Zidane: Barcelona are not in crisis

The Frenchman has played down the Catalans’ recent poor form and has also given updates on the futures of Isco, Pepe and James Rodriguez Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insists rivals Barcelona are not in crisis after a Champions League thrashing by PSG was followed by an unconvincing win over struggling Leganes. The Catalan giants’ hopes of winning the European Cup look over after being beaten 4-0 in the first leg by Unai Emery’s men while they struggled to respond at the weekend needing a late penalty to win 2-1.

Bayern, Arsenal seek to lift domestic gloom

Berlin: Bayern Munich and Arsenal meet in their big-name Champions League round of 16 first leg on Wednesday, both hoping European success will help lift mid-season gloom on their domestic fronts. Bayern are on track for a record-extending fifth consecutive title with a seven-point lead thanks to their 2-0 win over Ingolstadt on Saturday.

Hebei China Fortune dismisses rumors about bids for big-name players

Chinese football club Hebei China Fortune claimed Thursday to have taken a pragmatic approach to reinforcing its team, dismissing rumors on purportedly splashy bids for big-name players. The purchase of foreign players will be carried out in accordance with the actual conditions of the team and the requirements of its coach Manuel Pellegrini, said Jerry Zhao, president of the Hebei China Fortune FC, in a press conference in Beijing.