Madrid - Barcelona made an appalling poor start to their league campaign on Sunday, losing 1-0 away to newly-promoted Numancia.

The shock defeat raises fears that Barca will continue to be feeble on the road, the same as last season.

The only goal came after just 14 minutes, when Mario Martinez turned in a Carlos Bellvis centre from the left.

Just three minutes later Samuel Eto'o hit the Numancia post - and it was going to be that kind of day for Barca.

Josep Guardiola's side dominated from start to finish and created many clear chances, but lacked a cool finish.

Lionel Messi always levelled for Barca in injury time, but his free-kick came back off the post.

Basle - Portuguese star striker Cristiano Ronaldo praised Spain Sunday and challenged the team coached by Luis Aragones to play the final of Euro 2008 against Portugal.

Ankara - People across Turkey took to the streets Sunday night to celebrate their national football team's victory over the Czech Republic that sent Turkey into the quarter-finals of Euro 2008.

London, May 25: Cristiano Ronaldo might be all wild and charged up while playing on field, but when it comes to bed, it’s the soccer superstar’s sweetheart who takes away the ‘wild animal’ crown, claims her ex-lover.

Stunning Nereida Gallardo—who is tipped to become Mrs. Ronaldo soon—is out of this world, insists old flame Pedro Campane, a hunky football agent.

“She was like a wild animal in bed. We slept together the first night we met. It wasn't difficult persuading her. She didn't have any hang-ups. She liked doing everything in every position,” News of the World quoted Campane, as saying.

"Nereida doesn't know much about football but she knows lots about men—and how to please them. Cristiano must be having a mind-blowing time,” he added.

London, May 25: Manchester United and Chelsea fans drank so much beer while in Moscow for the Champions League finals that they left most of the pubs in the Russian capital dry.

According to the Daily Star, most bars in the city were out of beer as much as three hours before kick-off thanks to the 80,000 fans who arrived for the match.

Fans revealed that everywhere they went in the Red Square area they were told: “No more beer, only vodka.”

Said ManU fan Mark Berry, 32: “We were all on good form and the drinks were flowing in this little place we had found near the Kremlin. But suddenly the barmaid threw up her hands and said: ‘No more!’”

London  - Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks moved Sunday to explain why he demanded chief executive Rick Parry should resign.

Hicks wrote to Parry last week calling on him to stand down.