Pole position: Monaco race ahead of PSG with James and Moutinho signings

 

Monaco announced the biggest deal of the summer so far - and we're only a few days into it - with their €70 million (£59.5m) capture of Porto's James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho.

Their first foray into the market has put down a marker in France, where Paris Saint-Germain romped to the Ligue 1 title, and should signal a new superpower on the continent.

And, with the Monaco Grand Prix also taking place this weekend, mega-rich owner Dmitry Rybolovlev impressively diverted attention to the footballing side of the principality.

With Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao likely to also be signing for Claudio Ranieri's side on Monday, Monaco could be nudged further ahead of PSG in the headline-grabbing stakes. 
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Barcelona stars return to scene of Spain triumph

 

The Champions League is back on Tuesday as Barcelona take on Paris Saint-Germain with a number of the Catalan giants' making a swift return to France.

No fewer than eight Barcelona stars were involved as Spain defeated France 1-0 in World Cup qualifying just seven days ago, with Pedro scoring the crucial winning goal.

Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Co. firmly planted their flag at the Stade de France a week ago, but can they do the same again in Paris against a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-led PSG side? 
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Champions League elite prepare for quarter-final battle

Friday's Champions League quarter-final draw served up four intriguing clashes as Europe's elite continue their hunt for a place at Wembley in May.

Barcelona have been paired with Paris Saint-Germain, which will see Zlatan Ibrahimovic face his former club, although the Swede is suspended for the first leg.

Last season's beaten finalists Bayern Munich face a tricky tie against Serie A champions and current leaders Juventus.

Jose Mourinho will be reunited with two of his former players in Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder as Real Madrid take on Galatasaray.

While in the final tie of the round, Malaga will be in action against German champions Borussia Dortmund. 
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All eyes on Beckham in PSG bow

 

David Beckham became the latest star to land in Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain when he made his debut as a substitute in the 2-0 victory over Marseille.

The 37-year-old was thrilled after a "special night" at the Parc des Princes as even Zlatan Ibrahimovic was forced to play second fiddle to the English icon.

The Swedish striker was able to get on the score sheet, however, bagging a late goal that Beckham played a part in at the end of his 15-minute cameo appearance from the bench. 
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Happy New Year! Stars prepare to bring in 2013

 

Spain secured their place in the pages of football history, Chelsea marched to an unlikely Champions League triumph and two of the greatest players of all time have smashed yet more records. 2012 will be difficult to match.

With the fixtures in the world's major leagues wrapped up for the current calendar year, the game's biggest and brightest can celebrate a job (mostly) well done.

But there's plenty more to look forward to in 2013. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will carry on and, in all likelihood, reach a few more remarkable landmarks. A mouthwatering last 16 of the Champions League awaits. And, when all else fails, there's Mario Balotelli.

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Z is for Zlatan as Ibrahimovic's name gets added to the dictionary

 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic may well go down in history as one of the great names in football, but this week he is also making a change to the way Sweden communicates.

After some mercurial displays that have led Paris Saint-Germain to the top of Ligue 1, and the striker to the top of the scorers' charts, Zlatan has gone into the dictionary.

The verb, 'Zlataner', meaning 'to Zlatan', has been added to the Swedish national dictionary after it gained popularity in the country when referring to an extraordinarily talented action.

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Sour grapes for Zlatan over Messi nomination

 

Paris Saint-Germain's outspoken centre-forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic courted controversy once more last week by stating that Barcelona striker Lionel Messi shouldn't pick up the Ballon d'Or award this year.

The 31-year-old Sweden international believes that after having already won it three times in a row, that the Blaugrana genius would be far from a deserving winner and that it should be shared around more.

With Fifa whittling it down to just a three-man shortlist, and Messi competing alongside team-mate Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic may have to wait a little while longer to get his wish, with the Argentine the current front-runner and overwhelming favourite.

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Magic Ibrahimovic bamboozles England hopefuls

 

There are few doubts about who was the star of the show in England's 4-2 defeat to Sweden on Wednesday night - the inimitable Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

England had six debutants on show in Leon Osman, Raheem Sterling, Wilfried Zaha, Ryan Shawcross, Steven Caulker and Carl Jenkinson.

But there was little any of them - or indeed Roy Hodgson's more senior players - could do about Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had already scored twice before completing a hat-trick with a powerful long-range free-kick.

And for his next trick, the Swedish magician rounded off the scoring with a mystifying, looping overhead kick from over 20 yards out which almost defied logic, leaving Hodgson and his charges thoroughly dumbfounded.
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Ronaldo's stars align as he tops the Goal.com 50

 

This year's Goal.com 50 has been announced with Cristiano Ronaldo revealed as the top player of the past 12 months.

Real Madrid team-mate Iker Casillas was surprisingly placed second with Lionel Messi shunted down to third after Los Blancos' title-winning exploits in La Liga last term.
The list has sparked debate and intrigue among fans and pundits alike, and is likely to continue to do so for time to come.

Not everyone has the time to pore over the facts and stats of the list in full so we have brought the entire 50 to you in the simplest of forms.
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Zlatan makes a big impression after arriving in Paris

 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's move to Paris Saint-Germain was confirmed on Wednesday, with the Sweden international arriving at Parc des Princes in a deal that, combined with Thiago Silva's switch, will see the French club pay AC Milan around £51.5 million.
The striker has claimed his move to the French capital from Serie A side AC Milan is "another dream come true", as he sealed his place in the record books as the most expensive player ever.

And with Zlatan fever set to take over in Paris, the 30-year-old is on course to make another big impression on one of Europe's top leagues...
 

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Zlatanocchio

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Money talks as Zlatan & Thiago head for Paris

 

The news that AC Milan have accepted a €60 million (£47m) offer from Paris Saint-Germain for star duo Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva sent eyebrows skyward this week.

Yet the Serie A giants' well-documented financial problems means that offloading the pair can save the club a sizeable chunk of money in salaries as well as wiping off a significant slice of the club's mounting debt.

With PSG now backed by big-spending Qatari owners, money appears to be no object for the Ligue 1 side, and simply irresistible for AC Milan.

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Zlat's amazing Carroll (are you Ibrahimovic in disguise?)

 

Much has been made of England's tactical approach to Euro 2012, but their conservative approach went out of the window against Sweden as the Three Lions roared to a 3-2 victory.

Striker Andy Carroll came into the team and made an instant impact, heading home the opener with a towering header from a Steven Gerrard cross.

However, the Swedes took the lead, thanks to a double from Olof Mellberg before goals from Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck sealed victory for England and a good night for Hodgson and his men.
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Alessandro flying the Nesta from AC Milan to the MLS

 

After 223 appearances and 10 titles with AC Milan, Alessandro Nesta has called an end to his time in Serie A.

The 36-year-old, who will depart San Siro at the end of the season, claimed the pace of European football was too fast for him but revealed he is likely to continue his career in the MLS.
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One for the history books!

 

Barcelona's 3-1 win over AC Milan on Tuesday night put the Catalans into the record books again as they became the first team to reach five straight Champions League semi-finals, while also equalling the mark set by the great Real Madrid side of the late 1950s, who did, however, win the European Cup five years in a row. Barca boss Pep Guardiola, who had claimed before the match that his team would "need a ladder" to stop Zlatan Ibrahimovic, will now be desperate for his side to become the first team to retain the trophy in the Champions League era, and lift the title for the third time in four years.

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Ibrahimovic gets ready to rumble in Champions League scuffle

 

The draw for the Champions League quarter-finals took place on Friday, and threw up some thrilling encounters. The competition's surprise package, APOEL, were pitted against the might of Real Madrid, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic will have a second opportunity to get one over on Pep Guardiola and Barcelona. Bayern Munich's star man Franck Ribery will have to face his former club Olympique de Marseille, and Chelsea's comeback against Napoli was rewarded with a tie with Benfica.
 

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Galliani slaps down a red-faced Ibrahimovic

 

For all of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's genius on the pitch, a moment of madness always seems to be around the corner. Sunday's goalless draw with Napoli saw the Swede slap Salvatore Aronica, gaining not only a red card for his antics, but also a three-match ban in the process, which will rule him out of the pivotal league encounter against Juventus later in February. It's an incident AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani is understandably furious with, as the striker prepares to occupy a place in the stands for the title decider.

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Evergreen Javier Zanetti's secret to beating AC Milan

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Winners and Losers

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Ibrahimovic book

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