LaLiga President Javier Tebas criticised Real Madrid on Thursday, saying the club had "lost their minds" after lodging an letter of complaint against the Spanish league's referees.

Madrid sent the letter following their 1-0 defeat by Espanyol on Saturday, with controversy surrounding a decision not to award a red card to Espanyol defender Carlos Romero for fouling Kylian Mbappé as he ran up the pitch on a counter-attack.

"They are against everything. That's the reality. Real Madrid want to damage the competition, not just the referees," Tebas told a meeting of LaLiga clubs, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and representatives of the Spanish refereeing committee (CTA), which Madrid did not attend.

"They have constructed a narrative of victimhood that culminated in the statement they released the other day. They have told a story of victimhood that is not true," Tebas added.

The LaLiga champions said the officials' decisions -- including those of the video assistant referees (VAR) -- were biased against them and "completely discredited."

They sent the complaint to the RFEF and the Spanish High Sports Council, requesting VAR audio after Mbappé's foul and Vinícius Júnior's disallowed goal.

"What happened is not an isolated incident or a simple refereeing error. It is the latest and most serious manifestation of a refereeing system whose credibility has been completely undermined," the club said in the letter on Monday.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has described external criticism of his team as "irrelevant" following their 4-1 aggregate defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semifinals.

Spurs took a slender advantage into the second leg at Anfield thanks to Lucas Bergvall's late winner in north London last month. However, they were comprehensively beaten by Arne Slot's side on Merseyside thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk.

The manner of the defeat will only heighten the pressure on Postecoglou as his team's dismal campaign continues, with Sky Sports pundit and former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp condemning his former club's performance at Anfield.

"I cannot remember a team in my lifetime go down with less of a fight with what Spurs did today," Redknapp said.

Reflecting on those comments, Postecoglou said: "People are on TV to give opinions. That's their job. My job is to manage this football club. What other people think or don't think is kind of irrelevant. It doesn't place any kind of emphasis on who we are or what we're trying to do. At the end of the day, everyone is allowed to have an opinion and express that opinion."

Asked whether he feels the criticism being levelled at him is fair considering Tottenham's lengthy injury list, Postecoglou added: "I don't worry about being judged or who's judging me. Ultimately my responsibility is to try and get the players I have to the best of my ability.

"It was disappointing tonight because we had an opportunity to get to a final and they don't come around too often."

Spurs' Carabao Cup disappointment comes on the back of their disappointing Premier League campaign -- they sit 14th in the table and have lost 13 of their 23 games so far this season.

Despite the damaging defeat at Anfield, Postecoglou and Spurs still have the opportunity to end the season with silverware if they find success in the Europa League or FA Cup.

The north London club have qualified for the Europa League round of 16 and travel to face Aston Villa in the fourth round of the world's oldest national football competition on Sunday.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised Ferran Torres' ability to fill in for Robert Lewandowski after the forward netted a hat trick in Thursday's 5-0 Copa del Rey quarterfinal win over Valencia at Mestalla.

Fermín López and Lamine Yamal were also on target as Barça joined Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad in next Wednesday's semifinal draw.

Torres' treble took his tally for the season to 11 in all competitions, with Flick increasingly using the winger as a central striker to rest Lewandowski.

"It's important that everyone shows his best," Flick said in a news conference when asked about Barça not losing their nose for goals when Lewandowski is not on the pitch.

"Ferran, his performance was really good. As a No.9, it counts that you score goals and he did it really great today.

"I am happy because he scored three goals. It's amazing because he has not had an easy time this season. He came back after an injury and I'm happy for him, he was great today."

Torres was one of several players to come into the Barça side as Flick flexed his squad's depth, with López, Frenkie de Jong and Eric García also handed starts.

The changes didn't affect Barça's rhythm as they followed up beating Valencia 7-1 in LaLiga two weeks ago by racing into a 4-0 lead at Mestalla inside the first 30 minutes.

"Now it's important [to show that depth] because we have tough weeks and months until the end of the season," the German coach added.

"It's important everyone shows their best; how good they are. This helps us a lot. I am happy for the players coming in, scoring goals and also playing really good.

"I am happy like the match against Valencia at home [in LaLiga]. Today we started from the beginning very focused, created great chances and scored the goals."

It was a bittersweet hat-trick for Torres as it came against his former club, who are now out of the cup and fighting for their lives in LaLiga.

His third goal in the 30th minute was the cue for some Valencia supporters to head to the exits, while others stayed to protest the club's ownership.

"I wish them all the luck in the world, I hope they stay up because I'm still a fan," Torres told reporters after refusing to celebrate his goals.

"It's hard to see the club of your life suffer like this. They're going through a tough time. I hope the fans can forget all the non-sporting [issues] and get behind the players because they need it to stay up."

Carlos Corberán's side can now focus fully on LaLiga, where they are currently second bottom and four points from safety with 16 games to go.

"I apologise to the fans for giving them so little after having received so much [support] from them," Corberán said in a news conference.

"These fans don't deserve what happened today on the pitch. We were nowhere near the level required. We need to transform the pain we're feeling into a reaction in our next games."

Valencia host fellow strugglers Leganés in a huge league game at Mestalla on Sunday, while Barça travel to Sevilla later on the same day.

Liverpool outclassed a blunt Tottenham Hotspur team 4-0 on Sunday to book their spot in the Carabao Cup final, but captain Virgil van Dijk said he was disappointed with aspects of his side's performance during the dominant win.

Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Van Dijk saw Liverpool thrash Ange Postecoglou's toothless Spurs team at Anfield.

Liverpool were on top from the first minute and their dominance was such that Spurs failed to have a shot on target in the match, but Van Dijk was critical of their first-half display.

"We needed a complete performance. I still think at half-time we could get a level up in terms of the intensity and put them even more under pressure and that's what I've said [to the team] as well," Van Dijk told Sky Sports.

"But to win here like we did tonight is great for the team and the club and now we focus on the FA Cup."

Pushed to elaborate on his comments, Van Dijk said: "You wanted to start obviously with loads of intensity and I think the game got interrupted a couple of times in the first half. It ruins a little bit of momentum that was there.

"We still did it now and then but I felt like we could do a little bit more and make it even more uncomfortable for them because obviously we know they have the quality to play out. They want to play through the middle and they have these patterns and stuff and if you bring intensity to the game then anybody can make mistakes. I think in the second half we did that and it was a beautiful win today."

The result keeps Liverpool's chances of winning all four major trophies alive, with Arne Slot's team holding a six-point lead over Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, looking forward to a round of 16 tie in the Champions League and facing a trip to Championship side Plymouth Argyle in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

Slot said that he was particularly pleased with the physical effort his players showed against Spurs.

"For us to be so aggressive without the ball ... It doesn't tell you anything about Tottenham. That should tell you about our work rate without the ball. I think that was what stood out for me, to play against a team that is so good at creating chances, not conceding hardly any [shots]. In the end a good accomplishment," Slot told a news conference.

Liverpool will face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final on March 16.

LIVERPOOL, England -- As the majority of Liverpool's players flocked to celebrate with Cody Gakpo after he had opened the scoring against Tottenham Hotspur, captain Virgil van Dijk had other ideas.

Though there were only 34 minutes on the clock at Anfield when Liverpool drew level on aggregate in their Carabao Cup semifinal tie before eventually winning 4-0 -- Gakpo's strike had cancelled out Lucas Bergvall's first-leg match-winner -- Van Dijk knew there was still work to be done.

Perhaps it is that insatiable hunger for more, that sets this Liverpool team apart from the rest this season.

Not content with having climbed to the summit of both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League tables in recent months, Arne Slot's men are now just 90 minutes away from potentially lifting the first trophy of what could be a truly historic campaign, with second-half goals from Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Van Dijk setting up a date with Newcastle United in the final at Wembley.

Even before kick-off, there was a palpable sense of expectation around Anfield, with supporters queueing in their droves to welcome the team coach to the stadium while, on the terraces, the atmosphere was akin to a European night.

Liverpool might harbour ambitions of yielding more prestigious silverware this term, but this is a club whose very foundations are built on winning, and, with every passing week, Slot's team looked increasingly capable of upholding that proud tradition.

The contrast between Liverpool and their visitors on Thursday night was stark. Tottenham arrived on Merseyside off the back of consecutive victories over Elfsborg and Brentford, though they had won only three of their previous 10.

Shorn of both confidence and quality -- with 10 first-team players missing Thursday's clash through injury -- Tottenham struggled to lay a glove on Liverpool in the first half, managing only 27% possession and just one shot compared to Liverpool's 11.

Slot had commented pre-match about his excitement for his first knockout tie at Anfield, and Liverpool delivered both on and off the pitch, with Gakpo's opener sending the home support into a fist-pumping, scarf-swirling frenzy. The Netherlands international finished with aplomb past goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after connecting with Salah's dangerous cross into the box.

In many ways, Gakpo is the perfect poster boy for Liverpool's success this term, having progressed from an out-of-form utility player in Jurgen Klopp's final season to one of Slot's most trusted lieutenants, with 16 goals so far in all competitions this season. An understated character off the pitch, Gakpo is rarely one to grab the headlines, but he is a vital cog in a team whose greatest strength is their unity and willingness to fight for each other.

Tottenham's fight, however, was ruthlessly sapped out of them after the interval as Liverpool smelt blood and went for the jugular. Salah's coolly taken penalty -- after Darwin Núñez was brought down by Kinsky inside the area -- put Liverpool ahead in the tie before Szoboszlai's smart finish provided the killer blow to Tottenham's Wembley dream.

That the Hungary international was teed up by right-back Conor Bradley following a lung-busting run through the middle of the pitch offers further evidence of the industriousness that Slot demands.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold sidelined with a minor injury, Bradley deputised admirably, fearlessly sliding into tackles and constantly looking to get forward. The fact that Liverpool's reserve full-back is capable of such brilliance is a testament to the strength of the squad that Klopp assembled and Slot has honed.

It was fitting, too, that Van Dijk got on the scoresheet, nodding home from a late corner to cap off a fine individual display. It was the Dutchman who was the matchwinner in last season's final against Chelsea and his importance to this team has only been reinforced this season.

Ensuring that Van Dijk stays at Anfield beyond the expiration of his contract this summer feels imperative. Tottenham would certainly benefit from a player with his quality and leadership abilities at the moment.

Having boldly claimed earlier in the campaign that he "always" wins a trophy in his second season at a club, Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou has arguably just waved goodbye to his greatest chance of silverware this season. There were still 10 minutes to play on Thursday night when hordes of travelling fans began heading for the exit, while the Liverpool supporters taunted the Tottenham boss with chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning."

That Slot was heavily linked with the Spurs job following Antonio Conte's departure back in 2023 will surely be further salt in the wound for those of a Tottenham persuasion. For Liverpool, though, the Dutchman continues to defy expectations and has already created an impressive synergy between himself, his players, and the fans.

"It was so intense," Slot said of his team's performance after the game.

"The players were ready for it, the fans were ready for it and we all simply wanted one thing that was going through to the final. That mentality, we showed it from the first to the last second."

Of course, Slot -- like Van Dijk on Thursday night -- knows there is still work to do if this season of enormous promise is to become one of prosperity for Liverpool. But, based on current evidence, the league leaders look like they will take some stopping.

Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul are in the process of finalizing a deal for a May 3 cruiserweight fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

The fight would be contested at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds, sources said, and was expected to be streamed on Netflix.

Alvarez, boxing's top star, is the unified champion at 168 pounds and is a former 175-pound champion. Paul, a social-media-star-turned-boxer, has yet to face a world-class boxer and is now prepared to do so at the highest level.

Paul, 28, is one of boxing's top attractions despite his novice skill level. His November matchup with 58-year-old Mike Tyson, a bout Paul won via eight-round decision, peaked at a staggering 64 million concurrent streams on Netflix.

That event was staged at the home of the Dallas Cowboys and produced an $18.1 million gate.

This development of a fight with Paul comes days after ESPN reported that Alvarez and Terence Crawford were finalizing a deal for a September bout at 168 pounds at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Mexico's Alvarez typically fights twice a year on Cinco de Mayo weekend and Mexican Independence Day weekend in September.

It's possible Alvarez's decision to fight Paul would jeopardize the agreement in place to fight Crawford in a Riyadh Season event on Mexican Independence Day weekend, sources said.

"When I'm done with boxing [at the top level)], why not?" Alvarez told the "Full Send Podcast" in November when asked about the possibility of fighting Paul. "Yes, maybe. I think it's good because it attracts fans who don't normally watch boxing. They know Jake Paul, but they don't know anything about boxing."

Running back Saquon Barkley capped a remarkable first season in Philadelphia by becoming the first Eagles player to win The Associated Press' Offensive Player of the Year award during the NFL Honors on Thursday night in New Orleans.

Barkley became the ninth player to rush for over 2,000 yards rushing and finished 100 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's all-time record. His average of 142.7 yards rushing per game ranked as the fourth-most over the last 15 seasons.

In the voting, Barkley received 35 of 50 first-place votes. The only other player to receive more than one first-place vote was Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who got 12.

Ravens teammate Derrick Henry, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Bills QB Josh Allen all received one first-place vote each.

Defensive Player of the Year

The Broncos' Patrick Surtain II became the first cornerback in five years to win this award.

Surtain allowed only two touchdowns and 306 yards receiving, the third-fewest among corners with at least 50 targets, according to ESPN Research.

Surtain received 26 first-place votes, beating out Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (11) and Browns edge Myles Garrett (5).

Surtain thanked his parents -- his father, Patrick Surtain Sr., is a former NFL cornerback -- for "setting the blueprint, and turning a young man into a grown man." He also thanked the Broncos, as Denver coach Sean Payton nodded in the audience, "for believing in me, trusting me, allowing me to grow and be the player I am today."

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels completed one of the most impressive NFL debut seasons by winning Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

In leading Washington to its best season in more than three decades, Daniels transformed a 4-13 team into a 12-5 one, guiding the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game.

He is the first Washington player to win Offensive Rookie of the Year since quarterback Robert Griffin III in 2012.

After being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft, Daniels became the first rookie in league history to throw for over 3,500 yards and rush for over 800 yards in a season. He helped the Commanders to score an average of 28.5 points per game, which are the most by a team with a rookie quarterback.

Daniels received 49 of 50 first-place votes with the other going to Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. Broncos QB Bo Nix finished third in the voting.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Rams edge rusher Jared Verse was an overwhelming choice for the award after a season that saw him finish with 4 1/2 sacks and a rookie-leading quarterback hits (18), pressures (77) and hurries (56). He also had 11 tackles for loss.

Verse got 37 first-place votes, well ahead of Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who received nine.

Comeback Player of the Year

Burrow was named Comeback Player of the Year, adding some humor after a year in which he rebounded from a season-ending wrist injury.

In 2024, Burrow led the NFL in with 4,918 yards passing and 43 touchdown passes.

"I wouldn't say this is necessarily an award you want to be nominated for two times," Burrow said at the awards show. "I'm proud of the work I put in to come back from these injuries that I seem to face every year."

The award was announced by Randy Moss, who sent a videotaped message of thanks as he fights cancer.

The Hall of Fame receiver thanked doctors and fans for their support. The crowd cheered for Moss when a video montage of his career played during the show.

In other awards:

Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was named Assistant Coach of the Year. Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and ex-Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn finished second and third in voting, respectively.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Before the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles meet at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, FOX), the best of the NFL gathered at the nearby Saenger Theatre for Thursday's NFL Honors.

Upcoming awards include: Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year.

Here's a look at who took home the awards and why:

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Jared Verse | Edge | Los Angeles Rams

Verse was the Rams' first first-round pick since 2016, and the No. 19 selection made an impact in his rookie season for a defense that was playing without recently retired star Aaron Donald. Verse, a rookie out of Florida State, had 4.5 sacks, 66 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. He was the Rams' lone Pro Bowl selection, something defensive coordinator Chris Shula said shows "how much he influences and impacts the game." Verse ranked fourth in the NFL in quarterback pressures. His 76 pressures were 20 more than the next rookie on the list. Shula called Verse a "true three-down player" and praised his growth from the start of the season through the Rams' playoff run.

"He's an exciting guy that has a great charisma," head coach Sean McVay said. "He has a great toughness about himself. I think he's continuing to use all these experiences as he matures and grows."

Verse was one of two Rams finalists for Defensive Rookie of the Year, joining their second-round pick, defensive tackle, DT Braden Fiske, in the category. -- Sarah Barshop

Comeback Player of the Year

Joe Burrow | QB | Cincinnati Bengals

When the season started, there were many questions about how Joe Burrow would respond from a season-ending injury in 2023. Burrow ruptured the scapholunate ligament in his throwing wrist. During his recovery process, he was unable to find another quarterback or pitcher who had that injury. It took some time, but not only did Burrow play well in 2024, he ended up having the best season of his career.

He led the league in passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43) and finished third in Total QBR (74.7). Burrow joins Chad Pennington as the only player to win the award twice since it was reintroduced in 1998. Burrow won the honor in 2021 by leading the Bengals to an AFC North title and a Super Bowl berth after suffering a season-ending knee injury his rookie season. In December, Burrow said he would be proud of winning Comeback Player of the Year a second time.

"It's not exactly an award you want to be up for," Burrow said. "But if you're up for it, you might as well try to win it." -- Ben Baby

Offensive Player of the Year

Saquon Barkley | RB | Philadelphia Eagles

Barkley is having one of the best seasons for a running back in NFL history.

He became the ninth player to reach 2,000 rushing yards and finished just 100 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record (2,105) after the Eagles opted to rest their starters in the regular-season finale against the Giants. Barkley has seven 60-plus yard touchdown runs, the most ever in a single season. The Eagles decided during their Week 5 bye to become a more ground-dependent, Barkley-centric offense, and proceeded to rattle off 10 straight wins en route to a 14-3 record.

"I'd like to say he's exceeded expectations, but he's always been one of the best players I've ever seen whenever I've watched him and I have always known about what kind of person he is because it's not hard to find that out," said general manager Howie Roseman.

"So I'm really not surprised by any of this, and I don't say that in an arrogant way, it's based on who he is, nothing to do with me, because this is who he's always been." -- Tim McManus

Defensive Player of the Year

Pat Surtain II | CB | Denver Broncos

Whether it was simply the eye test or a swirl of analytics, take your pick. By any measure, Surtain was ridiculously good all season. He matched up on a who's who of receivers, and Ja'Marr Chase's three receptions for 27 yards (on 43 routes against Surtain) and DK Metcalf's three catches for 29 yards (on 24 routes) were the best anyone did against those star wideouts.

Surtain, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, surrendered the fewest receiving yards (306) of anyone at his position this season (minimum 375 coverage snaps), allowed the second-lowest passer rating when targeted and had the lowest expected points added per target (minus-0.43). He tied his career high in interceptions (four) and led the league in interception return yards (132). As defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said "Pat is at the center of everything we do ... he gives us a chance a lot of defenses don't have, we can dictate some things just by where we line him up.'' -- Jeff Legwold

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Jayden Daniels | QB | Washington Commanders

Jayden Daniels set one record after another -- from early in the season until late.

He became only the sixth rookie quarterback to lead his team to a conference championship game -- the previous five all played with defenses ranked in the top three; Washington was 18th. He rushed for more yards (891) than any other rookie quarterback in history and combined that with 3,568 passing yards. He was the NFL's fourth-ranked passer in total QBR and threw for 25 touchdowns (15 coming in his last five full games) with only nine picks, and he ran for six scores. Daniels led five winning drives, including one in the playoffs; three ended with touchdown passes. And he threw more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and overtime (12) than any rookie in history.

In September, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete at least 85% of his throws in consecutive games. -- John Keim

Assistant Coach of the Year

Ben Johnson | Detroit Lions | Offensive Coordinator

Johnson, who is now the head coach of the Chicago Bears, was a big part of the Lions' record-setting season in 2024, in which they won a franchise-best 15 games while earning the NFC's No. 1 seed and a second consecutive NFC North title.

Johnson is widely respected by his players for his offensive brilliance and creative playcalling. Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams was impressed with Johnson's knowledge of the game.

"I talk to him a lot on the side when we're not on offense. He just breaks down some things to me and some things I never knew playing the game," Williams said. "But it's different. It's kind of different. He played the game, but some people have a passion for coaching and once they get a feel for the game, and understand the game very well, it becomes easy. You know what to call for a certain defense. It's kind of like playing Madden." -- Eric Woodyard

Free agent forward Torrey Craig has agreed to a deal with the Boston Celtics, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN's Shams Charania on Thursday.

Craig was waived by the Chicago Bulls earlier this week to clear roster spots following their trade of Zach LaVine. The veteran appeared in just nine games this season for a Bulls team prioritizing youth.

In his eighth year in the league, Craig provides the Celtics with more wing depth. Boston traded young guard Jaden Springer earlier in the week in a cost-cutting move. Craig fills one of two open spots on Boston's roster.

Craig, 34, has extensive playoff experience, appearing in 75 postseason games with the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns.