Al-Hilal claimed their first AFC Champions League title as goals from Salem Al Dawsari and Bafetimbi Gomis saw off Urawa Red Diamonds 2-0 to secure a 3-0 aggregate victory.

Andre Carrillo s second-half goal in the first leg gave the Saudi Arabian side the advantage heading into Sunday s contest at Saitama Stadium, with the Diamonds hunting an unprecedented third AFC Champions League crown.

Yet despite dominating the first half, Urawa were unable to craft an opening as Al-Hilal claimed revenge for their defeat in the 2017 final.

Al-Hilal s quality paid dividends in the second half – Al Dawsari and Gomis striking late to claim the visitors first title in the competition at their third attempt in the final.

GOAL! | l 0-1  (Aggregate 0-2)

…

Santos and the Brazil national side both paid brief but fitting tributes on social media following the announcement of the death of Pele at the age of 82.

The Selecao great and three-time World Cup winner had been in hospital for palliative care in early December after his body stopped responding to cancer treatment, and his daughter confirmed his death on Thursday.

News of Pele s passing sent shock waves across the world of football, but nowhere would the impact be felt stronger than at Santos – a club where he spent 18 years, scoring 643 goals in 659 matches.

Pele lifted six league titles with the Brazilian side, including five in a row from 1961-1968, as well as the Copa Libertadores twice.

Eterno.

— Santos FC (@SantosFC)

On the i…

Manchester City are close to signing Jack Grealish from Premier League rivals Aston Villa in the summer transfer window, according to . It has been reported that the 25-year-old attacking midfielder will undergo a medical at City on Thursday ahead of a proposed £100 million transfer.

City, who won the Premier League title last season, made a bid of £100 million for Grealish to Villa last Friday. The Villans have accepted that offer and have allowed the England international to leave for the Etihad Stadium.

Grealish made and two substitute appearances in the Premier League for Villa last season, scoring six goals and providing 10 assists in the process. The 25-year-old scored eight goals and provided six assists in 36 Premier League matches for the Villans in 2019-20.…

Chelsea have confirmed the departure of Patrick van Aanholt to Sunderland on a four-year deal.

The Netherlands international failed to break into the Chelsea first team with any regularity after signing in 2009, and was sent out for a number of loan spells at various clubs.

Included among those were Newcastle United, Leicester City and Wigan Athletic, while he 23-year-old spent the last two and a half years at Eredivisie outfit Vitesse.

Van Aanholt made 70 league appearances for Vitesse in that time, scoring five goals, and helped the club to sixth place in the Dutch top flight last season.

He made just four league appearances for Chelsea in his five years at Stamford Bridge, all as a substitute, and the defender will be looking to experience regular Prem…

They may have opened their AFC Champions League campaign with consecutive defeats but Gamba Osaka attacker Takashi Usami is still dreaming of leading the Japanese outfit to a second title.

Gamba sit bottom of Group F and are the only team in the group without a point and without a goal after two matchdays heading into Wednesday s showdown against leaders Buriram United of Thailand.

Buriram are two from two so far as they prepare to travel to Osaka Expo 70 Stadium in Suita, while Seongnam and Guangzhou R F have both collected three points to date.

However, Usami has not given up hope of helping Gamba add to their 2008 Champions League triumph.

I want to become Asian champions, the 22-year-old told FIFA.com.

We are an attack-minded side. Our stren…

Sporting Lisbon host Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League looking to maintain their superb home record in continental competition.

It will not be an easy assignment for the Premier League pacesetters, with Sporting defending a 16-game unbeaten run in European fixtures on home turf, while they have only lost once in their last nine games to English visitors.

Jose Mourinho returns to a club he served as assistant manager to Sir Bobby Robson in the early 1990s but there will be no warm welcome for the former Porto and Benfica manager who will look to get his side s campaign on track when the two teams meet on Tuesday.

The 2012 winners were in control of their opening Champions League encounter at home to Schalke, leading through Cesc Fabregas first for the club. Bu…

Daniele De Rossi has signed a new deal to keep him as Roma coach until 2027.

De Rossi, who spent 18 seasons at Roma as a player, took over the Giallorossi in January, following Jose Mourinho s departure.

The 40-year-old ultimately guided Roma to a sixth-place finish in Serie A as well as a Europa League semi-final, which they lost to Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Roma said: Before the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals, the owners – the Friedkin Group – had announced in a note their desire to continue with De Rossi.

Continua la simbiosi naturale con questa squadra, la sua squadra. La Roma

Daniele De Rossi firma il rinnovo di contratto fino al 2027

— AS Roma (@Official…

Zheng Zhi is confident about Guangzhou Evergrande s chances of reaching the AFC Champions League final.

Evergrande hold a 2-1 lead heading into Wednesday s semi-final return leg at Gamba Osaka.

The Chinese champions are 90 minutes away from a first final appearance since 2013, when they broke through for their maiden continental crown.

Evergrande captain Zheng is aware of the task ahead but the China international believes Luiz Felipe Scolari and Co. have what it takes to go all the way.

In the second leg in Osaka, of course we ll have to prepare a different set of tactics as they have an away goal, said Zheng.

The scoreline is neither bad nor good for us, obviously it s not like going there 1-0 or 2-0 up, but I do believe we have gained an adva…

Ange Postecoglou has talked up the professionalism of Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg ahead of his anticipated first Premier League start of the season.

Hojbjerg is expected to be drafted into the Spurs line-up for the visit of Fulham on Monday due to Yves Bissouma’s one-match ban for his red card at Luton.

Denmark international Hojbjerg was heavily linked with a move away from Tottenham this summer and Fulham registered an interest in the 28-year-old on transfer deadline day, but no switch to the London club or Atletico Madrid materialised.

Richy Pierre

Hojbjerg was on target the last time we hosted Fulham!

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial)

While Hojbjerg has only started once this season in the Carabao Cup, he has be…

FIFA has claimed that a payment of $5 million made to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) following their controversial loss in the 2010 World Cup play-offs was a loan for the construction of a stadium.

FAI chief executive John Delaney revealed earlier on Thursday that world football s governing body had paid compensation to prevent legal action after a handball from Thierry Henry prevented Ireland from qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa.

France forward Henry clearly handled the ball twice in the build-up to William Gallas extra-time equaliser in the second leg of the qualifying play-off with Ireland in November 2009.

That goal sent France through 2-1 on aggregate, with Ireland s subsequent pleas for the game to be replayed falling on deaf ears.…