Xavi: I may not retire at Barcelona

Xavi Hernandez has hinted that he may transfer away from FC Barcelona before he retires, claiming it will be "difficult" to stay at Camp Nou.

The midfielder, who turns 34 later this month, has a contract with the Catalans until the summer of 2016 and has already made 22 appearances this season.

Though he insists he would like to stay at Barca until the end of his playing days, Xavi thinks that it will be tough to remain in the Liga champions' first team plans as his illustrious career draws to a close.

Honda dreaming of Champions League glory with Milan

Keisuke Honda says he is hopeful of leading AC Milan to Champions League glory again after being unveiled by the club on Wednesday.

The Rossoneri's new recruit immediately turned on the charm offensive in his first press conference since signing from CSKA Moscow by declaring he intends to win the Champions League with the San Siro giants.

And the 27-year-old endeared himself further to the Milan faithful by admitting it was a lifelong ambition to play for the club.

Guardiola's Barcelona the best ever, insists Koeman

Barcelona legend Ronald Koeman feels Pep Guardiola's Blaugrana  team that won 14 trophies between 2008 and 2012 was arguably the most complete side of all-time.
Koeman was an integral part of another legendary Barca team who won the first European Cup in the club's history in 1991-92, but he has stressed that Guardiola's side was even better than the so-called 'dream team'.

"Guardiola's Barca was an improvement on our dream team," the current Feyenoord boss was quoted as saying by Marca.

"Pep's Barca consistently maintained its level of excellence. It always played well. We had very good games as well, but had our highs and lows. But Pep's team always played well.

Hitzlsperger reveals homosexuality

Former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger has revealed that he is homosexual and urged athletes to be more transparent regarding their sexuality.

The 31-year-old, who recently ended his career after spells with Aston Villa, Stuttgart, Lazio, West Ham United, Wolfsburg and Everton, feels homosexuality remains a taboo in the footballing world.

But following the revelation of former USA international Robbie Rogers, Hitzlesperger has opted to follow suit and says it has taken years to find the courage to come out.

"I am speaking up about my homosexuality because I want to get the discussion about homosexuality among athletes going," Hitzlsperger told Zeit.

Fifa in dispute over Qatar World Cup

Confusion continues to reign over the 2022 Qatar World Cup after Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce rubbished earlier claims from secretary general Jerome Valcke that the competition would be moved to winter.

Long-standing fears over soaring temperatures in the country have prompted debate over the ideal date for the tournament, with Valcke confirming on Wednesday that a summer competition was impractical.

"The dates for the World Cup in Qatar will not be June-July," he told Radio France.

"To be honest, I think it will be held between November 15 and January 15 at the latest.

Why Chelsea need a striker & midfielder in January

The Blues' misfiring frontline have notched just seven league goals this season, underlining the need for more firepower, while Xabi Alonso could be the perfect partner for Ramires
    This January, most of the sides fighting for the Premier League title will go into the winter transfer window looking to make only minor tweaks to already cohesive teams - but not Chelsea. 
   While other clubs have minor deficiencies, the Blues need major surgery on an imbalanced squad and no side possesses an Achilles heel quite so great as the west Londoners' absentee strikeforce.

Barcelona's future secure with Ter Stegen, but is the German ready for the present?

The Gladbach goalkeeper is set to move to Camp Nou in the summer to replace Victor Valdes but must step up to be good enough for the Blaugrana first team
   Ever since Victor Valdes' announcement that he would leave Barcelona at the end of his contract in June 2014, one man has been the overwhelming favourite to take the Spain international's No.1 jersey: Marc-Andre ter Stegen. 
  Sure, there was talk of Pepe Reina or Thibaut Courtois, but the young German's name has never been far away from the gossip pages in Catalan dailies. And now that it has been confirmed that he will not extend his contract and leave Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer, it seems that the Camp Nou outfit have landed their man, who is yet to turn 22.