Real Madrid were crowned Spanish champions for the 31st time on Sunday after defeating Osasuna 2-1 after scoring twice in a sensational final three minutes.
   Real were heading for defeat after Francisco Punal scored an 83rd-minute penalty against ten men Real, who had Fabio Cannavaro sent off, but the champions responded with Arjen Robben and Gonzalo Higuain scoring in the dying minutes.
   ‘We are worthy champions and we fully deserve to win this title,’ said Real coach Bernd Schuster.
   ‘It is going to be great to see the fans celebrating at Cibeles.’
   Real retain the championship with three games left to play and can go into Wednesday’s home match with arch rivals Barcelona in relaxed mood.
   After watching Barcelona win successive titles Real have now followed suit and captain Raul Gonzalez is likely to lift the championship trophy on Wednesday although Real supporters will be dancing around the Cibeles fountain tonight.
   ‘We will be celebrating in Cibeles tonight for sure,’ said goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
   It is a first league title for Schuster in his maiden season after taking over from the sacked Fabio Capello in the summer.
   Barcelona put their Champions League disappointment behind them crushing Valencia 6-0 on Sunday as they warmed up for Wednesday’s ‘El Clasico’ against Real.
   Five days after crashing out to Manchester United in their Champions League semi-final, Barcelona stayed within four points of second-placed Villarreal, who won 2-0 against Getafe, with a fine display.
   ‘This group of players always had the desire but now and then things happened to us,’ said Barca coach Frank Rijkaard.
   ‘The potential on paper is one thing and the reality is something else.’
   Barca had failed to score in their last four matches but scored three times against Valencia in the opening quarter hour.
   Lionel Messi won and then converted a penalty on five minutes before Xavi (8) and Thierry Henry (14) struck to wrap up the game early on.
   Henry, who has had a torrid season, added a second and Bojan Krkic grabbed a brace as Valencia fell apart.
   The only downside for Barca is that Samuel Eto’o and Deco will miss the Real match through suspension after collecting cautions.
   Valencia are only two points from safety and have a six-pointer against rivals Real Zaragoza, one point below, on Wednesday.
   Earlier, a brace from Turkish international Nihat helped Villarreal sink Getafe and they are now in the driving seat to finish second.
   ‘It is more comfortable when you have your destiny in your own hands,’ said Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini. ‘If we win our games we will keep second place and that is our objective.’
   Elsewhere, Sevilla closed to within three points of the final Champions League spot with a crucial 2-0 home win over Valladolid.
   Atletico Madrid’s win over Recreativo on Saturday put pressure on Sevilla and they responded with a first half brace from Brazilian striker Renato sealing the points.
   Sevilla will struggle to hold onto key stars Daniel Alves, Christian Poulsen and Luis Fabiano this summer and Champions League football could be crucial to persuade them to stay.
   Brazilian striker Fabiano has led the goal-scoring charts for most of the season but Real Mallorca’s Spanish international Daniel Guiza moved one ahead in the race for the Pichichi scoring a brace against Athletic Bilbao to take his tally to 24. Racing are also in the Champions League frame after coming from two goals down to defeat Real Murcia 3-2 on Sunday and move two points behind Atletico in fourth.
   Murcia’s defeat means they join Levante in being relegated from the top-flight. A mouthwatering tussle sees Racing host Sevilla on Wednesday in a decisive match for both sides. ‘We have the derby coming up against (Real) Betis but I am not thinking of that because Racing is the more important match,’ said Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez.

Bangladesh opened their AFC Challenge Cup group C campaign with a disappointing goalless draw with Afghanistan at the Bishkek Stadium, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday. With the draw Bangladesh’s chance of qualifying for the final round also became uncertain as they will have to beat the hosts Kyrgyzstan and hope for an upset draw in the match between the hosts and the Afghans.
   Bangladesh defender Mofazzal Hossain Shaikat was sent off because of two yellow cards in the first minute of the two-minute added time.
   In the first half Bangladesh were relatively defensive and occasionally went for counter-attack. With five defenders and using the flanks Bangladesh failed to break the Afghanistan defence. Bangladesh forwards hardly made an impact and the chances that fell in their way were wasted as they blasted the ball over the crossbar.
   Afghanistan uncorked Bangladesh defence twice and came close to a goal in first
   half but superb keeping by
   an agile custodian Aminul stopped the Afghans from taking a lead.
   Hosts Kyrgyzstan play against Afghanistan on Wednesday and if they win with a big margin Bangladesh’s chance will almost disappear. Bangladesh face Kyrgyzstan in the last match of the group on Friday.
   Bangladesh squad: Aminul, Wali Faisal, Rajani, Shaikat, Arup Baidya, Hasan-al-Mamun, Arman Aziz, Sharif (Mamun), Zahed Parvez, Emily and Uzzal.

Rajasthan Royals (110/2) beat Chennai Super Kings (109) by eight wickets
   A red-hot spell from Sohail Tanvir during which he took 6 for 14 - the best figures in official Twenty20 cricket - decimated the Chennai Super Kings for 109 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday.
   That reduced what was a clash for top spot in the Indian Premier League into a one-sided rout as the Rajasthan Royals chased down the smallest target of the tournament to win their fifth consecutive game, with eight wickets in hand.
   Tanvir exploited the seamer-friendly conditions, there was swing and bounce, and gave Rajasthan a perfect start, nailing both openers for ducks in the first over.
   Parthiv Patel played across the line and missed an incutter first ball and Stephen Fleming fell in similar fashion four deliveries later.
   Both those wickets were to balls that came into the left-hander but Tanvir picked up his third with the one that went away and induced an outside edge from S Vidyut in his second over.
   Chennai were reeling at 11 for 3 and Rajasthan’s dominance was emphasised by a rare sight in Twenty20 cricket - a slip cordon populated by three fielders.
   Fourteen runs came off the fifth over, bowled by Siddarth Trivedi, and when S Badrinath played an orthodox square-drive and a flick to get take boundaries off the sixth, Chennai seemed to be recovering.
   However Watson, who used the bouncer effectively, took a simple return catch after Badrinath top-edged a miscued pull. Chennai had been pushed further back just when they were taking half a step forward.
   With Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the two highest run-getters in Chennai’s line-up, batting together a competitive total was gettable.
   However, Rajasthan captain Shane Warne further dented Chennai’s hopes when he won the battle against his opposite number Dhoni: his first ball pitched outside leg and spun right across Dhoni’s off stump and two deliveries later, a flighted leg break took the outside edge to Graeme Smith at slip.
   Rania and Albie Morkel staged a recovery of sorts after Chennai were reduced to 44 for 5. After having played out a few economical overs, Morkel slog-swept Warne for two fours through square-leg and swatted a straight six in an over that cost 17.
   Yusuf Pathan even dropped a sitter at long-on to give Raina a reprieve but the batsman didn’t capitalise, holing out to Tanvir at long-off soon after.
   Just as in his first spell, Tanvir struck with the first delivery of his second as well, this time Morkel was bowled as he slogged across the line.
   The tail found Tanvir’s skiddy pace and immaculate line too hard to negotiate and Chennai were dismissed in the 19th over, a drastic fall in batting fortunes after the departure of Australians Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey.
   If Chennai were to make a match of it, they needed to take every chance coming their way.
   Joginder Sharma, though, spilled a simple chance at mid-off when Makhaya Ntini, after starting off with a maiden, had Smith miscuing a pull. Twenty one extras, the second highest conceded in the tournament, didn’t help their cause either.
   Swapnil Asnodkar, full of confidence after his Man-of-the-Match performance on his IPL debut in the previous game, pummelled his first ball straight back down the ground for four and slammed Manpreet Gony for consecutive boundaries in the fourth over during a fluent 32.
   At the other end, Smith was skipping down the track and muscling boundaries square of the wicket, and when a wayward seventh over from Morkel cost 14 runs, Rajasthan had raced to 58 for no loss.
   It wasn’t until this stage, after the horse had bolted, that Chennai brought on their best bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan, but the task of bringing Chennai back into the contest was beyond him.
   Rajasthan lost a couple of wickets but, with the help of some lusty blows from Pathan and Watson, the target was overhauled with 5.4 overs to spare.
   After winning their first four matches, this was Chennai’s second consecutive loss and the huge margin of defeat meant that they slipped to fourth place in the space of two days.

Sri Lanka brought Bangladesh, who were in cloud nine after their historic win over Pakistan, down to earth by handing them an eight-wicket defeat in the first Women’s Asia Cup at the Rangiri International Stadium in Dambulla on Monday.
   After winning the toss Bangladesh women’s team batted first and wrapped up their innings for a paltry 94 runs in 46 overs. Opener Sathira Jakir appeared as the highest scorer in the innings with 25 off 43 balls, including five fours.
   Number four Ayesha Akhter (24) and tailender Tithy Sarkar (17) were the other two Bangladeshi eves to reach the double figures.
   After a shaky start that saw them lose five wickets for 53 runs, the Bangladeshi women could never come to terms wobbling throughout the innings. Their trouble intensified further when four wickets fell for just two runs leaving the team stuttering at 68-9.
   Thanks to a 48-ball 17 by number 11 batter Tithy Sarkar the visitors came close to three- figure mark. SP de Alwis did the major damage claiming three wickets for 13 runs while Kumarihami and Weerakkody bagged two wickets each.
   In reply, the hosts sailed to 95-2 in just 19.3 overs losing the wickets of LDW Silva (2) and Siriwardene (10). Kumarihami and de Alwis did the rest for the Sri Lankan side putting on 59 in an unbroken third wicket stand.
   Kumarihami remained not out on 32 off 62 balls with six fours, while de Alwis contributed an unbeaten 26 off 38 balls featuring five fours. Panna Ghosh and skipper Salma Khatun took one wicket each for 21 and 23 runs respectively.
   In the day’s another match at the Welagedara Stadium in Kurunegala, title aspirants
   India outclassed Pakistan by 182 runs to maintain their all-win record.
   Earlier, Bangladesh had conceded a humiliating 182-run defeat in their first match against India, but beat Pakistan by four wickets in the second match on Saturday to register their first win against any ODI side.
   The Bangladeshi eves will play the return match against India on Tuesday at the Dambulla Stadium and the remaining two matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka on May 8 and 9 at the same venue.

Pakistan National Cricket Academy completed 2-0 clean sweep victory in the four-day match series over GP-BCB Cricket Academy when they outclassed the hosts by eight wickets in the second match at the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium on Monday.
   The Pakistan Academy team won the first game by identical margin at Bogra.
   Needing another 93 runs on the final day, the visitors reached their target comfortably scoring 154 in 39.3 overs losing just two wickets. Skipper Khalid Latif, unbeaten on 23 overnight, ended on unbeaten 88 off 104 balls with 13 fours and four sixes while the other not out batsman Asad Shafiq made 14.
   Chasing a target of 149, the tourists earlier resumed the day with 56-1 in 21 overs with Ahmad Shezad being accompanied by Latif at the other end.
   Shezad and Latif put up 135 runs in the second wicket stand before Shezad returned to the pavilion scoring 44 off 115 balls clubbing seven fours.
   Pacers duo — Sajidul Islam and Nazmus Hossain — took one wicket each for the hosts.
   Anwar Ali, who took eight wickets in the match, was adjudged man-of-the-match and also the man-of-the-series.

The Bangladesh Under-15 team received the Spirit of the Game award in the CLICO U-15 International Competition 2008 for their discipline, punctuality, team effort, attitudes and on and off the field activities, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Monday.
   The Bangladesh side finished third in the 8-team CLICO Under-15 International Championship Round-Robin Series held in the West Indies. The team is scheduled to return to Dhaka at 7:30am on Wednesday.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf said Monday he had withdrawn a defamation lawsuit against Shoaib Akhtar after the banned fast bowler made a public apology.
   The 32-year-old paceman was banned for five years last month for breaching the players’ code of conduct by criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board when it did not offer him a central contract in January.
   Ashraf and the PCB sued him for three million dollars after Akhtar alleged in an interview the day after the ban that the board chief had demanded payments from the bowler’s contract to play in an Indian tournament.
   ‘I have withdrawn the defamation case as my honour was vindicated after Akhtar apologised publicly and retracted his baseless allegations,’ Ashraf told AFP. ‘I forgive him as it was a matter of principle,’ he added, with the PCB also withdrawing its suit.
   Local media said that Pakistan’s prime ministerial advisor on interior affairs, Rehman Malik, brokered the deal at a dinner in his house in Islamabad on Sunday night where Ashraf forgave Akhtar. The civil court in Lahore had summoned Akhtar for a hearing on May 16.
   Akhtar made his surprise apology last week in an apparent attempt to further his appeal against the ban.
   A three-member appeals tribunal last week said that Akhtar was free to play abroad, but it said that it would make a final decision next month on the ban stopping him playing in Pakistan or for the national team. Akhtar said his real fight was still on.
   ‘I am pleased to have my ban suspended which has paved my way to play in India but the real task is ahead and that is to overturn the ban on me,’ Akhtar told AFP.
   ‘I want to play for my country and bow out on a high. What has happened to me was disappointing but I want to fight the ban and will resume my appeal on my return.’

Usha Krira Chakra registered their third consecutive victory in the Green Delta Insurance Metropolis Premier Division Hockey League when they defeated Azad Sporting Club 6-4 at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium on Monday. Usha led the first half 4-2.
   Tariq Aziz and Maksudul Alam Habul scored a brace each while Khandakar Hasan Ahmed and Shahidullah Tito netted one goal apiece for the winners. Pushkar Khisha scored two goals while Ajit Kumar Ghosh and Abdullah Al Mansoor scored one each for the losers.
   Reigning co-champions Usha KC lead the league table securing full nine points from their three matches while Azad SC remained on three points playing equal number of matches.

Rafael Nadal needed a rally after losing his only set so far of the clay season, overcoming David Ferrer 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 to lift a fourth straight Barcelona Open title on Sunday.
   The tight victory in two hours, 14 minutes sends Spain’s king of clay halfway down the road to duplicating a four-event winning streak from a year ago on his favourite surface.
   ‘The first set I played almost perfect, but he was very strong in the second set,’ said Nadal after claiming a 25th ATP title. ‘I’m pleased to have won in Barcelona again.’
   Seven days after defeating Roger Federer to win Monte Carlo for a record-equalling fourth straight year, the three-time Roland Garros champion followed up with a popular home triumph in the Catalan capital.
   Nadal improved his record at the Real club to 21-1, his lone loss coming in 2003. The victory came in his third all-Spanish final at the event, after beating Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo in a pair of previous editions.
   The all-but-unstoppable Spaniard will head immediately into a third straight week of high-stakes duelling with a Rome title defence.
   Nadal widened his margin atop the ATP with a leading 32 match victories and two titles. He has won 103 of 104 clay matches to spring 2005.
   His match with dogged retriever Ferrer - which could have easily turned into a baseline slug-fest - was domainted early by the top seed, with Nadal breaking three times in a 31-minute first set.
   But Ferrer refused to roll over as he broke in the first game of the second to make a match of it.
   Nadal went into fightback mode, salvaging four break points in a torrid seventh game, and broke to level at four games apiece.
   That only inspired Ferrer, winner of the Valencia title last month, with the second seed re-breaking and serving out the set to bring on a deciding third.
   Nadal put things right with an early break to sweep through with ease in the deciding set.
   The Spanish powerhouse improved to 6-3 over his compatriot, whom he beat last week in Monte Carlo.

The England and Wales Cricket Board released the dates for Australia’s 2009 tour on Monday, including the five Ashes Tests, a seven-game one-day series and two Twenty20 internationals.
   The schedule includes Australia’s first one-day international at Hampshire’s Rose Bowl in Southampton and two Twenty20 matches at Old Trafford, Manchester.
   The first Test will be played at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens, the first time the venue has hosted Test cricket, starting on Wednesday July 8 instead of the more usual Thursday start.
   Further Tests are to be played at Lord’s, Edgbaston, Headingley and the Oval.
   ‘The summer of 2009 promises to be one of the most exciting in the history of cricket in England and Wales,’ David Collier, the ECB chief executive said in a statement.
   ‘The Ashes series and the NatWest series along with the International Twenty20 matches have the potential for providing the sort of wonderful cricket which can fire the nation’s imagination.
   ‘And of course all this follows the ICC World Twenty20 which guarantees that all the best Twenty20 players in the world will be in this country in June 2009.’
   In 2005 England won the Ashes for the first time in 18 years after a thrilling series but were whitewashed 5-0 in Australia in the 2006/07 series.
   Fixtures for the Australian tour to England 2009:
   May (tbc): Australia Team arrives in Britain
   June 1-4: Warm-up period for World Twenty20
   June 5-21: World Twenty20
   June 24-27: Four-day game v Sussex (Hove)
   July 1-4: Four-day game v England Lions (Worcester)
   July 8-12: First Test, Cardiff
   July 16-20: Second Test, Lord’s
   July 24-26: Three-day game v Northants* (Northampton)
   July 30-Aug 3: Third Test, Edgbaston
   Aug 7-11: Fourth Test, Headingley
   Aug 15-16: Two-day game v Kent** (Canterbury)
   Aug 20-24: Fifth Test, Oval
   Aug 28: One-day match v Scotland (Edinburgh)
   Aug 30: First Twenty20 (Old Trafford)
   Sept 1: Second Twenty20 (Old Trafford)
   Sept 4: First ODI (Oval)
   Sept 6: Second ODI (Lord’s)
   Sept 9: Third ODI (Rose Bowl)
   Sept 12: Fourth ODI (Lord’s)
   Sept 15: Fifth ODI (Trent Bridge)
   Sept 17: Sixth ODI (Trent Bridge)
   Sept 20: Seventh ODI (Durham)
   Mon 21 Sept Australia Team departs
   * Match played against First Class Counties Select XI at Northampton if Northants in Friends Provident Trophy Final played over this period. ** Match played against England Lions at Canterbury if Kent involved in Twenty20 Finals Day.

The Indian Premier League’s governing council has reacted to the series of recent controversies that has dented their inaugural season by sending a letter to all the team owners, asking them to rein in their players, particularly the captains.
   The letter was sent last week by Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, and asks the owners, including Bollywood actors and top Indian industrialists, to ensure that their skippers use official channels to lodge their protests during the 44-day tournament, rather than go public about them.
   Modi’s letter also reminds them to ensure that the IPL code of conduct, which is an adaptation of the ICC’s norms, is strictly adhered to, said sources.
   Fraser Castellino, the CEO of the Jaipur franchise that owns the Rajasthan Royals, confirmed to Cricinfo that they have received the IPL’s letter.
   ‘We understand the IPL’s concerns and I have already had a chat with Shane Warne, our captain and coach, about the letter,’ Castellino said.
   The IPL’s umpires have been separately warned, too, after it emerged that Amiesh Saheba, the on-field official for the tournament’s most controversial game so far, in Mohali on April 25, gave both teams 10/10 in his confidential report to the match referee, the sources said.
   Saheba later told a Mumbai tabloid that he had repeatedly warned Sreesanth during the heated game after which the Kings XI Punjab fast bowler
   was slapped by Harbhajan Singh, the rival Mumbai Indians’ skipper.
   Harbhajan was banned from the rest of this IPL edition, but it was yet another incident seven days later, involving Shane Warne and Sourav Ganguly, rival skippers for a match in Jaipur, which finally prompted the governing council to sound out the team owners officially, said sources.
   After that encounter between the Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders, Warne created a stir during the post-match press conference when he accused Ganguly of flouting the spirit of the game by forcing an on-field umpire to refer a disputed catch to the third umpire.
   Minutes later, Warne also criticised Ganguly of turning up late for the start.
   Later, GA Pratap Kumar, the on-field umpire for that Jaipur match, was suspended for succumbing to pressure from Ganguly.
   Two days later, Ishant Sharma, Kolkata’s fast bowler, was fined for kicking down the stumps in a fit of anger during another match against Kings XI Punjab.
   However, IS Bindra, a member of the IPL council, has dismissed the series of controversial incidents as ‘aberrations’.
   He said that they merely reflected the ‘passion and intensity’ with which players have approached the tournament.
   ‘Such incidents show the passion and intensity with which players play in the tournament,’ Bindra told Cricinfo.
   ‘Players have developed intense loyalties to their teams and we are surprised. We thought this would take two years, but it has happened in just two weeks.
   ‘Of course, we can’t let players cross the line of acceptable behaviour. But we also have to understand the passion to win that leads to such incidents.’

Daniel Vettori will head into the first Test at Lord’s with only 11 overs in English conditions under his belt after injuring his finger against Essex during his first tour game since arriving from India.
   Vettori, who had been excused the initial pair of practice matches to take part in the IPL, is convinced he will make the Test which begins on May 15, although the problem has ruled him out of the final warm-up, a four-day tie against England Lions at the Rose Bowl which starts on Thursday.
   ‘I’m confident of being ready for the first Test,’ Vettori told the Dominion Post, adding that his injury was a rare one.
   ‘I’ve never seen it happen to anyone else in cricket - and the number of times guys catch cricket balls, it’s amazing. But I’ll just get on with it as best as I can.’
   Vettori rued needing two stitches on his spinning finger after taking a return throw from Brendon McCullum in the first innings, when he had 1 for 23.
   ‘Things started well for me when I bowled,’ he told the Times, ‘and coupled with three more bats that would have been ideal preparation.’
   Vettori should have his stitches out in a week, during the final warm-up game, though Jeetan Patel does offer spin-bowling cover if required.
   While Vettori may have grabbed little practice this time around, his Test record in England for bowling is good, averaging 32.42, a fraction lower than his overall record of 34.80.
   He has made two fifties in nine innings and although his batting average of 19.50 is down on his overall achievement of 27.38, in recent years his batting has been increasingly relied upon and he has responded in kind.
   The Lord’s Test is the first of three for the tour, before a Twenty20 and five one-dayers.

Bangladesh long-jumper Al Amin, who is undergoing training at IAAF-HPTC Malaysia on a Beijing Olympic scholarship, secured second position in long jump event at the Thailand meet in the last week of April.
   Al Amin improved his personal record to 7.46 metre from 7.32. He will go to Europe to test his skills in another meet this month.

Fast bowler Shaun Tait was back training with the Australian cricket team on Monday, three months after walking away from the sport with depression.
   Tait was a surprise inclusion at the 15-man Test squad’s five-day training camp in Brisbane to prepare for the team’s tour of the West Indies starting later this month.
   The player will not be involved in Australia’s tour of the Caribbean but took the chance to boost his fitness after shocking team mates and officials by quitting the game in January.

Bangladesh Cricket Board picked up 42 players for the forthcoming Under-19 Challenge Cup from its Under-18 Training Program held in January.
   Selected cricketers have been asked to report to BCB High Performance Programme Logistic Officer Shahidul Islam at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan on Wednesday by 5:30pm. The training and Challenge Series will continue up to May 18.
   Selected players are: Tayebur Rahman Parvez, Saikat Ali, Tasamul Haq, Atiqur Rahman, Al Amin, Noor Hossain, Imamul Muttakim, Anjum Ahmed Jessy, Asadu zzaman, Arafat Hossain, Zakir Hossain, Mohammad Sukran (Metro Blue), Mehadat Amin, Mominul Haque, Mohammad Furkan (Metro Green), Ariful Zaman, Mohammad Saim, Joy Sarker, Imrul Hasan Bikram (Dhaka South), Naim M Asif, Sabbir Ahmed, Tajul Islam, Shohag Reza, Mobassir Khan (Rajshahi South), Alauddin Babu, Sadaf Sarkar Hasib, Saddam Hossain, Rasel Khandker (Rajshahi North), Islamul Ahsan, Maidul Islam, Kamrul Islam (Barisal), Chowdhury Labbayek, Muhamin M Shahid, Shaker Ahmed, Abul Hasan Raju (Sylhet), Irfan Sukur, Victor Barua, Mohammad Polash, Raquibul Hasan (Chittagong), Kawsar Rony, Sohel Rana, Mohammad Ali (Khulna).

Jamila Khatun, mother of Alamgir Kabir, the joint-secretary of Bangladesh Hockey Federation and general secretary of Dhaka Mariner Youngs’ Club, died at a city hospital on Monday.
   She was suffering from diabetes and kidney diseases. Jamila, 60, left behind five sons, three daughters and many well-wishers to mourn her death. Dhaka Mariner Youngs’ Club condoled the death of Jamila Khatun and conveyed their deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

Fernando Torres marked Liverpool’s final match of the season at Anfield by scoring the winner in their 1-0 win over Manchester City here Sunday.
   It meant the Spain striker had now scored in eight straight league games at Anfield, equalling the club record of Roger Hunt, a member of England’s 1966 World Cup winning team.
   But Torres’s 32nd goal of an excellent debut campaign for the Reds couldn’t disguise the fact that, at 11 points behind arch-rivals and Premier League leaders Manchester United, their 19-year-wait for the title would carry on into next season.
   Indeed this campaign will end without any silverware being added to Liverpool’s already impressive haul but an optimistic Torres told Sky Sports: ‘We want to win trophies every season. Maybe next season – we will have to keep improving.
   ‘For the fans the most important is the league. Maybe next season. We are a strong team and we can win every game.’
   Reflecting on Hunt’s record, he added, ‘I read (about it) in the programme – I am very proud. Now I try to repeat it next season.’
   However, the build-up to this match was dominated by the continued speculation over Sven-Goran Eriksson’s future as City manager, with the club’s fans making it clear that they are fully behind the Swede, who, reports claim, will be sacked by Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra at the end of the season.
   Shinawatra was not at Anfield as City did a fine job of containing the Reds in the first-half.
   Afterwards, ex-England manager Eriksson, while not spelling it out, indicated he would not be hanging around at Eastlands unless he could manage in the way he felt was best.
   ‘I’ve not been told anything regarding the situation but at my age I don’t need to be told what to do,’ he said. ‘I have my own conclusions and ideas. It’s not good to talk before the season is finished.’
   Despite a start for Torres, withdrawn in the midweek Champions League defeat at Chelsea with a hamstring problem, and dominating possession, Liverpool struggled to penetrate a well-organised City.
   It took them almost 20 minutes to cause the visitors problems when Ryan Babel headed wide from Dirk Kuyt’s cross with goalkeeper Joe Hart stranded.
   Just after the half hour, Hart made a fine save from Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard’s curling effort after the England international had been fed by Argentinian left-back Emiliano Insua, making his first start at Anfield.
   Less than half a minute after the restart, Richard Dunne was at full stretch to deny Torres after fine inter-play with Gerrard.
   And a minute later, the same combination opened City up again, with Gerrard sliding Torres in behind Vedran Corluka only for the striker to push his shot past the far post.
   Five minutes after the interval, City threatened for the first time when Elano’s curling free-kick beat Jose Reina only to rebound away off the post.
   At the other end, Javier Mascherano skipped past Elano and Michael Johnson and fizzed a shot narrowly high and wide.
   But just before the hour, Torres grabbed his 23rd Premier League goal of the season with a composed finish after he surged onto Kuyt’s diagonal pass and slipped a low finish past Hart.
   That effort sent confidence surging through the Reds and Hart pulled off a fine double save from Kuyt’s thumping volley and Lucas’ overhead kick as the hosts piled forward.
   Then a well-hit cross from Sami Hyypia, who had stayed forward after a Babel corner, was met by Kuyt’s glancing header only for the ball to come back off the bar.
   Babel was guilty of a shocking miss as Liverpool continued to tear City apart, slicing high and wide after fine work by Torres, who held off Dunne and crossed from the right.
   Liverpool’s season has been marred by a still unresolved split between their American co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett but Benitez said that would not prevent him adding to his squad at the end of the season.
   ‘We are working together. We inform them and explain our ideas and I think we can progress. It is not perfect but we can keep going and try to sign players we want.’

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani praised his players following their 2-1 victory over Inter and proclaimed that their Champions League destiny was in their own hands.
   If Milan win their last two league matches, against Napoli and Udinese, they will definitely play in Europe’s premier competition next season. For the first time in months, they are not relying on others to slip up.
   ‘Milan dominated the match for an hour and a quarter, then Inter came out to play. I think we deserved to win,’ said Galliani.
   ‘Now we are the architects of our own destiny. We just have to win two matches.’
   Coach Carlo Ancelotti claimed the difference between his team and Inter had been the desire his players showed from the start.
   ‘We were a lot more aggressive than them in the first half,’ he said. ‘Inter were, at least initially, more conservative.
   ‘That helped us because it allowed us to play with more freedom.’
   Asked about the season as a whole, Ancelotti complained about the number of injuries his team has suffered.
   ‘I think this season, we’ve suffered a lot from the number of important players that have been missing such as (Filippo) Inzaghi, Kaka, Ronaldo and Pato.
   ‘Don’t forget that Pippo (Inzaghi) missed three months. When he’s on form and when he isn’t there you can see the difference.
   ‘Now he’s on top of his game and that gives us an extra dimension in attack.’
   Milan took the lead through Inzaghi, after he got on the end of a Kaka cross to score from barely a yard out. Kaka doubled the home side’s advantage at the San Siro on Sunday when he pounced on a mistake from Patrick Vieira to fire home low under Julio Cesar’s body.
   Julio Cruz hit back for Inter with a free-kick but it was too little too late for the champions.
   Fiorentina went down 2-1 in Sardinia against Cagliari as goals from Brazilian Jeda and Daniele Conti gave the hosts a two goal lead before Argentine Mario Santana pulled one back.
   It rounded off a painful week for them in which they also lost in the UEFA Cup semi-finals on penalties to Rangers.
   ‘It’s been a terrible week, black, one to forget,’ moaned Romania forward Adrian Mutu, who was sent off late on against Cagliari.
   ‘We’ve lost everything, the UEFA Cup and fourth place.’
   Coach Cesare Prandelli was trying to stay positive ahead of his team’s final matches against Parma and Torino.
   ‘The league is not over yet, we’re ready to keep going until the end,’ he insisted.
   ‘We have to win the next two matches and then wait to see what the other teams do.
   ‘After a week such as this one they’re (the players) feeling bad but we cannot forget about how we reached this position.
   ‘We’ve had an incredible season, now we’ll play the last two matches and we’ll see what happens.’

The 2007/08 Spanish season started with everyone asking whether Barcelona’s ‘Fantastic Four’ of Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o could help wrestle the title from Real Madrid.
   The answer was ‘no’ with Henry, a 24 million euro summer signing from Arsenal, and Ronaldinho a shadow of their former selves while Eto’o and Messi spent far too much time on the treatment table.
   It was the Real Madrid old guard of goalkeeper Iker Casillas and captain Raul Gonzalez, two local heroes born and bred in Madrid, who were to prove the driving force.
   A rejuvenated Raul banged the goals in at one end while Casillas kept them out at the other as Real notched their 31st championship although it was a first for German coach Bernd Schuster in his maiden season. Schuster was a surprise choice to replace the sacked Fabio Capello - whose football was deemed to dour - at Real and was under no illusion what was expected of him.
   ‘I know the club will demand the maximum along with football which will win over the fans,’ Schuster said on his arrival.
   Schuster added some flair through Arjen Robben and creative midfielder Wesley Sneijder and shored up the defence with Pepe. Real had spent the previous season chasing Barcelona before pipping them on the finishing line but under Schuster they raced out of the blocks winning their first three matches including a derby curtain raiser against Atletico Madrid.
   Barca were being troubled by the antics of Brazilian Ronaldinho whose poor form had been attributed to his penchant for late night partying.
   Ronaldinho spent most of the season on the sidelines with mysterious injuries but Messi was on fire scoring six games in a row as Barca kept on Real’s heels.
   Villarreal stopped Barca in their tracks with a 3-1 win at the end of October but Real failed to capitalise with Schuster tasting his first league defeat at Espanyol.
   The second came soon after when Sevilla outclassed Real in a 2-0 win and Barca moved a point behind with a win at Real Betis.
   A Christmas cracker saw Real play Barca at Camp Nou in ‘El Classico’.
   Barca lost Messi to injury and it proved significant as Real won 1-0 at Camp Nou with Julio Baptista, farmed out on loan to Arsenal last season, the unlikely match winner.
   ‘I will remember this goal for a long time but we have to be cautious as the title is far from won,’ Baptista said.
   Real went into the new year with a commanding seven-point lead over their Catalan foes.
   The champions started 2008 with three straight wins and Barca fell nine points adrift.
   The title race looked over by January but Real hit a real rocky patch losing three games to Almeria, Real Betis and Schuster’s ex-club Getafe.
   Barca took advantage and a 5-1 destruction of Levante saw them move two points behind Real at the end of February.
   ‘We are in great form and the objective is to win all the remaining matches,’ Rijkaard said at the time. Atletico Madrid did their city rivals a favour defeating Barca 4-2 in the next match and Real won at Recreativo to go five points clear.
   A shock Champions League exit to Roma at the start of March saw Schuster come in for stern criticism for his team selection and he cut a glum figure with Real crashing to defeats against Deportivo La Coruna and Valencia.
   But fortunately for him Barcelona let Real off the hook losing against Villarreal and drawing with Almeria.
   Last season a 1-1 draw against Betis cost Barcelona vital points in the title race and the Seville club all but ended their title hopes at the end of March with a sensational 3-2 win. Barca were two goals up but conceded three times after the interval and Real surged seven points clear with a 3-1 win over Sevilla.
   ‘We are embarassed about what happened,’ confessed Rijkaard.
   The Betis loss sapped Barca’s confidence and they drew the next four matches scoring just two goals.
   Real sensed the title was theirs and their wild celebrations after a 2-0 win at Racing on April 20 underlined that they felt the championship was under lock and key.
   Real finally sealed the championship on Sunday with sensational late goals from Arjen Robben and Gonzalo Higuain sealing a 2-1 win over Osasuna and the title.
   It was a successful season for Schuster and Raul, although he continues to be ignored by Spain coach Luis Aragones, on the domestic front although the ineptitude of Barcelona aided their cause.
   For Barcelona it was another trophyless season and the future of Rijkaard hangs by a thread.
   Rijkaard is expected to be axed in the summer while Schuster has probably earned himself another season in the Madrid hot-seat although he cannot afford another Roma debacle next season.

After a low-key start in management Bernd Schuster has collected his first major managerial title after guiding Real Madrid to their 31st Primera Liga title on Sunday but it has been far from a smooth ride for the German.
   Schuster was entrusted with appeasing Real’s demanding fans with attacking football and his team certainly produced goals with 5-1, 7-0 and 5-0 wins over Valencia, Valladolid and Villarreal respectively.
   Wrapping up the title with three games to spare in your debut season is impressive but it was not all plain sailing for Schuster who had constant spats with the media and setbacks in both the Kings Cup and the Champions League.
   His rotation policy, strange formations and stone-faced expression - even when Real were winning comfortably - made him a target as he discovered the pressure of managing one of the biggest clubs in the world.
   After losing to Roma in the last 16 of the Champions League Schuster’s job was said to be on the line despite a commanding lead at the top of the league.
   Days before that defeat Schuster petulantly walked out of a press conference after Real’s 3-2 win at Recreativo Huelva and was loudly barracked by journalists as he left the room. ‘If it happens again, I will react in the same way because I think that there are times when not enough respect is shown,’ Schuster said.
   ‘People forget that they were speaking to the coach of Real Madrid.
   ‘It does not bother me what they call me, but I am important, very important, and at times they forget their manners.’
   When Real decided to axe Fabio Capello last summer - despite the Italian coach lifting the title - big names such as Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho were mentioned but the Madrid board surprisingly chose former old boy Schuster.
   Schuster was a low-profile coach after indifferent spells with Fortuna Cologne, Xerez, Levante and Shakhtar Donetsk but had established minnows Getafe as a top ten side in Spain and guided them to the Kings Cup final last season.
   Getafe lost to Sevilla but their incredible 4-0 semi-final win over Barcelona, after trailing 5-2 from the first leg, enhanced Schuster’s reputation.
   A talented midfielder, Schuster played for both Barcelona and Real winning three league titles and six Spanish Cups but as a manager he had won nothing.
   ‘Yes, we are going to bring some new players and I am sure of being able to change the style in which the team plays,’ Schuster said on his arrival.
   ‘I think next year’s team is going to defend further forward than last season.’
   Capello’s dour football did not sit well with Real fans and Schuster brought in Dutch trio Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Roysten Drenthe to add some speed and creativity.
   Robben and Drenthe were to prove fringe players while Sneijder was hit and miss with his brilliant free-kicks counterbalanced by some below-par performances.
   Schuster forked out 30 million euros for Portuguese international Pepe and although the fee was eye-catching so were Pepe’s peformances in a great debut season.
   Real got off to a great start under Schuster winning six out of their first seven matches and at Christmas they were seven points clear after defeating Barcelona 1-0 at Camp Nou.
   The new year saw Real dip with defeats to Almeria, Real Betis, Getafe, Valencia, Deportivo La Coruna coupled with the Roma nightmare putting Schuster under extreme pressure.
   Fortunately Barcelona failed to get going and Schuster steadied the ship to join the elite group who have won the title with Real as a player and coach.
   ‘We are in the process of building a team and there is still work to be done,’ said Schuster.
   ‘We need this summer (to recruit). And I hope to carry out the second part of this project.’
   Real are certainly not afraid to change title-winning coaches - just ask Capello - and Schuster may need to do better in Europe next season if he is still in charge.

Victorious Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster said his team fully deserved to retain the championship and said he was tingling with excitement at the prospect of celebrating at the Cibeles fountain in Madrid and then again at Wednesday’s match against Barcelona.
   Real clinched their 31st championship on Sunday with late goals from Arjen Robben and Gonzalo Higuain securing a 2-1 win over Osasuna and the title.
   The dismissal of Fabio Cannavaro appeared to have tipped the balance in Osasuna’s favour but Real showed the spirit of champions to come back and prevail.
   ‘In sport you have to fight and suffer sometimes but to win the title like this is special,’ said Schuster.
   ‘The game had everything but with this final we clinched the title and that is all that matters.
   ‘We are enjoying the moment and can’t wait to return to Madrid and see our fans celebrate at Cibeles. It will be some party just like on Wednesday against Barcelona.’
   Barcelona, Real’s arch rivals, will be expected to pay homage to the newly-crowned champions and captain Raul Gonzalez will lift the title in front of the Santiago Bernabeu public.
   ‘We did what we had to do and are so delighted,’ added Schuster. ‘These are moments that you sometimes wish would last longer. We all have to treasure them.’
   Real president Ramon Calderon saluted the achievement of Schuster in his first season at the club after taking over from the axed Fabio Capello in the summer.
   ‘I always had faith in Schuster and he deserves a lot of credit,’ said Calderon.
   ‘This team never lies down and now we are going to celebrate in Madrid and Wednesday against Barcelona will also be a huge party.’
   Sporting director Pedrag Mijatovic said the players were popping the champagne corks in the dressing room after the win.
   ‘There is an incredible atmosphere in the dressing room but I am sure I don’t have to tell you that,’ Mijatovi beamed.
   ‘Defending the title is special and the players deserve a lot of credit as does the coach.’
   Some have suggested Real have won a low-quality league – with Barcelona particularly disappointing – but Mijatovic said it was no mean feat.
   ‘Saying the league has been poor is out of order,’ added Mijatovic. ‘We were superior for most of the season and thoroughly deserve to win it.
   ‘The Spanish league is a very high standard and it is not easy to win – make no doubt about it.’

Five of the key Real Madrid players who helped the Spanish giants win the league title for a record 31st time on Sunday:
   Raul Gonzalez (ESP)
   Real coach Bernd Schuster played Raul for most of the season as an orthodox target man and the Spanish giant’s captain responded with some of his best form of recent campaigns.
   Raul remains a dominant figure in the dressing room and led by example on the pitch, scoring 17 goals with three games still to go, the second highest haul by a Spanish player in La Liga this season.
   There have been public and media demands in recent months for his recall to the Spanish national side but Luis Aragones still remains deaf to the pleas, after dropping him in the wake of Spain’s disappointing showing at the 2006 World Cup.
   Ruud van Nistelrooy (NED)
   The 31-year-old Dutchman was injured during Madrid’s 1-0 home defeat by against Getafe on February 24 and has not played since but before that he was again an influential figure in front of goal.
   Before his injury, van Nistelrooy scored 12 goals in 21 league games to help propel Real to the top of the table. He wasn’t been quite in the same form as last season, when he was the Spanish first division’s top scorer with 25 goals, but he is still very dangerous in and around the penalty area.
   Sergio Ramos (ESP)
   Ramos is still only 22 but is probably the top defender in La Liga. Athletic and seemingly untiring, he is a fixture in both Bernd Schuster’s plans and those of Spanish national team coach Luis Aragones.
   Can play at either right back or as a central defender and has done both this season due to Real’s injury problems at the back. In addition to his hard work at the back, he is also a danger up front, especially at set pieces, and has contributed three goals this season.
   The only question mark over his huge ability is his discipline. He has acquired 17 yellow cards this season and been sent off three times, in both cases the worst tally in the Spanish first division.
   Fabio Cannavaro (ITA)
   The speedy wingers Wesley Sneijder and Robinho may have been more spectacular up front, and scored some important goals, but they have also been inconsistent and also suffered injuries.
   By contrast, the quiet and assured presence of the 2006 World Player of the Year in the middle of the defence has helped Real concede the lowest number of goals in La Liga despite the rest of the back-four changing almost on a weekly basis.
   Cannavaro has adjusted to the specific demands of La Liga, demonstrated by the precision tackling with which he made his name in Italy, and he has only been booked five times this season compared to 15 yellow cards last season.
   Iker Casillas (ESP)
   Spain’s number one goalkeeper has ever-present for every game so far this season and he is on course to win the coveted Zamora prize for the safest pair of hands in La Liga for the first time.
   This year is his ninth in the Real first team squad, despite being only 26, but he has visibly improved this season and no longer looks quite so uncertain when faced with high balls booted into the box.
   Casillas continues as one of the best direct shot-stoppers in the game, not just in Spain.

Real Madrid midfielder Guti hopes back-to-back league titles can push this young Real team onto a new level and that they go on to win much more silverware in the future.
   Guti watched from the stands as Real defeated Osasuna 2-1 to lift their 31st championship on Sunday and the midfielder hopes this is the stepping stone towards greater success.
   ‘There are young players in our dressing room that have never won a title,’ said Guti. ‘I hope this is the start of a glorious chapter for Real Madrid.’
   Real went three seasons without winning the league title before Fabio Capello arrived to lift the crown last season and Bernd Schuster repeated the feat this season.
   However, on the European front the nine-time European champions have failed in recent seasons and lost to Roma in the last 16 of the Champions League this season.
   ‘It is an important title for us and we won it on a difficult ground here at Osasuna,’ continued Guti.
   ‘It was fantastic how we won it and it is the result of the hard work across the whole season.
   ‘I have won a few titles but they are all special and I don’t want to single one out. I want to win more.
   ‘We are champions and that is the most important thing so the match on Wednesday against Barcelona will be something special.’
   Goalkeeper Iker Casillas, still only 26, could not contain his joy at winning a fourth league title following his successes in 2001, 2003 and 2007.
   ‘The truth is I was quite happy with the draw,’ said Casillas. ‘We knew that a point against Barca would be enough to win the title but when we scored the second in the final minute it was an incredible feeling.’
   Casillas made his Real debut back in 1999 as an 18-year-old but he has not many seasons better than the current one in which he has been outstanding.
   Argentine Gabriel Heinze, a summer signing from Manchester United, celebrated his first title in Real colours and saluted the team unity.
   ‘There are 25 of us and it has been a great team effort,’ Heinze explained. ‘We have again shown that Real are a brave team and scoring in the final minute was a fantastic feeling.’
   Arjen Robben and Gonzalo Higuain scored in the final three minutes as ten-man Real won a dramatic finale.
   Dutch international Robben, another summer signing from Chelsea, admitted his header was something of a collector’s item.
   ‘I can’t remember the last time I scored with my
   head I don’t think I have ever done it before,’ Robben explained.
   ‘It is incredible to end the league like this. I am really happy here in Madrid and hope to continue for many more years yet.’

The beer flowed as Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga title on Sunday after a lacklustre 0-0 draw at VfL Wolfsburg gave them the precious point to be crowned German champions for the 21st time.
   The stalemate in Wolfsburg puts Bayern on 67 points – ten more than second-placed Werder Bremen – and with only three games left this season, Munich can not be caught.
   Bayern have now won the league, German Cup and German League Cup this season.
   After the final whistle, celebrating Bayern players took turns soaking each other - and the management – with beer as chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was given a bath live on television from midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.
   ‘We have had an outstanding season and it bodes well for next season,’ said Rummenigge moments before his beer bath.
   Ottmar Hitzfeld, who won his 25th title as a coach and leaves Bayern to take charge of the Switzerland team after this June’s Euro 2008, was caught unaware by midfielder Mark van Bommel.
   ‘It is something special to win the German league,’ said a soggy Hitzfeld.
   ‘The team didn’t play very well today and were flat, but it has been a special season.
   ‘The expectation on us was enormous and we had a lot of players here who didn’t speak German so you never know what will happen.’
   In the comfort of the television studio, Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer stayed dry and added he was proud of the team.
   ‘The team earned their title, we led the table from the first weekend of the season, which doesn’t always happen.
   ‘It has been a very, very good season, the new players did well.’
   But the league and cup double winners rode their luck and created few chances as Wolfsburg, with Brazilian Marcelinho dominating the midfield, squandered countless opportunities to win the game.
   Bayern were decimated by injuries with captain Oliver Khan, striker Miroslav Klose, midfielders Franck Ribery and Ze Roberto plus defenders Philipp Lahm and Lucio all missing after the exertions of their UEFA Cup campaign last Thursday. Reserve goalkeeper Michael Rensing kept his side in the game with a string of saves, while Lukas Podolski was largely ineffective alongside Toni in attack.
   Wolfsburg are hunting a UEFA Cup place next season and with former Bayern coach Felix Magath at the helm, they dominated the first half with a string of chances and were unlucky not to come away with all three points.
   Also on Sunday, Duisburg lifted themselves off the bottom of the Bundesliga with a 3-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen as Bulgarian international Blagoy Georgiev hit the winner deep into injury time. On Saturday, second-half goals by Swedish striker Markus Rosenberg and Portugal’s Hugo Almeida were enough to give Bremen the win at Energie Cottbus.
   But third-placed Schalke 04 dropped out of the title race after a 1-1 draw with Hanover.
   VfB Stuttgart broke back into the top five - and a place in Europe next season - when they pounded Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1.
   Hamburg are fourth after a 3-1 win at Hansa Rostock.
   And Arminia Bielefeld helped their precarious league position, just above the relegation zone, with a 2-0 win over VfL Bochum.
   On Friday night, Nuremberg did little to ease their relegation worries with a 0-0 draw at Borussia Dortmund.

Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez has the honour of lifting the Spanish championship this season but the club captain said the team was the only star for Real this season.
   Real won their 31st title on Sunday with two late goals securing a 2-1 win over Osasuna and ensuring they retained their title.
   ‘It was a special game and we can’t win to celebrate with our fans in Cibeles,’ said Raul.
   ‘In the last six months we have played very well and the title success is the reward for the effort of a united group. It is a team title.
   ‘We have been the most consistent team this season and fully deserve to win the championship.’
   For Raul, still only 30, it was a sixth Primera Liga title following his successes in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2007.
   The striker has also won three Champions League crowns in 1998, 2000 and 2002.
   Raul has scored 17 goals so far this season to help fire Real to the championship and he is now just 12 goals from equalling Alfredo di Stefano’s league record of 216 league goals which the Argentine set between 1953 and 1964.
   Since making his Real debut back in October 1994 as a raw 17-year-old Raul, contracted until 2011, has become a symbol of the great club and has showed the critics that he has far from washed up with one of his best seasons to date. The clamour for Raul to return to the Spain squad is constant but national coach Luis Aragones continues to ignore his claims.
   Raul won the last of his 102 caps back in September 2006 when Spain suffered an embarrassing 3-2 loss in Northern Ireland and is unlikely to go to the 2008 European championships despite an incredible season.

Thousands of Real Madrid fans converged on the famous Cibeles fountain in the Spanish capital on Sunday to celebrate their team’s 31st league title after a 2-1 win over Osasuna.
   Patient fans waited until 2:50 local time (0150 GMT) to greet their returning heroes.
   Real stars such as Raul, Iker Casillas, Ruud van Nistelrooy coasted in on a open-top bus painted the club colour white with ‘champions’ plastered on the side.
   Flags, fog horns, confetti and fireworks welcomed the victorious Real players who taped the celebrations with video recorders.
   ‘We have come so we can all celebrate together,’ said Real coach Bernd Schuster. ‘It is a precious moment for everyone.’
   Club captain Raul, who has now won six league titles, tied a club scarf and a Spanish flag around the statue of the goddess at the centre of the Cibeles fountain.
   Cibeles is the goddess of nature, fertility, animals, mountains and fortresses.
   Fans wearing out-of-date shirts bearing Raul’s name chanted ‘seleccion’ (the Spanish national team) backing their skipper for a recall to the Spain squad ahead of the 2008 European championships.
   Raul has scored 17 goals this season but has not played for Spain since September 2006 and Luis Aragones has denied him the chance to add to his 102 caps.
   Last year when Real won the celebrations got out of hand with police using tear gas to control the delirious fans and there were ambulances on hand for any accidents.
   Real won the Spanish title for the second successive season after late goals from Arjen Robben and Gonzalo Higuain sealed the crown in a dramatic finale.

The Spanish media hailed Real Madrid’s league title win as ‘epic’ on Monday after the team battled back from a sending off to beat Osasuna 2-1 with both of its goals scored in the last three minutes.
   ‘Real Madrid wrote the most epic and emotional page in its history,’ sports daily Marca wrote of the win on Sunday in Pamplona that gave Real a record 31st league title.
   ‘A champion never gives up and the team fulfilled that maxim point by point,’ the newspaper added.
   Arjen Robben and Gonzalo Higuain scored in the dying minutes of the match at Pamplona’s Reyno de Navarra, allowing a 10-man Real to defend its title and sending thousands of jubilant fans into the streets of the Spanish capital.
   ‘Soaked in glory,’ Madrid-based sports daily As said in its front page above a picture of Real players celebrating their victory under a driving rain.
   Daily newspaper ABC said no one could imagine ‘such an emotional epilogue to this season’.
   ‘It is the most festive and magical victory chant,’ the newspaper added.
   It’s the first time that Real has retained the league title since it won five straight times through 1990.

Brazilian striker Ronaldo has admitted to being ashamed after a bizarre run-in with a trio of transvestites in Rio de Janeiro last week.
   ‘I’ve done something really stupid in my personal life,’ the AC Milan player said in an interview with Globo television on Sunday.
   ‘We are all subject to making mistakes and I made a mistake in looking for this. I did not at any moment know they were transvestites,’ the 31-year-old added in his first public appearance since the incident last Monday.
   Police said Ronaldo, who is recovering from a knee injury, went to a motel in Rio de Janeiro’s upmarket Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood with three call-girls only to find out they were transvestites.