Spartak Moscow have sacked coach Unai Emery just six months into his tenure at the Russian Premier League club.

Emery joined Spartak after leaving Valencia in June, but was dismissed on Sunday after guiding the team to sixth place in the league from 17 games played.

Spartak suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Barcelona on Tuesday, leaving them fourth in their Champions League group and eliminated from the competition.

That was followed up with a crushing 5-1 loss to local rivals Dinamo Moscow on Sunday, prompting general director Valery Karpin to announce Emery s dismissal at the post-match press conference.

I have one announcement. It has been decided by shareholders of the club that Emery will no longer coach Spartak, he said.

What happens next wil…

Spanish maestro Thiago Alcantara has been in superb form for Bayern Munich this season and his fine performances for the Bavarian giants have been rewarded with a new contract that will keep him at the Allianz Arena until 2021.

Alcantara has won the Bundesliga title in every season since his arrival in 2013, along with two DFB Pokal trophies and reflecting on his contract extension the Spaniard hopes to stay with Bayern Munich for many years and to win as many trophies as possible.

Here is his official reaction for the club TV:

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Pep Guardiola says he understands why Luis Enrique has opted to leave Barcelona, despite hailing him as the perfect coach at Camp Nou.

Barca went top of LaLiga on Wednesday with a 6-1 demolition of Sporting Gijon, but Luis Enrique stunned Catalan fans after the game by announcing he would not extend his contract at the club beyond the end of the season.

Luis Enrique cited a need to rest for his decision, a move that more than echoes Guardiola s own decision to step down as Barca boss in 2012 after four glittering seasons.

I have two reactions, Manchester City manager Guardiola told a news conference.

: As a Barcelona fan, I’m sad that we’ll miss the perfect trainer for Barcelona. His three years they has played unbelievable football.

— Manc…

Jose Mourinho says he is already convinced over Gareth Bale s quality and wants him to play a key part in Tottenham s run-in.

Bale impressed with a goal and assist in a 4-1 victory over Wolfsberger in the first leg of the Europa League last-32 tie last week.

Spurs then suffered a damaging 2-1 Premier League loss at London rivals West Ham on Sunday but Bale came off the bench and produced a lively performance, which included an assist for Lucas Moura

Overall, though, the 31-year-old  who is on loan from Real Madrid  has not made the impact expected of him after he signed to huge fanfare in September.

Under-pressure boss Mourinho insists Bale has nothing to prove, other than his ability to play regular games ahead of another hectic part of the season.

Palmeiras reached their first Copa Libertadores final since 2000 after edging River Plate despite a thrilling second-leg loss on Tuesday.

First-half goals from Robert Rojas and Rafael Santos Borre had River on track to sensationally overturn a 3-0 deficit in the semi-finals in Sao Paulo.

Champions in 2018, River had a goal ruled out early in the second half and a penalty call overturned after Rojas red card, Palmeiras holding on for a 3-2 aggregate victory.

River found their way back into the tie before half-time.

Rojas produced a brilliant header from a Nicolas De La Cruz corner before Borre nodded in a Matias Suarez cross in the 44th minute.

¡La secuencia del gol de para en la CONMEBOL !

— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@Libertadores)

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Harry Kane scored twice on his home Bundesliga debut for Bayern Munich as the German champions beat Augsburg 3-1 on Sunday.

The England captain put Bayern into a 2-0 half-time lead with a 40th-minute penalty at the Allianz Arena before claiming his second of the game after 69 minutes.

Bayern had initially gone in front when Felix Uduokhai inadvertently diverted into his own net after a Leroy Sane shot rebounded off a post. Dion Beljo scored the visitors’ late consolation.

Get used to seeing him up there

— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN)

Kane’s goals rounded off a great week days after the striker’s wife gave birth to the couple’s fourth child.

“Scoring goals is the main reason I’m here and it’s great to get a couple toda…

Jude Bellingham looks close to the complete player for former England defender Gary Neville, after the midfielder sparked a World Cup victory against Senegal.

The teenager nabbed an assist and helped fire Gareth Southgate s side into the quarter-finals in Qatar with a 3-0 win on Sunday, in another superb individual showing.

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Bellingham has emerged as a key figure for the Three Lions this tournament, and looks to have staked his place firmly in the starting line-up.

Neville certainly feels it is a place well earned by the 19-year-old, and said he appears to already have a mastery and maturity in an England shirt that few others have.

It s very rare you see a midfield player as comfortable in his own half as in the attacking hal…

Ronaldinho feels that Atletico Mineiro s success in the Copa Libertadores proves that he can still compete at the highest level.

The 33-year-old, who joined from Flamengo in June 2012 following a dispute over wage payments, added the Libertadores to his list of honours as Mineiro overcame a two-goal aggregate deficit to beat Club Olimpia on penalties.

Former Barcelona star Ronaldinho joins a select group of players to have won both the Libertadores and the UEFA Champions League, and also boasts one FIFA World Cup crown.

The attacking midfielder s career had been thought to be in decline when he agreed to move to Estadio Independencia, having won just two major trophies since leaving Barcelona in 2008.

However, the Brazil international believes that this latest tr…

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger goes into Wednesday s UEFA Champions League clash with Fenerbahce under unprecedented pressure.

The Frenchman has won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups with the London club since his arrival in 1996, but has seen his standing diminish over the course of eight trophyless years.

Recent failures in the transfer market, which have seen several high-profile targets missed and only 20-year-old forward Yaya Sanogo arrive, have also served to compound fans frustrations.

The situation came to a head on Saturday as Arsenal suffered an embarrassing 3-1 opening-day defeat to an Aston Villa side who spent much of last season battling against relegation from the English top flight.

And so there is little doubt that Wenger needs a win when …

Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta believes Antonio Conte s reported move to Chelsea vindicates his club s decision to pluck him from Siena in 2011.

Conte went on to lead Juventus to three straight Serie A titles before moving on to coach Italy.

The Italian has already stated he will leave the post after Euro 2016 and has been widely reported to be the next Chelsea manager.

Marotta said he would be happy for Conte, should he complete the move.

The fact Antonio Conte is going to Chelsea just confirms that we made a good choice when we took him from Siena, he said.

I am proud of this and for him.

But Marotta said Conte s potential arrival at Chelsea would not hinder his efforts to keep Juan Cuadrado who is at Juventus on loan from …