Lionel Messi ensured Luis Enrique's Barcelona reign ended with a trophy as he inspired a third consecutive Copa del Rey title with a 3-1 final win over Alaves.              The Barca coach announced his planned departure from Camp Nou at the start of March, with his side then falling short of rivals Real Madrid in LaLiga and Juventus in the Champions League.

But Luis Enrique belatedly added to the sizeable haul of medals collected in his first two years in charge as Messi showed his class in the last game to be played at Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon.

Having scraped past Atleti 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals in February, with Sergi Roberto and Luis Suarez both sent off, Barca looked in for a similarly nervy contest as Alaves started well and Theo Hernandez then equalised Messi's opener.

The Basque side had stunned Barca with a 2-1 league success at Camp Nou in September, but this game threatened to bear greater resemblance to a 6-0 away triumph in the reverse fixture as Neymar scored the next goal and Messi teed up Paco Alcacer to put Barca out of sight.

Although Alaves kept the score down after the break, they rarely looked likely to trouble the commanding lead built by Messi and Barca, who will now turn their focus to a board meeting on Monday, after which the club are set to announce Luis Enrique's replacement.                                                                                                    Javier Mascherano was stretchered off after an early clash of heads with Marcos Llorente and, although that collision did not constitute a foul in the eyes of the referee, Alaves' combative approach could have seen Edgar Mendez punished with more than a yellow card when he trod on Samuel Umtiti's leg. Messi drilled a set-piece of his own straight at Pacheco and Ivan Rakitic drove wide, before Luis Enrique's men accelerated out of sight in the closing minutes of the first half.

Neymar turned Andre Gomes' low centre across the line to restore his side's lead and Messi's terrific close control then created space for Paco Alcacer - starting in place of the suspended Suarez - to coolly finish beyond Pacheco for a third Barca goal.

View image on Twitter

           

Kylian Mbappe believes that Gianluigi Buffon would be a worthy winner of the Ballon d'Or after a monumental season with Juventus, although he admits Cristiano Ronaldo is more likely to take the award.                                 Kylian Mbappe believes that Gianluigi Buffon would be a worthy winner of the Ballon d'Or after a monumental season with Juventus, although he admits Cristiano Ronaldo is more likely to take the award. 

Mbappe is so far the only man to put a goal past the Juventus goalkeeper in this year's Champions League knockout phase, but it was not enough to avoid a 4-1 aggregate defeat for Monaco in the semi finals. 

There are no hard feelings, though, as the teenager heaped praise on Buffon ahead of the competition's showpiece between Juve and Real Madrid in Cardiff next week.

"For all of his work, [Buffon] deserves the Ballon d'Or, but I think it depends on the Champions League final.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         If Real Madrid win, I think it will be Cristiano Ronaldo but otherwise, I think it would be good for Buffon to win the Golden Ball. "

Despite his admiration for Buffon, Mbappe's loyalties will be split as he watches the action at the Millennium Stadium. 

Leading Madrid will be Zinedine Zidane, the teenager's compatriot and his all-time idol on the pitch. 

"The one who made me love football was Zidane. Afterwards I developed several idols but really Zidane was my very first idol," he said, while also commenting on the comparisons he has invited with fellow legend Thierry Henry.      

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is adamant that even Juventus' excellent defence has a "weak spot" ahead of next Saturday's Champions League final.                             Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is adamant that even Juventus' excellent defence has a "weak spot" ahead of next Saturday's Champions League final.

Juve's recent dominance in Italy has been built on their incredible record at the back, with the likes of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini forming an almost unbeatable partnership to lead the Italians to six straight Scudetti.

And there are signs that this season Massimiliano Allegri's men have taken that form over to Europe as well.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Gianluigi Buffon has seen just one goal slip past him in six knockout matches so far - Kylian Mbappe beat the veteran goalkeeper when the semi-final tie against Monaco was all but over. 

Nevertheless, Ronaldo believes there must be a way through when Madrid and Juve clash on June 3 in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. 

"[Juventus] are an excellent team, as they proved by winning both Serie A and Coppa Italia, and they have completed a fabulous campaign in Europe," the Portugal international, 32, told UEFA.com.                                                                                        

ARSENAL BEAT CHELSEA  2-1  TO WIN THE FA CUP FOR THE 7TH TIME UNDER ARSENE WENGER.                    Arsene Wenger became the most successful manager in the history of the FA Cup by winning the competition for a seventh time on Saturday.
The injury-hit Gunners produced an excellent performance to defeat Premier League champions Chelsea and claim the trophy for the 13th time in club history, which is also a record. The victory comes with Wenger's future up in the air amid a backlash from fans over Arsenal's failure to challenge for the league title and their absence from the Champions League for the 2017-18 campaign.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Arsenal were first promoted to the First Division of English football in 1904. In the 91 seasons they have completed since then (11 were lost to World Wars I and II) they have won 13 league titles, 13 FA Cups and two League Cups, in addition to a number of other more minor trophies.
That works out at one league title or FA Cup per three-and-half seasons or so. With his league three championships in 21 seasons Wenger is almost exactly at the club average, which is just a touch better than one every seven campaigns.          

Aaron Ramsey said Arsene Wenger will stay at Arsenal after the midfielder scored the winner in Saturday's 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Chelsea at Wembley.                     The Wales international credited Wenger's decision to switch to a new system, using a back three, as they won their last six games of the season in all competitions to end the campaign on a high.

Wenger's future remains up in the air, with his contract set to expire and a board meeting planned on Tuesday, but Ramsey is hoping an agreement can be reached for the 67-year-old to sign a new deal.

"Of course I think he'll stay," Ramsey told BBC Sport. "He's been fantastic for me and the players.

"We changed the formation and had a lot of success. Fair play, it paid off and hopefully he'll be here next season. We owe him a lot. Ramsey stooped to head home a sublime Olivier Giroud centre to give Wenger his seventh FA Cup success and ensure Arsenal won the competition for a record 13th time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Ramsey also netted the winner in Arsenal's FA Cup victory over Hull City in May 2014 and he insisted the club's season should now be judged prosperous despite missing out on qualification for the Champions League for the first time in two decades.

"I can't describe this," Ramsey said. "It's been an up and down year but to finish with an FA Cup, it has to be deemed a success.

"I love this competition and I love playing here. We deserve it and I'm happy for the boys.

"That's my game, I love to make late runs and Oli knew I'd be there. He put it on a plate for me to score the winner."

             

Arsenal celebrated a record 13th FA Cup success as Aaron Ramsey once again grabbed the winner at Wembley, securing a 2-1 victory over 10-man Chelsea and potentially going some way to restoring supporters' faith in the under-fire Arsene Wenger.                                    Arsenal celebrated a record 13th FA Cup success as Aaron Ramsey once again grabbed the winner at Wembley, securing a 2-1 victory over 10-man Chelsea and potentially going some way to restoring supporters' faith in the under-fire Arsene Wenger.

Ramsey scored his side's third and crucial goal in the 2013-14 showpiece against Hull City and was the hero again on Saturday, cancelling out Diego Costa's goal a few minutes earlier to secure the win and make Wenger the FA Cup's most successful manager with seven final victories.

Another Wembley triumph arguably vindicates Arsenal's reported decision to offer Wenger - out of contract at the end of this term - a new two-year deal despite a season of criticism.

Arsenal's Premier League campaign was a major disappointment as they finished fifth, but they were significantly more impressive in the first half, as Alexis Sanchez gave them an early - if slightly contentious - lead before Mesut Ozil, Danny Welbeck and Ramsey all went agonisingly close to adding more.

Chelsea struggled immensely to cope with Arsenal's intensity and impose themselves, with the Gunners arguably producing their best 45 minutes of 2016-17.

Antonio Conte's men made a marked improvement after the break and became the dominant force, but Victor Moses' second booking and subsequent red card for appearing to dive left Chelsea with a mountain to climb in their bid to prevent Arsenal winning a third FA Cup in four years.                                                                                                                                    Sanchez charged down N'Golo Kante's clearance on the edge of the area and ran on to the loose ball, getting there just ahead of the offside Ramsey and finding the bottom-right corner, with referee Anthony Taylor eventually allowing the goal to stand despite his assistant raising his flag against the Welshman.

Ozil went desperately close to a second when released into the box in the 16th minute, chipping a delicate finish over the approaching Thibaut Courtois, but Gary Cahill was there to clear off the line.

Chelsea then had another lucky escape. Welbeck headed a corner on to the post and Ramsey did exactly the same from a tight angle on the rebound.     

Michael Carrick has confirmed former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is the latest star name to commit to his testimonial next week.                                                               A Manchester United 2008 XI will take on a Carrick All-Star team at Old Trafford on June 4.

Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are among the former players lining up for United in a team that will be managed by Alex Ferguson.

And Carrick has revealed Gerrard, who made a Liverpool return in a post-season friendly victory over Sydney FC this week, will be one of the All-Star players trying to get one over United, resuming the many battles he had with the club in his playing days.

He will join the likes of Frank Lampard, Robbie Keane, Eric Abidal and Gaizka Mendieta in a team managed by Harry Redknapp.                                                                                                                               Carrick said of Gerrard: "I have known him for a long time and played with him for England. He is probably one of the reasons I haven't had as many England caps as I would like "He is such a great player who has done so many great things over the years. I have had some big battles with him over the years, obviously big rivals, playing in the same position. 

"But I always felt there was big respect between us. I'm really, really happy that he is coming back to play here in my testimonial."

                                                            

The former Chelsea and England midfielder believes the Blues shouldn't add too many new faces this summer, but a couple stars would give them a boost.                                                                         Ex-Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole believes the Premier League champions should "move heaven and earth" to sign Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero this summer.

With a return to the Champions League looming, the Blues will need to reinforce their squad this summer to have any chance of improving on that success.

Some might think a major roster revamp is in order as Antonio Conte embarks on his second season in charge, but Cole sees a team that is only one or two key additions away from having the perfect formula.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            When asked who he would buy this summer if he could sign anybody, he namedropped Arsenal forward Sanchez, who's been heavily linked with a transfer this summer, and Manchester City's top scorer Aguero.

"I’d go, ‘Go get me Aguero or Sanchez or both, and I want no one else,' and I can guarantee you they’ll win the league next year," Cole, who now plays for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, told Goal in a recent interview in Florida.

"The thing is everything is in place. Everyone keeps talking to me about, ‘Oh, they need to replace Moses or Alonso’. They don’t, they’ve been brilliant. You don’t need to replace them.

"There’s enough young players as well in the academy that can come. They just need an extra bit. What [Sir Alex Ferguson] did well over the years is reignite with one or two big players. A lifelong Chelsea fan even before he spent seven seasons with the club, Cole has kept close watch of the club's title-winning season despite being an ocean away playing in the United States.

He spent time at Chelsea's training ground over the winter and he's been very impressed with how Conte has rejuvenated a side that finished 10th in 2015-16 following Jose Mourinho's sacking midway through the season.    

                                                                                                     Manchester City man levelled proceedings from the penalty spot. A second-rate Nigeria performance was rescued by Kelechi Iheanacho, who netted the side's only goal to earn a 1-1 draw against Corsica in Friday’s friendly game.

Jean-Michel Cavalli’s men were on course for a famous victory at Stade Francois Coty, but the Manchester City forward showed his quality with the leveller to end the rip-roaring contest a goal apiece.

The Super Eagles fell behind after just five minutes when 32-year-old Jean-Jacques Mandrichi scored from the penalty spot after Tyronne Ebuehi had handled the ball in the penalty area.

The Blues boss revealed what happened as the owner of the club came to watch training for three consecutive days after he saw his side lose to Arsenal

Chelsea's 3-0 loss to Arsenal has been described as the most pivotal moment of the club's season and Antonio Conte revealed what happened as Roman Abramovich took a closer interest in is manager. 

The Russian billionaire came to watch three first team training sessions in a row in September and had a few lunch meetings with Conte at Cobham Training Centre after the loss. 

Conte decided to switch to a 3-4-3 formation after the defeat and drilled his players in the new formation which led to a 13-match winning run across the autumn and winter fixtures. The Blues manager revealed that Abramovich never lost faith in him but that he was supportive as Conte overhauled the team's tactics.

“He came for three days to watch our training sessions, to watch the video analysis, to stay with us. He supported me," Conte said at a news conference at Cobham Training Centre. "He never showed me he was angry.

"I think the club always saw my job, during pre-season and in that period, and trusted in my job. I never thought the club was thinking about sacking me. Honestly.”                                                                                                                                                                                           Abramovich has been as engaged with Chelsea as ever this season, attending Conte's first game as manager in pre-season versus Rapid Vienna, while he was seen chanting Conte's name and lifting the Premier League trophy against Sunderland last weekend. 

Conte has delivered success to his owner by switching to a three-man defence that he used while he was the manager of Juventus. However, Conte admitted that he did doubt his side's title chances after the loss at the Emirates Stadium.

“It was very difficult to think about celebrating winning the league after the Arsenal defeat," He added. "To think we'd arrive at the end of the season and be celebrating winning the league. Honestly, that felt very difficult.

"Not impossible but, in that period, we had a lot of big problems to solve. To find the right solution quickly is not easy. You must be very good, very prepared, but also lucky in these circumstances.

LeBron James tops Michael Jordan as all-time playoffs scoring leader       

Cleveland Cavaliers star  Leborn james passed   Michael Jordanfor first place on the all-time playoffs scoring list with a 3-pointer from the left wing with 2:40 left in the third quarter of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Thursday.

The shot gave him 29 points for the game and 5,989 points for his postseason career to edge him past Jordan's mark of 5,987. He ran back down the court with his index finger up in the air, signaling his place in history.                                                                                                                                                      

Kurt Zouma says Chelsea's Premier League title has not satsified their hunger for success this win as they are determined to beat Arsenal to the FA Cup.                                The Blues recovered from last season's 10th-place finish to win the league in Antonio Conte's first year in charge and can make it a double when they take on their London rivals in Saturday's final. Arsenal, meanwhile, are playing to save their season after falling out of the top four for the first time in 21 years. 

Zouma will likely be on the bench at Wembley as backup to Cesar Azpilicueta, but he insists Chelsea are not in party mode just yet and are prepared for one more huge game.

"It feels good," Zoma "We had a good season, we are champions and we are in the final of the FA Cup, but we are going to Wembley to win the double. It means a lot [to have a successful season after finishing tenth].

"We wanted to bounce back. We won the league and we are very happy with that but we have another difficult game to play and if we get the double, it will be good for us. We have forgotten already last season.                                                                                                                                                                                   

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named in Portugal's squad for the Confederations Cup, but Renato Sanches misses out on selection.                                                                       On Thursday, Fernando Santos named the European champions' 24-man group for a friendly with Cyprus, World Cup qualifier against Latvia and the tournament in Russia.

While world champions Germany are resting a host of star names, Real Madrid forward Ronaldo is part of Portugal's plans.

Nani, Ricardo Quaresma, Joao Moutinho, Pepe, Bruno Alves and Rui Patricio are also among the experienced players to be called up by Santos.

And Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes, Inter's Joao Mario and Monaco star Bernardo Silva are other big names included in a strong squad.

However, Bayern Munich midfielder Sanches – Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2016 – and striker Eder, who scored the winner against France in the final, are left out, with Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes also missing out for personal reasons.

It adds to a tough first season in Germany for Sanches, who only started six Bundesliga matches. He will instead play in the European Under-21 championship in Poland.

The Confederations Cup begins on June 17, concluding with the final on July 2, with Portugal in Group A alongside hosts Russia, Mexico and New Zealand.

Germany are in Group B with Cameroon, Chile and Australia. 

                                                                                                                           

Old Trafford as is considering a number of options for the next step in his career            Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney claims he has "lots of offers" and is considering his future.

The experienced attacker has not featured as prominently for United since the arrival of Jose Mourinho and has been heavily linked with a move away in recent months.

Mourinho stated on Wednesday that he hopes the 31-year-old will stay, but Rooney – who started just 15 Premier League games this season – might decide to leave in search of more playing time.                                                                           have got some decisions to make now over the next few weeks so I will talk with my family and then I will decide. I think I have to make a decision in terms of a football decision, and that is what I will do. I will do that the next few weeks with my family while I am away and as soon as I know what is going on I am sure you will. "I have played for two Premier League clubs, Everton and United, and they are the only two Premier League clubs I will play for." Rooney admitted it was not easy to accept his changed status, but is adamant he has always put the team's interest first.

"Listen, first of all I have always been a team player," he said.

"This year, I have never once sulked or let my head drop. I have understood what was best for the team, I have tried to help when the manager's played me. Of course I want to play. I want to be on the pitch, of course.

"A younger me would have been a lot more frustrated. I think I understand what is right and what is needed for the club, and I respect that. Obviously I am happy to be part of that and in some way help the club win trophies, and that is the way it has been over the last year.

"That is the decision I have to make now, whether I want to continue doing that or go on and play more regular football. I still believe I could [play every game]. If you are asking me if I am a better player now than I was 10 years ago then obviously I am not but I still feel I have got other qualities that can help the team."