The UEFA Champions League is supposed to be the best club competition, with top-quality football, featuring the biggest teams and the best players.Actually we’re being robbed of half-a-season’s worth of excitement every single year....

Michael Phelps, space-age swimsuits and 108 world records made 2008 a year in swimming that may never be matched. ...

Part 1 (January-March) appeared on 31 DecemberApril 2 - Liam Tancock set a world record in the 50-metre backstroke at the British swimming championships. Tancock finished the race in 24.47 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 24.80 ...

The injured Gennaro Gattuso has revealed that he was on the brink of signing for German giants Bayern Munich. He is in Dubai for a training camp with his Milan teammates despite undergoing knee surgery. ...

According to newspaper reports in Italy, Roma are chasing Udinese striker Fabio Quagliarella for next season. ....

Defending Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from a Hong Kong exhibition tournament saying she is still recovering from a shoulder injury just weeks ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year. ...

The WBA is reviewing Nikolai Valuev’s win over Evander Holyfield by majority decision in a 20 December heavyweight title bout. ...

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was back at training yesterday after being charged over an alleged assault at a bar – reassured at being given manager Rafa Benitez’s total support. ...

Call him knight rider – or simply Sir Chris Hoy. The British cyclist’s feat of three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics received royal recognition yesterday in the New Year honours list. ...

Clayton Pisani is Malta’s new international referee on the FIFA list while Franco Cachia has been placed on the FUTSAL international list. ...