Spain

CARDIFF - Gareth Bale intends to return to Real Madrid for the final 12 months of his contract next season, he said on Tuesday.

Bale has been at Tottenham Hotspur on loan this season, initially struggling with fitness but playing regularly in recent weeks, but said ahead of the start of World Cup qualification with Wales this week that he plans to head back to Spain next season.

“The main reason I came to Spurs this season was that I wanted to play football, first and foremost, but going into the Euros I wanted to be match fit too.”

On Monday, Eric Abidal gave his first interview since leaving the Barcelona board. The former France international said that the signing of Antoine Griezmann was decided by former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, a decision that prevented the return of Neymar in mid-2019.

Borussia Mönchengladbach have agreed to hire former Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso as their manager for next season, German newspaper Bild reported on Monday without identifying its sources.

Alonso, who won the World Cup and two European Championship titles and was a Champions League winner at Liverpool and Real Madrid, became coach of boyhood club Real Sociedad's youth team in 2019 and has led them to the playoffs in the third tier.

Real Sociedad declined to comment on the Bild report, saying Alonso was focused on his side's promotion campaign.

With 10 matches remaining, it’s as you were in LaLiga with the three top sides all winning over the weekend. 

On Saturday, Karim Benzema’s brace lifted Real Madrid over Celta Vigo. On Sunday afternoon, Luis Suárez’s 500th career goal gave Atlético a nervy win over Alavés. On Sunday evening, Barcelona decimated fifth-place Real Sociedad 6-1 for a fifth straight league win.

After seeing its lead at the top of the table reduced because of a goalless draw with Getafe and following that up with a Champions League elimination at the hands of Chelsea, Atlético Madrid entered Sunday’s LaLiga match against Alavés in a precarious position.

Real Madrid defeated Celta Vigo 3-1 on Saturday to momentarily close the gap at the top to just three points, while Barcelona could apply even more pressure later on Sunday against Real Sociedad by recording its fifth straight league win. 

Goalkeeper Bono was Sevilla's unlikely hero as they snatched a 1-1 draw at struggling Real Valladolid in LaLiga on Saturday thanks to his strike deep in stoppage time.

Chilean midfielder Fabián Orellana put the hosts in charge with a 44th minute penalty after forward Shon Weissman had been barged over by Sevilla defenders Diego Carlos and Karim Rekik.

An unstoppable Barcelona won its 20th game out of 20 on Saturday, thrashing Rayo Vallecano 4-0 away from home to continue its record-breaking run in Spanish women's soccer's top flight.

Swiss international Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic and Nigeria forward Asisat Oshoala struck in the first half while France's Kheira Hamraoui and Lieke Martens of the Netherlands completed the rout in the second period.

A drone carrying a flag opposing Euro 2020 matches in Bilbao interrupted Athletic Bilbao's match at home to Eibar in LaLiga on Saturday.

Play had to be halted in the 68th minute of the 1-1 draw while referee Valentin Pizarro Gomez picked up the drone and accompanying flag and carried it off the field before restarting the game.