SPORTS FOR ALL...

   

British brawler Khan, 26, has been eyeing a big money dust-up with the world's best pound-for-pound fighter.
StarSources understand that the deal between the two is close to being agreed with only the minor points in the contract holding up the final signatures.
Khan, a two-time world champion, has it all to prove having suffered defeat last year in a crucial bout with American Danny Garcia.
Despite victories over Carlos Molina and Julio Diaz, question marks remain over whether Khan is ready for a clash with Mayweather.
So far 45 men have tried to beat the American superstar and all 45 have failed to inflict a defeat to what remains a perfect winning record.
Mayweather, 36, ended a four-month break from the ring in September with a comprehensive victory over Saul Alvarez to continue his dominance across the welterweight and light-middleweight divisions.

   

  

Puyol has operation to drain fluid from knee - Yahoo Eurosport UK
The veteran has recently returned to first team action for the Catalans after an extensive spell on the sidelines recovering from successive procedures on the same joint, one in March and another over the summer. Puyol had to pull out from Barca's trip to Athletic Bilbao as the joint flared up.
FC Barcelona to appeal against audiovisual rights ruling | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona is appealing against the decision of the Spanish National Competition Commission (CNMC in its Spanish initials) made on 28th November 2013 to impose a fine of 3,600,000€. The Club has two months to lodge an appeal.
Barça becomes first club to gain AA certificate for accessibility | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona would like to guarantee everyone universal access to information about the Club and that’s why the official Club website has been optimised to obtain the AA certification for website accessibility from the World Wide Web Consortium via Technosite, a company of the ONCE Foundation (Spanish Association for the Blind). This certificate is regularly checked and is valid for two years.
FC Barcelona players pick up new Audi cars | FC Barcelona
Audi, the FC Barcelona Premium Partner handed out new cars to the squad for the 2013/14 season. Before the handover, in the Auditori 1899,the players took part in an activity that called on them to use their minds The Audi Mind Race is a technological challenge, which features miniature cars which the players moved through their own mind, as the energy generated by the players' brains powered the vehicles.
Miniestadi and Cartagonova - twin stadiums | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona’s Miniestadi was opened on November 23, 1982. It was conceived by architect Josep Casals and construction engineer Ramon Domènech. With a capacity of 15,276, this dynamic venue was designed for use by the club’s reserve teams, and caused such an impression that it was soon being dubbed the ‘Bombonera of Les Corts’.
World Cup 2014 ball unveiled | Football Espana
Adidas have continued the build-up to Friday’s World Cup 2014 group stage draw by unveiling the official tournament ball. Named after a poll involving close to a million fans in Brazil, the ‘Brazuca’, has been presented this week at a launch event in Rio as the ball to be used at next summer’s World Cup finals by the 32 competing nations.
Cristiano Ronaldo announces he’s opening a museum - dedicated to himself | Early Doors - Yahoo Eurosport UK
Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Tuesday that he is opening a museum dedicated to his favourite subject: Cristiano Ronaldo. The museum will be located on the Portuguese island of Madeira, where he was born. The 28-year-old Real Madrid player will use the museum to showcase memorabilia from his hugely successful career, which began in the 1990s on the island itself.
Spain’s strangest rivalry returns as Canary Islands do battle | Pitchside - Yahoo Eurosport UK
As the Las Palmas fans close in on C.D. Tenerife’s Heliodoro Rodriquez Lopez stadium - a typically graffiti-ridden steep-sided Spanish city centre venue of exposed concrete stands overlooked by apartment blocks - their confidence and its accompanying tweeting swells. "Pio! Pio! - Pio! Pio!"

EVERTON boss Roberto Martinez lauded his players for getting over their mental block and winning at Manchester United.

     

The Toffees achieved what they had failed to in their 11 years under David Moyes - and last managed in 1992.
Bryan Oviedo scored the crucial goal in the 1-0 win and Martinez paid tribute to his players for being themselves and fighting it out.
Martinez said: "It was more than a football game for us - it was about trying to get over the mental block that we have had for many, many years.
"Someone told me it was 20-odd years since we won at Old Trafford.
"It was about being ourselves throughout the game. I couldn't be prouder.
"We never felt inferior.
"I have always felt this squad is capable of going anywhere in this league and playing teams eye to eye.
"I told the boys afterwards that this gives a real indication of what can be achieved.
"But we need to carry on improving, carry on getting better.

   

DAVEY GRANT lost out in his bid for a six-figure UFC contract in the ‘The Ultimate Fighter Finale’ in Las Vegas.
     

RORY McILROY finally broke his 2013 duck when he clinched a dramatic one-shot victory at the Australian Open in Sydney.
     

TONY BELLEW has been backed to bounce back from his second world title disappointment.
     

      It’s not April Fools’ Day, several media outlets have reported on this, so I’m assuming it’s true. According to the news, a Belgian club called FC Racing Boxberg have signed a 20-month old boy, making him the second-youngest ever child to be signed. I’m not sure what the laws are in Belgium and if this is just a token gesture or publicity stunt, but the youngster named Bryce Brites, who lives in Genk, was invited to play with the club’s Under-5 squad and has already received a Belgian Football Association card.

The team’s coaches said that the boy has “highly unusual” skills and ball control, but I guess he’s not as good as a Dutch lad named Baerke van der Meij. This toddler was just 18 months old when he was signed to a 10-year contract with the VVV-Venlo club, making him the youngest ever signed by a football club. 

Dany Vodnik, the secretary of Racing Boxberg, claimed, “Bryce kicks a ball in a way you do not even see when playing drills with four or five-year-olds. His ball control is incredible for his age. The way he dribbles with the ball at his feet between the cones, he can give a pass to the left or right.”

    

SNOOKER supremo Barry Hearn has told pampered players to stop squealing about his revolution.
     

Top stars have let rip at this week's UK Championship about conditions, with 128 players battling it out at York's Barbican Centre.

That has seen four tables in an overflow sports hall, and players sharing one practice table at the £700,000 tournament.

Cramped Judd Trump described the situation last week as a circus, while Stephen Maguire claimed the tournament was ruined and Ali Carter labelled the arena as cramped.

Mark King also said he had been tripping over TV cables next to the BBC studio in the sports hall.

But Hearn has hit back and said: "People are forgetting that snooker was dead in the UK.

"Players and purists have this attitude that I'm messing with a great event. That is rubbish. We are keeping it alive.

"We know the venue is not right and we have made mistakes, next year that will change but we were committed to York.

"People who expect perfection in one year are sadly misled. York and the Barbican Centre are fantastic, but it is just not big enough now.

"The 128 draw stays, that is the future for the UK event, that's how it is, get used to it or get another job.

"I am fed up with listening to whingers. Put your heads down, play, earn your money, and leave it to the experts.

"Some players have been so pampered and so spoilt they don't understand you have to put up with the odd thing going wrong. The ones that get beaten are squealing like children.

"It is disappointing, and I'm fed up with it."

    

      

The Ivorian midfielder has been announced as the best African footballer in 2013 according to the English media outfit

     

Morgan Schneiderlin has been in terrific form for Southampton this season and has played a huge part in their impressive season. At the time of writing, that sees them sitting above Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur with the Saints in with a shout of a top six place this season. Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino was recently asked whether he was surprised that Schneiderlin has yet to be called up to the French national team. His response was that he was indeed surprised. "He's a player that does have the same quality as the players that have been called up. The only thing I would say to the French Federation is they should be careful because he might be able to play for England." Pochettino would be correct. The Frenchman, who joined Southampton in 2008, is now eligible to play for England. So, if Schneiderlin expressed an interest in playing for England, should the FA allow him to be picked?

The debate was raised earlier in the season when Adnan Januzaj made his debut for Manchester United and scored a brace. Januzaj was yet to pledge his allegiances to a country and the English press were quick to point out that he could play for England. Instead of celebrating a highly successful debut, Januzaj was involved in a huge argument over whether a foreign player should be allowed to play for England. Over the years, other players have also been involved in the debate. When Manuel Almunia was Arsenal's number one and England lacked a goalkeeper, around the same time Mikel Arteta was being mentioned as a player eligible to play for the Three Lions. Almunia stated an interest, while Arteta was more focused on playing for Spain, but both were met with dismay by English football fans.

England have had players born in other countries represent the national team before. Wilfried Zaha was born in the Ivory Coast, Owen Hargreaves in Canada and the most famous example, John Barnes. Yet these players all had either blood links or moved to England when they were young. What separates them from the likes of Schneiderlin, Januzaj and Arteta, is that they didn't represent a country after they moved to the country to play football. The main argument, however, is that a lot of other countries seem to be adopting players. Cacau is not exactly stopping the presses, but the Brazilian born striker has made 23 appearances for Germany. Deco is a very famous example, he was also born in Brazil and then played for Portugal after five years residence. His inclusion initially was met with huge opposition by Portuguese fans, but 75 caps later there was little argument.

Brazilan Deco Has 75 Caps For Portugal

So the question is, if a player wholeheartedly states he wants to represent England then why shouldn't he? Comment below to join the debate.

his two strikes against Tottenham Hotspur move him up to fifth spot in our gallery of the league's all-time goal getters