Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti predicted on Friday that Kylian Mbappe and football’s other brightest young stars would bounce back strongly after disappointing showings in the Champions League. All four quarter-final first leg matches thrilled supporters this week but some of the brightest names in the game were below their best on the biggest stage.
Paris Saint-Germain striker Mbappe was frustrated in Barcelona’s 3-2 win in the French capital, while Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger shackled Manchester City forward Erling Haaland. Madrid’s top goalscorer Jude Bellingham also struggled to make an impact in his team’s white-knuckle 3-3 draw with the English champions at the Santiago Bernabeu. “Calm down, calm down, maybe in the first legs they were below their best, but new games are coming and watch out, watch out for the three (of them),” Ancelotti told a news conference.
Real Madrid visit Mallorca today looking to extend their eight-point lead in La Liga before second-placed Barcelona play at Cadiz later in the day. Ancelotti said England international Bellingham, 20, was fulfilling his role, even though his early season goal spree has come to an end. Bellingham has 20 goals across all competitions for Madrid but just three in his last 13 games.
The coach said forward Rodrygo Goes, who missed training, would be fit to face Mallorca.

‘Light injuries’: Kane’s children in Munich car accident
Three of Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane’s children were “lightly injured” in a car accident outside Munich, a fire brigade spokesman said, confirming German media reports. The accident took place on Monday when the England captain was in London ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Arsenal. The spokesman for Hohenschaeftlarn fire brigade would not provide the identities of those injured in the crash but confirmed the reports were accurate. “No one was seriously injured,” the spokesman told AFP, explaining “the accident looked much worse than what it actually was.”
Bild had published images of an accident between three cars, including a van carrying three of Kane’s four children and the striker’s bodyguard. Eight people were taken to hospital for routine checks, the spokesman said.

Leicester will not lose points in Championship for rule breaches
Leicester City cannot be deducted any points in the second-tier Championship if they are convicted of any violations of the Premier League’s spending rules, the English Football League (EFL) said. Leicester, who were relegated from the top flight last season, were referred to an independent commission by the Premier League last month for alleged violations of the league’s spending rules.
The Championship’s governing body EFL wrote to the Premier League saying they would apply any sanction handed down on Leicester while they are still in the second tier, a move Leicester opposed. However, the EFL said they later changed their position in a letter to the English FA’s League Arbitration Panel (LAP).
Leicester are top of the standings in the Championship with 88 points from 41 matches as they seek a promotion back to the Premier League.

RFEF presidency favourite to be investigated in graft case
Pedro Rocha’s chances of succeeding the disgraced Luis Rubiales as Spanish football federation (RFEF) president have been placed in doubt after being placed under investigation in the alleged graft scandal which has rocked Spain’s football elite.
Rocha, seen as favourite to fill the post, appeared in court on the outskirts of Madrid as a witness in the case in which Rubiales is being investigated. However the judge suspended Rocha’s statement and made him an investigated party in the graft case. Rubiales, who was briefly detained by police on his arrival in Spain on April 3 as part of the probe after he arrived from the Dominican Republic, is due to testify on April 29. Rocha, who moved up from vice president to become interim president after Rubiales resigned last year, seemed poised to replace him officially as president as soon as Monday. Spanish media have reported the two other candidates, Carlos Herrera and Eva Parera, have been unable to collect the minimum of 21 endorsements necessary from RFEF assembly members, while he has 107.
In March Spanish police searched 11 locations, including the RFEF’s Madrid headquarters and Rubiales’ house in Granada as part of the investigation into corruption and other crimes. Federation contracts signed since 2018 are being investigated including one by Rubiales to take the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia. The Super Cup contracts are worth 40 million euros a year ($43 million) with the deal brokered by Kosmos, a company owned by former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Pique. Rubiales was forced to step down as RFEF boss in September after forcibly kissing Women’s World Cup star Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s triumph in the Sydney final in August.

Chelsea splashed out over £75mn on agents’ fees
Chelsea have spent more than £75mn ($93mn) on agents’ and intermediaries’ fees during transfer deals, according to figures released by the Football Association.
The data, which covered the 12 months to February 1, 2024, showed the total spend on agents by Premier League clubs was £409.59mn. It represented a sizeable increase from £318.2mn spent in the 2022-23 campaign. Chelsea headed the list after paying £75,140,524 during deals for players including Moises Caicedo, Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer.
Despite the outlay, Mauricio Pochettino’s expensively-assembled squad have endured an inconsistent Premier League season and lost the League Cup final to an inexperienced Liverpool side. Manchester City were the biggest spenders in the previous list and have now dropped down to second place with a £60.63mn outlay on agents’ fees.