Spain midfielder Javi Martinez has admitted that his side are the team to beat at Euro 2012.

The reigning champions are widely viewed as favourites for the tournament, but had some anxious moments in their group matches against Italy and Croatia.

Spain s performances have raised doubts about their chances of defending their European crown, but Martinez stated that the team s recent triumphs give an extra source of motivation to opponents.

The atmosphere in the team is good, he said during a press conference. We are very confident, and we knew that we would have some difficult moments.

Having won Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 makes things harder for us. Everyone wants to beat us.

Although we had a complicated group stage, the team is fine and re…

Rangers suffered a shock defeat away to Kilmarnock on the opening weekend of the cinch Premiership season, while Hibernian and Aberdeen also started the campaign with frustrating results.

Brendan Rodgers kicked off his second spell in charge of Celtic with a victory, while there were winning starts for Hearts and St Mirren.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five things we learned from the weekend’s fixtures.

David Turnbull stakes his Celtic claim

A winning start for the Hoops on Flag Day! | |

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC)

The former Motherwell midfielder was handed his first league start in almost nine months when Rodgers picked his first team for a competitive Celtic match since returning as manager. Turnbull seized his opportunity…

Didier Drogba has been named Ivory Coast player of the year, beating Manchester City s Yaya Toure and Levante s Arouna Kone.

The ex-Chelsea forward collected 110 votes from journalists and 17,863 people online, totalling 37.69 per cent of the vote, while African Footballer of the Year Toure finished on 30.16 per cent, with the former Sevilla forward Kone completing the top three with 12.29 per cent.

Drogba claimed the accolade for the second time, after first scooping the honour in 2007.

The Elephants captain contributed to the team s run to the final of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

However, he did miss a crucial penalty kick against Zambia in the title decider.

The 34-year-old, who announced his decision t…

Jorvan Vieira has been named the new coach of Egyptian side Zamalek after flying into Cairo to seal the deal on Friday.

The former Iraq coach will reportedly sign a one-year contract with club president Mamdouh Abbas.

Brazilian Vieira, who left his role at Emirati side Al Sharjah earlier in 2012, is burdened with the task of trying to win Zamalek s first trophy since 2008.

Fans will be hoping he can turn the club s fortunes around like he did with Iraq in 2007, when he guided them to a surprise Asian Cup success.

Hassan Shehata resigned as Zamalek coach in July after a CAF Champions League defeat to fierce rivals Al-Ahly, which caused a rift among the squad.

…

Johan Cruyff has rejected Marco van Basten s criticism of his stewardship of Ajax and branded his fellow former Netherlands international as a little bit extreme .

Van Basten set up the public clash between the two heroes of Dutch football, using his column with Voetbal International to question the current direction of Ajax.

Cruyff oversaw the appointment of a group of former players to directors  positions at Ajax in 2011 and fell out with Van Basten   now assistant manager of the national team during this process.

Ajax were beaten to the Eredivisie crown last season by rivals PSV, ending a run of four consecutive league titles, while they have struggled at European level over recent years.

Speaking to NOS, Cruyff said: Van Basten is very competitive…

Jonathan Walters says negotiations over a new Stoke City contract are not progressing as he would like, revealing frustration at the terms currently on offer.

The Republic of Ireland international sees his contract expire at the Britannia Stadium next year, having been a regular under both Tony Pulis and Mark Hughes since arriving from Ipswich Town in 2010.

Walters weighed in with 11 goals last term  having featured primarily on the right wing and the 31-year-old is keen to have his future sorted sooner rather than later.

Talks are ongoing over a contract, but we are not where I want to be. I want to get this sorted, Walters is quoted as saying by The Stoke Sentinel.

I am not the type who wants this sort of thing hanging over me. I have done well e…

Bayern Munich matched their 5-1 thrashing of Arsenal last month to inflict a 10-2 aggregate pummelling upon embattled boss Arsene Wenger at Emirates Stadium.

It meant a seventh consecutive last-16 exit for Arsenal, who had Laurent Koscielny sent off after Theo Walcott rewardrd a spirited first-half display with the opening goal.

Robert Lewandowski won and converted a 55th minute penalty as Koscielny was dismissed and, as at the Allianz Arena, Arsenal collapsed in the absence of the French defender to suffer the heaviest aggregate defeat inflicted upon an English team in Champions League history.

Wenger was the subject of fan protests asking him to step down both outside the ground and at the site of Arsenal s former Highbury home before kick-off and the sight of …

superstar has revealed that he would like to play in the Premier League one day, going on that far as to name clubs that are of particular interest for him.

The 25-year-old is regarded as Barcelona’s future, but the Brazilian has managed to cause quite a stir with his revelations regarding the English top flight.

In his interview with , Neymar appeared particularly excited about the idea to come to England one day.

“The Premier League is the championship that amazes me. I like the playing style and the teams. And who knows, someday, I would like to play it, yes”, Neymar said.

“I admire Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool – these are the teams that are always there fighting”, he added.

Brazilian international Neymar moved to…

Thomas Tuchel is a clear candidate to take over at Bayern Munich but has also been speaking to Arsenal about replacing Arsene Wenger, according to Lothar Matthaus.

A report in Kicker on Sunday claimed former Borussia Dortmund boss Tuchel has rejected an offer from Bayern to succeed Jupp Heynckes at the end of the season.

It is claimed the 44-year-old expects to become the new Arsenal manager, although Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be interested in him as a replacement for Unai Emery.

Germany and Bayern great Matthaus thinks Tuchel would be the right choice for Bayern but claims he has already been in touch with the Gunners.

You know, I m a journalist too, we have to make headlines every day, he told Omnisport following a match between Liverpool …

Real Madrid s 6-3 win over Girona on Sunday was a thriller for obvious reasons, but it was also noteworthy for Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the 50th hat-trick of his career.

Ronaldo ended the day with a four-goal haul, as Girona were left ruing their luck coming up against a player in such remarkable form.

The Portugal star has now scored 19 times in his last 10 matches for Madrid across all competitions and took his LaLiga tally to 22 for the season, a fact made even more remarkable by the fact he had just four in the top flight at Christmas.

And in completing his hat-trick, Ronaldo reached half a century in terms of trebles, 10 years and two months after his first for Manchester United in a 6-0 crushing of Newcastle United.

Below, we examine the best Opta …