Rivalries

The shameful specter of racist abuse in Italian football reappeared on May 6 after Torino’s match against Juventus. Not a week after the footballing authorities abandoned their duty of care regarding Sulley Muntari, Medhi Benatia noticed racist comments being made in his ear by a technician during a live, on-air interview following the 1-1 draw. Stopping abruptly, he demanded to know who had referred to him as a “Moroccan piece of sh*t”. 

Less than 10 minutes into the first leg of the Madrid derby Champions League semifinal, Cristiano Ronaldo did what he always does in this competition: he scored UCL goal number 101. Flying nearly two heads above every Atletico defender, Ronaldo buried a perfect cross from Casemiro.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meet in the first leg of their 2016-17 UEFA Champions League semifinal matchup on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. These fierce derby rivals have made a habit of meeting each other in the later stages of this competition in recent years with Real defeating Atletico in the 2013-14 final, the 2014-15 quarterfinals and the 2015-16 final that was decided on spot kicks. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the match, either live streaming online or on TV through your cable provider.

It’s tragic to think about the gross output of the cast of characters in the Manchester derby when bridled with the vast sums of money spent on assembling them. The latest edition of Manchester United vs. Manchester City was a sobering affair that could serve as a harrowing documentary of the wastes of our time.

After Lionel Messi clinched a last-second victory in El Clasico on Sunday with his 500th career goal for Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo threw a fit.