Real Madrid may have agreed to sack manager Zinedine Zidane at the end of the season following the internal crisis in the club, leading to the current abysmal performances by the players. According to Spanish outlet Diario Gol, the 45-year-old has the option to leave the Spanish capital in the summer.

Switzerland international defender Manuel Obafemi Akanji has signed a four and half year contract worth about €21.5 million with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

The 22-year old was a reported transfer target for Manchester United but Dortmund made him their first signing of the January transfer window and he’s contracted until June 2022.

The player, of Nigerian parentage, was in Dortmund on Sunday to witness the club’s goalless draw with Wolfsburg and a day later put pen to paper on his contract.

Fifa has explained why Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey was banned for life, saying he tried "to make certain bets successful" in a World Cup qualifier.

Lamptey aroused suspicion during South Africa's 2-1 win over Senegal in 2016, a qualifying match for Russia 2018.

"He [took] intentional decisions with the sole purpose of facilitating a minimum number of goals to make certain bets successful," Fifa said.

Fifa believes the bets related to the game featuring at least two goals.

League 1 managers have suspended the referee that superintended over the Sunday match between Nantes and Paris Saint Germain (PSG), Tony Chapron over his controversial performance. In a bizarre incident, Chapron showed Diego Carlos a red card after the Nantes player collided with him whilst the ball was in play.

Barcelona's all-time second most expensive signing Ousmane Dembele has picked up another injury and could miss the visit to Chelsea next month having been ruled out for a period of three to four weeks. According to Marca, the France International suffered a fibrillar rupture to his left thigh, a separate injury to the one which kept him out from September to January.