Lionel Messi s inevitable retirement is a worrying thought but the record-breaker deserves to determine his own fate, according to Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Messi, 32, suggested the end of his career was approaching after winning an unprecedented sixth Ballon d Or on Monday.

Ernesto Valverde insisted it was a natural line of thinking and nothing to be concerned about but Bartomeu told Catalunya Radio: I worry about the day Messi goes.

He does not expect that day to come soon and outlined plans to agree a contract extension with Messi before his own term as president ends in 2021, which coincides with the expiry of the Argentine s deal.

I would like to sign one more contract with Messi, Bartomeu said.

He has a lot left. We have …

In-demand Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri said he will stay in Turin if he is not sacked by the Italian champions.

Linked with Premier League duo Arsenal and Chelsea as well as Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, Allegri guided Juve to a seventh successive Scudetto on Sunday.

A goalless draw against Roma sealed a fourth consecutive Serie A title for Allegri, whose future has been a talking point during the closing stages of the season amid Arsene Wenger s departure from Arsenal, Unai Emery s PSG exit and uncertainty over Antonio Conte at Chelsea.

However, Allegri told reporters: If they don t sack me, I ll stay at Juventus next year too.

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The first manager to win four consecutive doubles in Eu…

As CVs go, Carlo Ancelotti s stacks up against the very best.

A league-winning coach in England, Italy, France and Germany, the former Milan centre-half will go down as one of the best leaders of his generation.

And yet not everyone is convinced he is the right man to replace Marco Silva at Everton.

Here, two Omnisport writers argue it out. Who do you think makes the more compelling argument?

SUCCEED by Pat Ridge

In November 2016, on the back of a humiliating 5-0 defeat to Chelsea, Everton s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri pledged to back Ronald Koeman. The Iranian businessman had identified Koeman as the big-name manager needed for the Toffees to be able to compete with their north-west rivals and labelled Everton  the new Hollywood of foo…

Leroy Sane is set to undergo surgery on his torn anterior cruciate ligament injury in Austria.

Manchester City winger Sane – strongly linked with a move to Bayern Munich before the Premier League s transfer window closed – sustained the injury during the Community Shield defeat of Liverpool on August 4.

The 23-year-old is expected to be out for up to seven months, leaving City without the Germany international for the majority of the 2019-20 campaign.

Sane was expected to have undergone surgery already, though Pep Guardiola told reporters ahead of City s clash with Tottenham: I think [the operation] is this weekend.

Omnisport understands Sane s operation will take place in Austria, with Professor Christian Fink performing the surgery.

Cit…

Erling Haaland has stated a decision on his future will be made soon, with the 21-year-old claiming Borussia Dortmund are pressuring him to make a call.

Haaland scored his 14th and 15th Bundesliga goals of 2021-22 on Friday, in a 5-1 win over Freiburg.

That victory lifted Marco Rose s Dortmund team to within three points of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, who are in action on Saturday.

Across 2021, only Robert Lewandowski (58) scored more than Haaland (43) in all competitions, of players in Europe s big five leagues.

Haaland has consistently been linked with a move away from Dortmund, with his agent Mino Raiola regularly flirting with Europe s elite clubs.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester Cit…

Atletico Madrid s Diego Costa says his side are worthy of their spot in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.

The striker played an important role in Atletico s emphatic 4-0 win over Austria Vienna, a result that preserved the Spanish club s 100 per cent record in Group G and secured a first appearance in the last 16 since 2008-09.

First-half goals from Miranda, Raul Garcia and Filipe Luis gave Diego Simeone s side a commanding advantage at the break, while Costa proved a constant thorn in Vienna s side.

Despite his tenacious performance, the 25-year-old wasted a host of chances over the course of the evening, including a second-half miss from the penalty spot.

Costa was eventually rewarded for his persistent efforts with a late goal, but insisted his…

Marcus Rashford is only second to Kylian Mbappe as the best player in the world right now, says Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.

The forward has rediscovered his best form under the Dutchman this season, earning a recall to the England fold and featuring in their World Cup campaign.

Rashford and the rest of the Three Lions ultimately came up short in the quarter-finals against Mbappe and France on Saturday, in a close-fought Qatar 2022 encounter.

But his performances this term have got Ten Hag singing his praises, crediting him for his tactical intelligence and positional play.

From the first moment, I recognised huge potential [in Marcus], the former Ajax boss stated.

When Marcus positioning is on the back of the defending line, there is…

Gareth Bale s move to Real Madrid was finally sealed on Sunday, with the Welshman joining the Spanish giants on a six-year deal.

The fee has not been revealed by either Real or Tottenham, but it is tipped to be a world record, surpassing the £80million spent by Real when they signed Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.

The transfer represents a significant step in the 24-year-old s already outstanding career and here we look back at Bale s life in football, tracking his meteoric rise from talented teenager to international superstar

1989: Bale is born in Cardiff on July 16, to parents Frank and Debbie. Football is in Bale s blood from birth, with his uncle, Chris Pike, a former Cardiff City player.

1997: He is spotted as an eight-year-old while playing for a Cardiff C…

Real Madrid were fortunate to call upon Toni Kroos for a decade, said Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti, after the Germany midfielder bade farewell to a sold-out Santiago Bernabeu.

Veteran Kroos played his final league game for Madrid on Saturday, with a goalless draw against Real Betis hardly befitting of his illustrious time with the LaLiga champions.

The 34-year-old will still have one more appearance to come for Los Blancos in next Saturday s Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium.

Yet having played for a final occasion at Madrid s storied home ground, Ancelotti was quick to praise Kroos.

One of the greatest, obviously, Ancelotti told a press conference. A very high-quality midfielder, with a fantastic character, with a…

Colombia international Camilo Zuniga is delighted to have signed a contract extension with Napoli, revealing that Naples feels like home.

The 27-year-old has been with the Serie A side since 2009 after impressing during his short time with Siena, and the new deal penned on Tuesday will see him remain at the Stadio San Paolo until 2018.

Versatile midfielder Zuniga has established himself as an integral part of the Napoli side since his arrival, starting 30 league matches last season as the club finished second behind Juventus.

And the South American has revealed he is thrilled to be remaining in Italy.

I’m happy to have renewed my deal with this club, he told Radio Kiss Kiss. I m happy here and I consider the city of Naples my home.

I want to keep doing …