg cleverly countered with his hook in the third.

But Frampton was dictating the cagey early stages with occasional bursts of punches, although Quigg answered with a crisp right hand in the fourth.

Watching from the corner, trainer Joe Gallagher offered stern advice to Quigg after Frampton appeared to pocket the fifth with that accurate jab.

A jolting uppercut briefly stopped the Bury man in his tracks during the sixth, but Quigg was marching forward with more purpose and tried to bully his opponent to the ropes in the seventh.

Quigg was finally knocking Frampton out of his confident stride, ripping a hook through his defences in the eighth and he unloaded more clubbing punches on the Northern Irishman in the ninth.

Sensing the closeness of the cards, both stood and traded in the 10th, and the crowd roared in approval as Quigg and Frampton exchanged spiteful punches from close quarters.

Quigg was welcoming this damaging dogfight and unravelled Frampton's defences with a big overhand right before ramming more punches on his dazed foe in the 11th.

Into the last, Frampton stepped neatly away from danger and countered with a cluster of punches as Quigg charged forward in search of a telling blow.

Cricket:India batsman Virat Kohli fined for misconduct against Pakistan

Indian batsman Virat Kohli was fined 30 per cent of his match fee for misconduct during the T20 Asia Cup match with Pakistan.

Kohli was found to have shown dissent at an umpire's decision, the International Cricket Council confirmed on Sunday.

The incident happened in the 15th over of India's innings when Kohli, after being given out leg before, showed his bat and then looked back at the umpire and uttered some words as he left the crease.

Kohli top-scored with 49 off 51 balls as India defeated fierce rivals Pakistan by five wickets in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka.

The 27-year-old admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Jeff Crowe and no formal hearing was needed.

Such offences carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player's match fee.

Hardik Pandya took 3-8 as India skittled Pakistan out for 83 to secure a comfortable victory on Saturday in the Asia Cup in Dhaka.

Six Nations 2016: Eddie Jones' England moving in right direction

Homecomings aren't always happy affairs. It depends what you're coming home from.

For England, on their first return to Twickenham after a World Cup failure that will haunt those involved for years to come, their 21-10 win over Ireland was cause for both relief and regret.

Relief that they are three from three under the new regime, relief that their imprecision and indiscipline was not punished, relief that in Billy Vunipola they have a man who is already a game-changer and may yet become the best number eight in the world.

Regret that so many of the old weaknesses are still apparent, regret that they made something which should have been simple so much harder for themselves.

At one stage in a first half that was high on ambition and higher still in errors, the television cameras cut to a face in the crowd as impassive as he had been all smiles on his last visit.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen rarely gives anything away. But after a World Cup in which his side illustrated so sweetly how yawning the gap is between the best of the south and the toilers in the north, you could have forgiven him a frown and a simple question: has the Six Nations learned nothing from last autumn?

Perhaps this was not the afternoon for the sort of rugby that lit up that balmy October and sunny November. A wind that had been cheek-nipping in the afternoon turned skin-ripping as the daylight faded. Passes dropped off frozen fingers. Brains iced up with attacking spaces open and defensive holes to be filled.

Perhaps, too, new England coach Eddie Jones does not regret that his new side sunk to such lows four months ago. He would never publicly admit it, but like a politician taking power after recession, his task is in some ways much easier for the mess that preceded it.

This is no revolution from England, not yet. Twelve of the side that started on Saturday had started the corresponding fixture in Dublin a year ago. England had won four of their last five against Ireland and lost at home to them only once in a decade.

This win must sit in that context. Yellow cards for James Haskell - he has now been sin-binned more than any other player in Six Nations history - and replacement scrum-half Danny Care left Jones's side playing half the second half a man down. A domination of territory and possession in the opening 40 minutes brought a lead of just three points when the match could have been closed down.

When Wales arrive in a fortnight, memories of their late triumph here in that pivotal World Cup group game still keeping so many warm into the winter nights, they are unlikely to be as generous as Ireland.

Joe Schmidt's side lost three of their four attacking line-outs on the England line and blew an attacking scrum in the same auspicious position; they won 10 turnovers to England's two yet too often brought pressure back on to themselves with poor decisions and sloppy execution.

This is a start, nothing more for now, nothing that different to what Jones's predecessor Stuart Lancaster achieved at home.

And that is exactly what should be expected of Jones. He has had this team for three matches, two of which were away from home. No side accelerates from a standing start. No coach, no matter how long in the tooth or wise of thought, can rapidly transform a nation who have won just one Grand Slam in two decades.

What will give Jones hope that over the next few years he might succeed where others have failed is the emergence of the sort of player that successful teams can be built around.

Vunipola is still only 23. He is still growing in strength and growing into his role. He finished the World Cup injured and upset, in his own reserved way, that he barely knew the true character of the men he had been playing with.

Jones has had time to make some changes at least. One of them was to allow his players a beer or two in the dressing-room after matches, a few looseners in the pub well before games to get to know each other as more than just rugby players. Another was to make Vunipola, a naturally shy giant, one of his three vice-captains.

It seems to be working. Saracens deserve credit for making the number eight fitter and more mobile than he has ever been. Vunipola deserves Jones's thanks for smashing holes in the Irish defensive line, getting up and then asking for more.

In the first half alone he carried for 75 metres, more than the entire Irish team put together. Across the 80 minutes - and it wasn't that long ago that Vunipola seldom lasted more than 60 - he made 18 carries and beat 10 defenders, a consistent outlet in defence and a wrecking-ball in attack.

"He is only going to get better," said Jones, unable to keep a contented grin off his face. "He's still just a kid learning the game.

"He's enjoying the team environment now. He's not a great talker but he leads by example, and that's what we want our vice-captains to do."

Then there is Maro Itoje, making his full debut a year younger than both Martin Johnson and Paul O'Connell, the two great second row titans of this old fixture to which the team's defence coach Paul Gustard has compared him.

It could be claimed that Itoje has been hyped for years, except his performances captaining England's age-group sides and then in the Premiership have rendered that more honest account than hoopla.

On Saturday, he was as he has been on the way up - quick, powerful, intelligent with the ball and smart without it.

Jones has been around too long to put too much pressure on too young a talent; when he first brought Itoje into his squad, he described him as a Vauxhall Viva who he hoped to turn into a BMW.

After the win over Ireland he allowed himself a little more. "Whatever the level is up from a Vauxhall Viva is, he's on that. Is that an Astra?"

There were other reasons for Jones to be smiling - Jack Nowell's eyeballs-out try-saving tackle on Robbie Henshaw; George Kruis and debutant Elliot Daly's work in putting enough doubt in the mind of referee and TMO that neither could award Josh van der Flier a late try that, in truth, he probably scored.

"We'll only get better as players understand how we want England to play," he said. "We probably left 15 points out there, but get the structure right and the finishing will come. Today was a pretty decent step up."

Better they will have to get - better to hold off a physical and fired-up Wales in a fortnight, better still to take this unbeaten streak to five. And better, far better, if Hansen is ever to watch a Six Nations match and be genuinely fearful of the sides he sees.

F1 2016 testing: Barcelona Test Two to reveal more new season clues

F1 teams will have just four days of track running left to hone their cars for 2016's season-opening Australian GP next month when the second and final test begins at Barcelona on Tuesday.

Despite the new-for-2016 cars taking to the track for the first time just six days ago, the shortest pre-season in the sport's history means the second test at the Circuit de Catalunya represents the final chance to work through changes on track before the first practice session in Melbourne on March 18.

Attention will turn to performance and full race simulations during week two - which should provide a more accurate glimpse at 2016's early pecking order.

Sky Sports F1's schedule for the second Barcelona test

World champions Mercedes head into the test already looking in ominous form after they completed the equivalent of 10 Spanish GP race distances with their new seemingly bullet-proof W07 last week.

Lewis Hamilton, who has flown to Los Angeles between the tests, said he could not wait to "unleash" the car after Mercedes ran almost exclusively on the slower medium tyre.

After a wretched 2015, McLaren and engine partners Honda had appeared to finally be on top of reliability too in the early stages of running but problems with the MP4-31 over the final two days mean the partnership are again under pressure for the second test.

Ahead of only Manor in the mileage charts at the half-way point of testing, McLaren's running was curtailed by first a hydraulic leak in the power unit - which forced a change of engine - and then an unrelated coolant leak on Thursday.

"Over the course of the first four days in Barcelona we've done a good amount of running and already learned a lot about our package, which should stand us in good stead for next week," said McLaren's director of engineering Matt Morris.

"At the second test we'll be able to focus more on race simulations and setup, as well as characterising our package's performance."

Honda are introducing revisions to their power unit for the second test, while Jenson Button tweeted there was "a lot of new stuff coming for test two" from McLaren.

Meanwhile, week one pacesetters Ferrari will aim to build on an eye-catching start to testing which saw their new SF16-H set the pace on all but one of the four days.

Conclusions from Test One

However, the car ran into some reliability problems and Kimi Raikkonen admitted "there is a good potential but we can still improve".

Elsewhere, and newcomers Haas enjoyed a productive first week to their F1 journey with the all-new VF-16 showing flashes of potential, while established outfit Williams are likely to join Mercedes in starting to show what their car is capable of after a low-key first week.

Tuesday's opening morning will also see the 11th and final 2016 car presented as Sauber reveal their C35. Although the Swiss team were in action last week, they ran their 2015 challenger decked out in this season's blue and yellow livery.

By contrast, Toro Rosso ran their new STR11 in an interim all-navy scheme at test one, but the Red Bull's junior team's more familiar colours are set to reappear this week.

Test Two line-ups so far

Day One, Tuesday March 1
McLaren: Fernando Alonso
Toro Rosso: Max Verstappen
Force India: Nico Hulkenberg
Williams: Valtteri Bottas
Force India: Nico Hulkenberg
Sauber: Felipe Nasr
Haas: Esteban Gutierrez

Day Two, Wednesday March 2
McLaren: Jenson Button
Toro Rosso: Carlos Sainz
Force India: Sergio Perez
Williams: Valtteri Bottas
Force India: Sergio Perez
Sauber: Marcus Ericsson
Haas: Esteban Gutierrez

Day Three, Thursday March 3
McLaren: Fernando Alonso
Force India: Nico Hulkenberg
Toro Rosso: Max Verstappen
Williams: Felipe Massa
Force India: Nico Hulkenberg
Sauber: Felipe Nasr
Haas: Romain Grosjean

Day Four, Friday March 4
McLaren: Jenson Button
Force India: Sergio Perez
Toro Rosso: Carlos Sainz
Williams: Felipe Massa
Force India: Sergio Perez
Sauber: Marcus Ericsson
Haas: Romain Grosjean

Capital One Cup: Manuel Pellegrini's selection policies pay off

 
Manuel Pellegrini may be leaving Manchester City in three months - but he will be leaving as a winner before Pep Guardiola takes his place at the Etihad.

The normally impassive Pellegrini was, by his understated standards, positively buoyant after the Capital One Cup win at Wembley, secured on penalties against Liverpool after the game ended 1-1 after extra time.

This was a victory of great significance for Pellegrini, not simply in the context of his forthcoming replacement by Guardiola, but also in the light of his selection policies in the past week.

The Chilean can feel vindicated by success - with a League Cup won and City still in contention for the Premier League and Champions League.

The Manchester City manager has faced a week of big decisions - and emerged triumphant after his selection policies came under fierce scrutiny.

When Pellegrini, who has a history of fielding strong sides in domestic cup competitions, selected an almost unrecognisable side in the 5-1 FA Cup fifth-round defeat at Chelsea last Sunday, it increased the pressure on the subsequent big games.

It would not have sat easily but he felt the greater good was served by that selection before a vital last-16 Champions League game and this Wembley showpiece. And so it proved.

On Sunday night, the usually stone-faced Chilean was smiling as he celebrated his latest trophy, which came hard on the heels of almost guaranteeing a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 win over Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine.

City have a trophy secured, will surely progress in the Champions League and cannot be written off in the league title pursuit, nine points behind leaders Leicester City with a game in hand.

It means a week that started with the misery, and the selection questions of that FA Cup defeat, ends in triumph.

And the embrace the 62-year-old shared with City chairman Sheikh Khaldoon al-Mubarak demonstrated the esteem in which Pellegrini is still held at the club, despite the fact his tenure is coming to a close.

Perhaps more importantly to this quiet, dignified man, this was a Wembley win based on his personal principles and determination to keep his word to a player he trusts implicitly.

Plenty - including myself - suggested Pellegrini had to ditch his League Cup strategy and drop 34-year-old goalkeeper Willy Caballero, a player he brought to City after they worked together at Malaga, in favour of first choice Joe Hart.

Caballero's shaky performance at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup offered Pellegrini an inviting get-out clause to depart from his policy, but he said: "I would prefer to lose this final than my word and I had given my word to Willy. My word is more important than football."

After Caballero's brilliant extra-time save from Liverpool substitute Divock Origi and his three penalty saves from Lucas, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana, Pellegrini was a winner in principle and on the pitch.

Now the platform has been set for an even more successful farewell.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says his side will "strike back" and that "only silly idiots stay on the floor and wait for the next defeat".

Defeat will hurt and the German will not buy suggestions that this was something of a free hit because no-one expects him to collect trophies in a season that is largely about transition after succeeding Brendan Rodgers.

Klopp's mind does not work like that - but this was a Liverpool display that will have crystallised some issues.

What does he do about Simon Mignolet, a goalkeeper who pulled off a succession of superb saves and yet was responsible for the dreadful error that gifted City their goal when Fernandinho's routine shot squirmed under his body in the second half?

Klopp has faith in Mignolet - a new five-year contract confirms that - but he surely has to consider an upgrade to a keeper who will offer Liverpool more consistency. This may seem harsh after the saves he made - but Mignolet still costs too many goals.

Left-back Alberto Moreno arrived with a big reputation when he signed from Sevilla for £12m in 2014, but he has gone backwards at an alarming rate and now looks out of his depth. This is a priority for Klopp and it is time for 21-year-old Australian Brad Smith, who has impressed when given the opportunity this season, to get a run.

Liverpool lack players of the highest class in defence and midfield. There are too many serviceable players who come in at a rating of 6/10 and too few edging towards 8-9/10.

Daniel Sturridge is one player in that higher bracket but has never proved his long-term fitness can be trusted - and what of £32.5m striker Christian Benteke?

When Liverpool needed a goal on Sunday, it was 20-year-old Origi who got the call from Klopp, not the expensive summer signing. Benteke's days at Anfield are surely numbered. Klopp's options with his substitutes were limited by the early replacement of Mamadou Sakho after a clash of heads with Emre Can, but this was not a good message for the Belgium striker.

Klopp is an outstanding, charismatic manager with proven credentials at Borussia Dortmund and his task is to move Liverpool forward with that higher echelon of player, with the support of owners Fenway Sports Group.

It was appropriate that Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany lifted the League Cup after a peerless central defensive performance that underlined his class and worth to his club.

The 29-year-old Belgium international has been troubled by injuries this season and his presence gives City an authority, power, leadership and solidity that is absent when he is missing.

In all games in 2015-16, City have won 10 out of 15 when Kompany has played and 15 out of 27 when he has been out. They have lost two out of 15 with him and nine out of 27 without.

Here, he strode about Wembley in a defensive masterclass, showing elegance and also power on occasions when he out muscled Sturridge.

It was a display that confirmed what City fans, and most others, already know. The club's chances of adding to the trophy they won on Sunday will increase immeasurably if they can keep their captain fit.

And an added note - Kompany displayed his class as a man as well as a player as Yaya Toure's penalty slipped low past Mignolet to give City victory.

As his team-mates ran to celebrate with Toure and heroic keeper Caballero, Kompany's first thoughts were for the beaten Liverpool players - and he made a point of consoling before joining the celebrations.

Cristiano Ronaldo denies down-grading team-mates.

The Portugal international appeared to criticise his team-mates after Saturday's defeat to Atletico Madrid but insists he was referring to the team's bad run of injuries

Cristiano Ronaldo has moved to clarify his outburst after Real Madrid’s defeat to Atletico Madrid by claiming that he was referring to his team-mates’ fitness levels, rather than their ability.

After Saturday’s loss at the Santiago Bernabeu, Ronaldo appeared to criticise his Madrid team-mates by claiming that they were not performing at the same standard as him.

"If everyone was at my level, we would be first,” said the 31-year-old.

"I do not want to belittle anyone but when they are not the best it is difficult to win. I like to play with Karim, Bale and Marcelo.

"I do not mean that Jese, Lucas [Vazquez] and [Mateo] Kovacic are not good, they are very good, but to win a competition you need the best and that has been our main problem this year.”

Sergio Ramos quickly moved to defend Ronaldo’s comments, and the Portugal international now insists he was bemoaning Madrid’s injuries, rather than their performances on the pitch.

“When I say that I mean the physical level, not the game. I am not better than any of my team-mates,” Ronaldo told Marca.

Defeat to Atletico has left Madrid nine points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, who could stretch that advantage to 12 with a win over Sevilla on Sunday.

'Scholes was England's best midfielder ahead of Lampard & Gerrard'

Former Chelsea midfielder Deco believes Paul Scholes was the best English midfielder in the Premier League.

Deco played alongside Frank Lampard for two seasons at Stamford Bridge, while he also faced Steven Gerrard in games against Liverpool and England.

But the former Portugal international believes the former Manchester United midfielder was better than both Lampard and Gerrard.

“I played with and against so many fantastic players in midfield like Gerrard,” Deco told Squawka.

“I had the opportunity to play with Lampard together at Chelsea. I think, because he was a different type of player to all other types of English midfielder, Paul Scholes was the best player that I saw playing for an English midfield and one of the best players in the world.

“I think at the moment there are some great players like that.

“At Madrid, Modric. Iniesta is still playing. Xavi. In my generation, Paul Scholes was a player like that. There are not so many players with this style because I think most of the players are box-to-box, not about controlling the game, keeping the balance of the team.”

We CAN win at Camp Nou!,says Sevilla defender Federico Fazio

The Andalusians have not won away in La Liga all season, and though they lost in Molde on Thursday, they remain confident of picking up three points at the champions' home

Sevilla defender Federico Fazio is confident his side can cause an upset when they face Barcelona on Sunday.

The centre-half, who is back on loan at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan from Tottenham, is confident that his side will be able to break their away-day duck at Camp Nou.

“The match against Barcelona will be a very difficult game, but we don't care about our opponents or about a specific game,” Fazio told Goal. “We work hard and study every game to play against any opponent. For us, every game is the same and we give them the same importance.

“There are three more months of competition, we have to continue like this and we know we're in very good shape.”

While Sevilla have performed to a stellar standard at home in La Liga, remaining unbeaten to date, they have yet to win on their travels, which has seen them fall away from the Champions League places.

Their poor domestic record on the road has continued in Europe, with the Andalusians losing all three trips in the Champions League group stage and 1-0 on Thursday night in Molde, though they progressed through to the last 16 courtesy of a 3-1 aggregate score.

Vitolo has pinpointed this as an area for improvement and believes once one victory arrives, others will follow.

“It's true we have not won away for a while, but we must not give up,” he said. “The team is competing in every match. We have spent long time without losing but we need just a little bit more to win away.

“I think once we win one, things will go better.

“We are in the Copa del Rey final, we have made a very important step in the Europa League and we can reach our target in La Liga. We're doing well this season.”

Sevilla have lost only one of their last 13 league matches ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Barca, who they beat 2-1 at home earlier this season.

Rashford breaks George Best's 51 YEARS old Manchester United record.

At 18 years and 117 days, the striker has become United's youngest goalscorer in all European competitions since George Best netted in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in October 1964

Marcus Rashford dazzled on his Manchester United debut and managed to surpass a 51-year-old record held by George Best in the process.

The 18-year-old scored twice as United emphatically overturned their embarassing defeat in Denmark to run out 5-1 winners over FC Midtjylland at Old Trafford to secure a place in the Europa League last 16.

Rashford's first goal came through some sharp movement inside the box to meet Juan Mata's cutback, while his positioning skills shone through for his second as he turned in Guillermo Varela's cross from close range.

And at 18 years and 117 days, Rashford has now become United's youngest goalscorer in all European competitons since George Best (18 years and 158 days) struck in a 6-1 victory over Djurgarden in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in October 1964.

Latest Transfer Gossips:Neymar signs new five-year deal at Barcelona

Kompany new Roma dream

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Roma have made Vincent Kompany their number one target as the club look to re-shape their defense at the end of the 2015-16 season, with the Giallorossi deseperate to land the Manchester City captain. 

Source: Corriere dello Sport
Friday, February 26, 2016 07:09

Milan eye Pelle in search for Italian players

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Milan are looking to add more Italian players to their ranks and have set their sights on Southampton striker Graziano Pelle.

Source: Corriere dello Sport
Friday, February 26, 2016 07:05

Ten forgotten players who are still going strong

I remember you! Ten players you thought had hung up their boots, but are still going strong

SponsoredThe Sun

Conte wants Pogba at Chelsea

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Antonio Conte has made Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba his main target should the coach take over at Chelsea following Euro 2016

Source: Tuttosport
Friday, February 26, 2016 06:59

Iniesta & Pique impressed by Bellerin

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Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique sought out Hector Bellerin to congratulate him on his performance in Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Barcelona.

Source: Sport
Friday, February 26, 2016 03:01

Carrick rejects Chinese Super League move

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Michael Carrick has become the latest player to receive an offer from the Chinese Super League. The midfielder has turned down the proposal and hopes to extend his contract at Manchester United, with Newcastle United also interested.

Source: Daily Mirror
Friday, February 26, 2016 00:56

Chelsea to swoop for £30m Romagnoli

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Chelsea are ready to make a move for £30 million-rated AC Milan defender Alessio Romagnoli. The 21-year-old was a target of Arsenal's last summer.

Source: Calciomercato.com
Friday, February 26, 2016 00:52

Guardiola wants Bazoer at Man City

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Incoming Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola wants to hijack Chelsea's move for Ajax midfielder Riechedly Bazoer in potential £24 million move.

Source: Daily Mirror
Thursday, February 25, 2016 22:53

Neymar signs new five-year deal at Barcelona

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Neymar hast extended his stay at Barcelona to 2021, with the Brazilian signing a new five-year deal in December but the announcement being delayed. The attacker now becomes the club's second highest paid player, second only to Lionel Messi.

Source: ESPN Brasil
Thursday, February 25, 2016 21:09

Chelsea target Marchisio

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Chelsea are targeting a summer move for Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio, with technical director Michael Emenalo having watched the Italy international against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Source: calciomercatonews.com
Thursday, February 25, 2016 15:23

Arsenal eye Newcastle's Aarons

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Arsenal are keeping tabs on Newcastle winger Rolando Aarons, who is out of contract this summer. Juventus and AC Milan are also interested in the youngster.

Source: transfermarketweb.com
Thursday, February 25, 2016 14:12