Fernando Alonso has never been satisfied with being known as one of the best drivers in Formula One. The Spanish racer has always wanted to be considered one of the best drivers in history.

That was evident early in his career when he became the youngest driver at that time to win the Formula One title. He was 24 years, 59 days old in 2005 and that broke Emerson Fittipaldi’s record as the youngest F-1 champion.

Alonso won his second F-1 crown the following year.

Alonso has enjoyed celebrity status all over the world. With 32 wins and 97 podiums, he is one of the most accomplished drivers in F-1 history

But that isn’t enough to satisfy Alonso. He wants to be one of the best drivers in the history of auto racing.

That is why he came to the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in 2017. He wanted to join the ranks of Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti and Nigel Mansell —  Formula One champions who tackled the most intimidating race in the world.

Alonso quickly adapted to the McLaren Honda that was prepared in an alliance with Andretti Autosport. He called the high-speed pack running “the most fun he’s ever had” behind the wheel of a race car.

Alonso started fifth, led 27 laps and was a contender to win before his Honda engine blew 21 laps from the checkered flag. He finished 24th but vowed to return.

He skipped last year’s Indy 500 to concentrate on McLaren’s F-1 team and compete in the Grand Prix of Monaco.

But he accomplished another one of his dreams last year by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

After sharing the winning Toyota at Le Mans, it created an even stronger desire for Alonso to return to the Indianapolis 500. It’s the only jewel missing from racing’s Triple Crown — victories at Monaco, Le Mans and Indianapolis. Hill is the only driver to win all three. The British driver won the Formula One race at Monaco in 1963, the 1966 Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1972.

Alonso won at Monaco in 2006 and ’07 and won in his Le Mans debut last June.

“The aim is to do something unprecedented in motorsports,” Alonso said. “I realized I could have different things in my life.”

Alonso’s full focus is on the 103rd Indianapolis 500.

“I think it’s a race that we consider one of the three biggest in motorsports,” Alonso said. “The way of driving those cars, the way of anticipating the tows, the overtaking maneuvers, everything is quite different to what we have in Formula One. Going out of that comfort zone, and to start from zero, it was quite fascinating. And I liked that feeling.

“I’ve made clear for some time my desire to achieve the Triple Crown,” Alonso said. “I had an incredible experience at Indianapolis in 2017 and I knew in my heart of hearts I had to go back if the opportunity was there.”

INDIANAPOLIS – Jon Schaffer has joined Tasca Racing and will share tuning duties with Eric Lane of Bob Tasca III’s Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car beginning at the Virginia NHRA Nationals this weekend.

Schaffer moves from John Force Racing in a trade for Mike Green, who joined Tasca Racing at the end of last year.

At 31, Schaffer, the youngest professional full-time crew chief in NHRA, brings energy, a wealth of Funny Car experience and a hard-working attitude to Tasca’s operation.

“I’ve known Jon and raced against Jon for many years, and I’ve always looked at him as an up-and-coming talent, no different than I feel about Eric,” Tasca said. “I’m optimistic that the two of them working together will be a powerful combination.

“Part of putting this program together in conjunction with Ford was to win races. We committed to that from the beginning and I’ve been working to create the best team I can that’s capable of producing the best results. I have very high expectations for our program. The only thing that is acceptable to me is for this team to win races and compete for a championship this year.

“It may take us a few runs, or a few races to get exactly where we want to be, but these changes are being based on the long-term goal, and that goal is to win races and win the championship with this Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang. I didn’t feel like the set-up that I had was capable of doing that at any point this season, and just like the leader of any company, I wanted to set our team up for success in the near term to meet the long-term goals.”

Schaffer, who now lives in the Indianapolis area, grew up through the kart and open wheel ranks before trying stock car racing. Ultimately, his friendship with longtime NHRA Top Fuel driver Dave Baca, who was based in Schaffer’s hometown of Discovery Bay, Calif., brought him to the NHRA.

Expecting to stay only a short while, Schaffer was drawn in by the extraordinary power of the Top Fuel and Funny Car engines and decided to make a career of tuning them.

“Bob has a great organization that has been well-established, so there’s already a team, the parts, everything’s already here to succeed,” said Schaffer, who took his first NHRA job in the early 2000s. “I’m just bringing the knowledge I’ve gained over the last few years. I’m looking forward to working with Eric Lane to see if we can get this thing a little quicker and consistent and start winning some races.

“I’m looking forward to working with the Tasca family. I appreciate them giving me a chance and I’m excited for what the future will bring for Tasca Racing.”

BARCELONA, Spain – While Sunday’s Formula One Emirates Spanish Grand Prix did feature a clash between Haas F1 Team stablemates Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean, it wasn’t all bad for the American squad.

The fifth race of the season marked Haas F1’s first double points finish of 2019, with Magnussen and Grosjean both finishing inside the top 10 at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Magnussen crossed the line seventh, best among the duo, after passing his teammate when they came together at turn one following a restart with 14 laps left on Sunday at the 2.892-mile, 16-turn course.

“We had a brilliant second pit stop from the team when the safety car came out that let us jump Kvyat. I had good temperature in my tires on the restart and I got past Romain,” Magnussen recalled. “There was contact between me and Romain, which isn’t what you want to see but it was nothing intentional.

“It is not what you want, contact between teammates, but there was no intention from me or Romain; I’m sure.”

As Magnussen got away over the closing laps, Grosjean slipped behind McLaren’s Carlos Sainz and Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat, but was able to fend off Kvyat’s teammate Alexander Albon to remain in the points.

Sunday marked Grosjean’s best finish of the season and was a sign of progress for the Swiss-Frenchman.

“It was a good weekend; we had good pace,” said Grosjean. “Before the safety car, we were running on our own, doing a good race – I was happy (with) that. The restart was a bit more complicated, and it wasn’t ideal for me, as I lost a few positions in there. Overall though, I’m happy with the way we’ve acted this weekend, and I’m happy we’ve shown that the car is fast. Now it’s onto the next one.”

With Magnussen and Grosjean’s results in Barcelona, Haas F1 jumped up to sixth in the constructor’s standings, two points behind Racing Point and two points ahead of Alfa Romeo.

That positive move forward was the focus for Haas F1 team principal Gunther Steiner, not the contact that produced a bit of a stir during and after the final laps on Sunday.

“It’s ended as being a little bit of a controversial weekend, but we’ve sorted it out – cleared the air between the drivers. That’s the most important thing after their race,” noted Steiner. “We maybe lost a couple of points, but we’re all happy to move forward from here and everything is fine.

“It’s been a good weekend points-wise, with getting two cars into the points.”

Next up for Haas F1 is an in-season test session this week at Barcelona, before the squad gears up for the Monaco Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.

“Hopefully we can learn a lot from the test here this week, so we can do the same (score double points) in Monaco and Canada,” Steiner said. “At the moment it looks like they’ll be a little bit more difficult for us, because of the track layouts, but I think we can still score points.

“The whole team did a very good job this weekend and we came away with double points – happy.”

KOSICE, Slovakia -- Dylan Larkin scored with 1:13 left in overtime and Cory Schneider stopped 24 shots, lifting the United States to a 3-2 win over Finland on Monday at the world hockey championship.

Larkin ended the 3-on-3 overtime, carrying the puck inside the right circle and scoring on a wrist shot that got past Veini Vehvilainen's blocker. The Finns complained about an open-ice hit that wasn't ruled a penalty against the U.S. shortly before Larkin scored the game-winning goal.

Brady Skjei scored in the opening minute and Johnny Gaudreau put the Americans up 2-0 midway through the third period. The Finns rallied to tie the game 2-all with Harri Pesonen's goal in the last minute of the opening period and Niko Ojamaki's goal in the final minute of the second.

The matchup in Group A featured American center Jack Hughes and Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko, who are expected to be picked No. 1 and 2 overall, respectively, in the NHL draft next month.

Russia stayed undefeated in Group B and handed the Czech Republic its first loss, winning 3-0 in Bratislava.

Sergei Andronov scored midway through the first period and Nikita Gusev gave the Russians a 2-0 lead in the middle of the second. Nikita Zaitsev added an empty-net goal late in the game and Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with a 23-save shutout.

The Russians are 3-0, outscoring opponents 13-2.

Paris Saint-Germain will listen to offers for Timothy Weah this summer, sources have told ESPN FC, but they will not necessarily actively look to sell him.

The United States attacker, who spent the second half of this season on loan with Scottish giants Celtic, has headed back to PSG before he links up with the U.S. Under-20 World Cup squad after Bhoys' boss Neil Lennon cut his temporary deal short.

As first reported by RMC Sport, and since confirmed by ESPN FC sources, the French champions are not against selling Weah this summer but will not be actively looking to cash in on him either.

Weah, 19, is under contract until 2021.

Other senior players are of higher priority in terms of permanent moves away, such as Thomas Meunier, Christopher Nkunku and Layvin Kurzawa, and all will likely fetch higher transfer fees than Weah.

However, ESPN FC sources say that a good offer could persuade PSG to part with Weah permanently -- particularly if coach Thomas Tuchel remains unconvinced, which is what led to the free transfer signing of error-prone Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting last summer.

Strasbourg have already revived their interest in the New York City native from last summer, per ESPN FC sources, while there are other Ligue 1 clubs keen, as well as Premier League suitors, on top of the possibility of a return to Celtic.

Weah is keeping the door open for the Scottish champions, but that is now less likely to happen as it was current Leicester City coach Brendan Rodgers who played a key role in landing the American -- not Lennon.

Speaking with the Scottish Sun, Weah admitted that nothing has been decided and played down the change in coach as an obstacle to any potential return.

"There have not been any talks yet," he said. "I will talk to my parents and lawyers. I have got a couple of options.

"Coming back to Celtic is definitely an option. The manager situation does not matter to me -- it is more about the club and me feeling comfortable here. If you know you have the opportunity to develop and get game time, that is the most important thing at this stage.

"I am ambitious and want to be somewhere where I can break into the first team. These are the things you have to think about."

Weah scored four goals from 16 appearances across all competitions during his time with Celtic and has Scottish and French league winners' medals after his split season between Paris and Glasgow.

MANCHESTER, England -- Outgoing Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has warned that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a "tough" job to get the club back competing for top trophies.

The United manager is facing a rebuild over the summer after finishing 32 points behind champions Manchester City following their 2-0 defeat at home defeat to already relegated Cardiff.

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- Alexis Sanchez apologises to United fans for poor season

Herrera is one of the players that will need to be replaced after coming to the end of his Old Trafford contract and the Spaniard, who is set to join Paris Saint-Germain, has pleaded with supporters to give the Norwegian time.

"I think there is a tough job ahead," Herrera said. "That is my opinion as a fan and as someone who knows the club at the moment.

"These fans are the best, they are amazing, but they need time. They need time because this is not going to be from the first day. The club will need time, confidence and support.

"I am sure they will give it but the only thing I ask for them is time because this is not easy. There are examples. Liverpool are probably going to win the Champions League but I am leaving this club and they haven't won one title in five years I have been here.

"They have done incredible work but the fans have given them time. That's what this club needs at the moment."

Solskjaer is coming under pressure after a disappointing end to the season which saw United win just two of their final 12 games.

The 46-year-old has only been in the post permanently for two months but there are already calls from some fans for the board to make a change -- particularly after Mauricio Pochettino raised doubts about his future at Tottenham.

"The right person is at the wheel," Herrera said. "He's the right person but he needs time.

"I hope I am wrong and Manchester United win the next Premier League but the club needs time to work. I am optimistic for the future but I ask the fans to give them time. Some of them might tell me to shut up because they have been waiting already.

"I have been here five years, not the five most successful years in the history of the club, but I have won four titles and lost two finals. In a bad moment for the club we have won some trophies. It shows how big the club is."

Herrera will leave Old Trafford having made 189 appearances in five seasons. The 29-year-old has won three major trophies and lifted the Player of the Year award in 2017 but will move on with one significant regret.

"I have won some trophies but the league is something I wanted to win," Herrera said. "This is the greatest and biggest club in England.

"That was one of my dreams but it is what it is. We have done some good things but for Manchester United it is not enough.

"I have enjoyed a lot playing for this club. For me it has been a dream. I have always tried to represent this club always by giving my best.

"You are not going to hear one bad word about anyone because they don't deserve it and I'm not like that."

Christian Pulisic named N'Golo Kante, David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger as the teammates he is most looking forward to playing alongside at Chelsea.

Eden Hazard did not make Pulisic's list in his first official interview as a Chelsea player, fuelling speculation that the Belgian will leave the club this summer.

Speaking on Sunday, Hazard revealed that he has decided his future and is "waiting" for Chelsea to act on his wishes, after sources told ESPN FC that he would like his desired move to Real Madrid to be finalised as soon as possible.

Asked which Chelsea players he is most looking forward to meeting up with, Pulisic told the club's official website: "There are so many great players here already and I can't wait to work with them all.

"I'm excited to play alongside N'Golo Kante, I think he's a fantastic player and I can't wait to meet him. Also there's the guys in the backline, players like David Luiz and [Toni] Rudiger, I'm looking forward to working with them and I think it's going to be really cool."

Pulisic signed for Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund for £57.6 million in January, but was allowed to remain in Germany for the remainder of the Bundesliga season in order to help his former club in their title race with Bayern Munich.

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- Pulisic scores goal in last home match for Dortmund

Dortmund are poised to finish an agonising second to Bayern heading into the final day, but Pulisic is already looking ahead to the success he hopes to achieve at Chelsea from next season onwards.

"It feels amazing and I'm super excited to get started with Chelsea," he added.

"Obviously I have a season to finish off with Dortmund but I'm definitely looking forward to be here [with Chelsea]. It's going to be an amazing experience, one I can't wait for, and to be here in England, speaking English again and meeting all the guys is something I'm thrilled for.

"I've been waiting a long time for this and playing in the Premier League has been one of my biggest dreams. To be a Chelsea player is a huge honour and something I'm really excited for."

Pulisic settled impressively at Dortmund after moving to Germany from the United States as a 16-year-old in 2016, and he is confident that his adaptation period to England and the Premier League will be simpler at Chelsea.

"I think coming here will be a smooth transition for me, already knowing the language and things like that," he said.

"It was more difficult when I first went over to Germany, but I learnt so much as a player and as a person and I feel ready for the next big challenges to come now.

"I like to think I'm a really good team player, a guy who gives everything and I look to bring my attacking style to the side. I'll do whatever I can to help the team win games."

After another action-packed weekend in soccer, Gab Marcotti reflects on the big talking points in his latest edition of Monday Musings.

Jump to: Man City, Liverpool's conclusion | The title's turning point? | Barca still have pride | Dortmund are a mess | Do Man United have a plan? | A big week for Gattuso, Milan | Bayern's VAR woe | The end for Bale at Real? | Sarri belongs at Chelsea | Allegri should be safe | Don't hate Neymar | Ajax's remarkable season

Let's reflect on Man City, Liverpool's brilliance

There were no sudden twists and no Hollywood endings on the final day of the Premier League season. Just two of the finest teams England have ever seen doing what they've done every league game for the past few months: winning.

It's probably best that way, too. Let their feats speak for themselves.

Manchester City have gained 198 of a possible 228 Premier League points over the past two seasons. That equals domination on a level not seen before, and it should give cause to think to all those people who ridiculed Pep Guardiola's achievements at Bayern (a one-horse race) and Barcelona (a two-horse race).

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- What you may have missed on Premier League's final day

Equally, the fact that they were pushed until the very end by Liverpool is a testament to their rival's work. We've focused so much on the broader storylines that sometimes, we lost sight of the bread-and-butter work these two managers do. Both collectively (in the way the teams play), individually (in the progress single players make) and in terms of the way they represent their clubs. So here are some nuggets from each camp that perhaps received less attention amid the narrative of a record-breaking season.

Manchester City lost 2-1 away to Newcastle at the end of January. From that point forward, they conceded just four goals in the remaining 14 matches. This despite the fact that Fernandinho, supposedly their irreplaceable defensive bulwark, started just five of them.

Down the stretch, Guardiola put his faith in two guys who few would have pegged as key contributors, one young, one old.

Oleksandr Zinchenko arrived under the radar as a winger and hardly figured last year. For the last three months of theis season, he was a near ever-present left back who looked as if he'd been part of the side for years. Slowed by injuries, Vincent Kompany looked to have become the equivalent of those non-playing Davis Cup captains the past few years. Instead, he was critical to the cause in the final weeks. And, of course, Kompany's late goal against Leicester City last week is what made this past weekend's denouement possible.

A central defender shooting from 25 yards out when he has plenty of options out wide is one of the last things you'd expect a Guardiola side to do. It's a low-percentage shot -- especially for Kompany, who hadn't scored from outside the box since 2007 -- you're likely to give up possession and you end up giving the opposition a chance to milk more minutes off the clock. But Kompany took responsibility and it made all the difference. Sometimes you win by taking your carefully thought-out script and ripping it up.

Liverpool, of course, lost one league game all year while boasting the best defensive record in the league. Virgil Van Dijk, Alisson and the two full-backs, Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all received plenty of praise, and rightly so. But how about Joel Matip? Eighteen months ago, squeezed by injuries and the arrival of Van Dijk, he looked to have fallen behind Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren in the pecking order. This season, he stepped into the starting lineup in January and was almost ever-present since, without Liverpool missing a beat.

Or take Fabinho and Naby Keita, two expensive signings who failed to do much for the first three months at the club. Klopp stuck with them, worked with them and now the former is a key figure in midfield and the latter would be, if not for injury.

These are some of the little details that illustrate the added value these two managers bring to their jobs. Sure, they both lead clubs with massive resources and both benefited from transition years at Arsenal and Chelsea, injuries at Tottenham and general ineptness at Manchester United. But to finish with two of the three highest points totals in history, you have to go way beyond that.

And to do this while also competing until the very end on other fronts and keeping the players, the club and the fan base on board all season long... well, we've just witnessed something truly special.

Was one missed red the season's turning point? No

Keith Hackett, former head of Premier League referees, tweeted that the turning point of the season was the failure to send off Kompany for a two-footed lunge on Mohamed Salah back in January. City went on to win, 2-1.

You can agree with Hackett saying that Kompany should have seen red. But to call it a "turning point" is failing to fundamentally understand how football -- and a football season -- works. I'm highlighting this not because I particularly care what Hackett thinks, but because too many people embrace this sort of thinking.

Apart from the obvious -- there's no way to definitely say that City wouldn't have won the game with ten men -- you can pluck out dozens of such incidents in a season. These range from refereeing errors (the free kick that led to Liverpool's winner against Newcastle, for example, was highly dubious) to balls hitting the woodwork or being saved off the line to players choosing to make impulsive, improbable choices that work out, even though logic says they shouldn't (see: Kompany's goal against Leicester).

Not to mention the fact that as anyone who has seen Back to the Future or X-Men will tell you, once you start changing history, you have plenty of unexpected consequences.

Barcelona still have some pride left

Barcelona's first match after the Anfield debacle was the classic "trap" game. They were taking on Getafe, hoping to pull off the minor miracle of a top four finish and the crowd had plenty of anger to vent (mostly at Philippe Coutinho). It says something that they still emerged as 2-0 winners and against a hugely motivated opponent.

There is still pride there -- plenty of it. And this group of players, for better or worse, clearly haven't jumped on the "dump Ernesto Valverde" bandwagon. Not yet anyway. A convincing performance in the Copa del Rey final is the least the fans can demand at this stage. As horrible as the Champions League elimination was, this group has earned the right to try to make amends.

A word on Getafe too. They're not mathematically out of a top four finish, but they do need Valencia to slip up. Pepe Bordalas' brand of football isn't easy on the eye (especially by Liga standards) but what he has achieved with a tiny budget and a hugely limited squad is remarkable. It's not clear that his skills would translate at a higher level -- then again, Diego Simeone has made this approach work well for him at Atletico Madrid -- but he ought to be a shoo-in for manager of the year in Spain.

Dortmund are a mess

The last time the Bundesliga title came down to the final game of the season was a decade ago, when Wolfsburg and Bayern arrived even on points before Wolfsburg prevailed. (OK pedants: technically it came down to week 34 the following season too, but Bayern had a three-point lead and a 17-goal edge in goal difference.) That Borussia Dortmund still have a glimmer of hope with 90 minutes left to go has more to do with Bayern's deficiencies than their own merits.

In fact, their 3-2 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf this weekend was a proverbial wreck. Christian Pulisic (Jadon Sancho was on the bench, struggling with illness) put them up early in his last home game and you figured you were set for a dull, end of season clash where the team that needs the points gets them. But no. We saw two bouts of horrendous goalkeeping from Marvin Hitz -- standing in from Roman Burki -- the visitors going down to 10 men and still carving out a whole host of chances to equalize in injury time.

This team has a serious issue, one that not even Lucien Favre can fix. If they some how snatch the title on the last day, they will go down in history. Few sides, going into the season as underdogs, have wasted so much over the course of a single campaign.

Do Man United have a plan to turn themselves around?

Manchester United's 2-0 home defeat to Cardiff only underscored the end-of-season disappointment. Soon, folks will be running out of people to blame: the Glazers, Ed Woodward, the players, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the "structure" or the "lack of empathy with the manager." I've written before that giving the job to Solskjaer on a permanent basis that early was silly and an example of crass populism. Two wins, two draws and eight defeats since that famous Champions League night in Paris tell their own story.

There is more than one path to turning United's fortunes around but you need clear thinking and a plan and, once it's in place, you have to execute. Solskjaer's bumper deal makes that harder, not easier, but it's the path United have chosen. Now, follow through and have the courage to do what you think is best, including -- if you don't feel you're qualified or if you don't think Solskjaer and his assistant, Mike Phelan, are -- hiring someone who will.

Gattuso, Bakayoko make up before big Milan win

If you believe in karma, this one's for you. A week after his spat with Tiemoue Bakayoko -- when the French midfielder appeared to direct an expletive at his manager, a version of events he denies -- Gattuso had no qualms about burying the hatchet. Bakayoko dropped back into central midfield and was one of the better performers in Milan's 1-0 away victory at Fiorentina, which keeps their hopes of a crucial top four finish alive.

It wasn't a pretty win and Milan didn't play particularly well, a recurring theme under Gattuso. But whatever happens, Gattuso has shown that he's a grown-up capable of putting his ego aside and putting the good of the club first. He may not be a master tactician or coach but he's a tremendous manager of people and situations. And a real pro.

Bayern shouldn't be complaining about VAR

Hindsight being 20/20, maybe it was unreasonable to think Bayern would seal the Bundeslga title away to Leipzig. While the opposition had nothing to play for -- and, if anything, they likely didn't want to show their hand too much given they'll face each other in the German Cup final -- the lack of pressure probably helped Ralf Rangnick's crew, who were their usual physical, intense and disruptive selves.

That said, Bayern had the upper hand for much of the game and were furious when Leon Goretzka's goal was disallowed by VAR for a marginal Robert Lewandowski offside decision. It was one of those "shoe-size" calls -- with smaller feet, he would have been on -- and Uli Hoeness called the decision to disallow it the "joke of the year" because it wasn't a "clear error."

It's a bit worrying that after nearly two full seasons of VAR, folks still don't get the fact that when it comes to offside and objective calls, it's black and white: there is no "clear error" criteria. And assistant referees are told to not flag unless it's entirely clear, because VAR will sort it out. Had the linesman flagged straight away, Goretzka would never have scored and Hoeness would never have complained. But equally, he might have got it wrong and it would simply have been yet another move that was ended by a wrong offside decision.

I don't know if Hoeness is busy deflecting attention from a wobbly end of the season and growing dissatisfaction with Nico Kovac in some quarters. Either way, by this stage, he should be familiar with the VAR protocol.

End of the line for Bale at Real?

Gareth Bale was left out of the matchday squad for the second straight week as Real Madrid fell to Real Sociedad, 3-1. Bale was fully fit and his agent had said earlier that month that it wasn't clear that Zidane wanted to keep him around. Maybe it is pretty clear, though, given that Zidane said afterwards "it's very clear what I've done this weekend."

It's also clear that when you don't play one of your two highest-paid players, you're sending an obvious message. It has nothing to do with whether Bale has been good or bad during his six seasons at the club. It has everything to do with his monster contract that runs through 2022, the fact that he turns 30 in the summer and that, as manager, Zidane gets to decide who is right for the future of a team that will finish with their lowest points total in 13 years.

Maybe sitting out might persuade Bale to go elsewhere while likely taking a pay cut, since it's hard to see who would pay him what he now earns. At this stage, even giving him away would free up a ton of money for Real's rebuild.

Sarri proves he belongs at Chelsea

For years, Chelsea have been lampooned as some sort of house of cards with managers hired-and-fired at a whim and no coherent plan. The fact that nobody has won more Premier League titles since Roman Abramovich's arrival in 2004 -- and that they've also won the Champions League and Europa League in that time frame -- rather suggests that is nonsense.

They made a choice last year, opting for a progressive "system coach" and arguably the only one they've had -- other than Andre Villas Boas, who did not end well -- since Abramovich's arrival. That man was Maurizio Sarri and they chose him because they figured it would deliver more bang for buck in the long run, particularly since many of the "pragmatists" out there tend to be high-priced egomaniacs who demand massive spending and absolute control.

Sarri has many flaws, as Napoli fans will tell you. But he had a minimum objective -- to get Chelsea back into the top four -- and he reached it. In fact he surpassed it, finishing third, losing a League Cup final on penalties and with a Europa League final still to play. He did it despite taking over the team late, despite representing a radical shift with past managers (and what Chelsea fans were accustomed to), despite getting abuse from media (and from his own fans) and despite making mistakes.

He may or may not be the long-term answer. But he did what was asked of him and more.

Losing to Roma shouldn't jeopardize Allegri at Juve

Roma's 2-0 win over Juventus -- on the day the bianconeri introduced next year's kit, which ditches the stripes entirely, going from zebras to two-toned cows -- keeps their hopes of a top-four finish alive. Roma didn't play particularly well -- Antonio Mirante, replacing the much-criticized Robin Olsen in goal, made some big saves -- but they hung in there and took their chances.

As for Juve, the fact that they still showed motivation rather than playing out the string of meaningless games is, again, a credit to Max Allegri. He may have other flaws but man-management isn't one. According to incessant media reports, he's set for showdown talks with president Andrea Agnelli this week.

It would be wise for Agnelli to look at the whole picture here, particularly some of the transfer moves that have been made and those that will be made (like Aaron Ramsey), take stock of what he has -- namely, a veteran-filled side -- and figure out what he wants Juve to be. Allegri is a certain kind of manager who does certain things exceptionally well.

If that doesn't match Agnelli's plans, there's no point in going further down this road.

Don't hate Neymar for his trickery

Paris Saint-Germain's season, of course, ended a long time ago, so the 2-1 win over Angers was rather meaningless. It did, however, mark Neymar's last appearance of the campaign -- his ban for lashing out at a supporter after the French Cup final is about to kick in -- and he marked it by doing this at the end of the game.

Old-school football folk don't like that sort of showboating. He could simply have won a free kick instead, but it's part of what makes Neymar who he is. As long as he's not trying to humiliate an opponent -- and he wasn't here -- I see no real issue with it.

Ajax can end season with a double

If, as many take for granted, this Ajax side is asset-stripped in the summer beyond Frenkie de Jong, who is already off to Barcelona, there's an excellent chance they will leave behind a domestic Double, which isn't bad considering it's been nine years since their last Cup win and five since their last Eredivise crown.

This past weekend, they bounced back from the Champions League heartbreak against Tottenham Hotspur to beat Utrecht, 4-1, while PSV Eindhoven fell at AZ Alkmaar. On a team with so many youngsters, reacting in that way after crushing disappointment is far from automatic.