Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×FA Cup Drama
FA Cup fifth-round ties bbc.com delivered mixed results with seven matches completed. Leeds skysports.com powered past Norwich 3-0 to reach their first FA Cup quarter-final since 2003. Southampton skysports.com upset Fulham 1-0 in a controversial match overshadowed by referee Jarred Gillett's performance. Port Vale bbc.com continued their "incredible" run by reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals for only the second time in their history despite sitting bottom of League One.
Scottish Football Turmoil
Celtic bbc.com beat Rangers 2-1 in an Old Firm quarter-final that ended in disgraceful scenes as fans invaded the pitch at Ibrox. St Mirren skysports.com defeated Partick Thistle 2-1 to book their place in the Scottish Cup semi-finals, where they'll face Celtic in a repeat of this season's League Cup final. Falkirk bbc.com will meet Dunfermline Athletic in the other semi-final derby at Hampden next month.
European League Action
AC Milan espn.com completed a derby double over Inter Milan with a 1-0 victory at San Siro, cutting Inter's Serie A lead to seven points. CF Montreal espn.com thumped Red Bull New York 3-0 with Wiki Carmona scoring twice against his former team. LAFC espn.com maintained their perfect start with a 1-0 win over FC Dallas, with David Martínez scoring and Hugo Lloris keeping his fourth clean sheet.
Brazil's Mass Brawl
Cruzeiro's espn.com 1-0 win over Atlético-MG in the Mineiro Championship final was overshadowed by a mass brawl that erupted seconds before the final whistle. 23 players bbc.com were sent off following the melee, with former Brazil forward Hulk among those dismissed. "It's regrettable," said Hulk after the chaotic scenes.
Managerial Controversies
Benfica coach Jose Mourinho espn.com accused FC Porto assistant manager Luis 'Lucho' Gonzalez of calling him "a traitor" 50 times during Sunday's 2-2 draw. Former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández espn.com revealed that Joan Laporta blocked Lionel Messi's return to the club due to fears of a power struggle.
Transfer Market Buzz
Fulham and USMNT left back Antonee Robinson espn.com favors a move to Liverpool over Manchester United, according to transfer rumors. Andy Robertson espn.com insisted he was "never not committed" to Liverpool despite January interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
Women's Football
Watford Women bbc.com are set to play their final two home games of the season at Vicarage Road after a 14-0 win put them in pole position to win promotion to WSL. Bradford City's "Greener Bantams" initiative saw 154 trees planted bbc.com at their training ground - one for each goal scored by their men's and women's teams last season.
International Concerns
Iran's women's national team espn.com faces safety concerns following their Asian Cup elimination, with FIFPRO calling on FIFA to ensure player protection. Iraq coach Graham Arnold espn.com has asked FIFA to reschedule his team's World Cup playoff due to conflicts between neighboring Iran and the United States.
Tragic Loss
A 15-year-old Oxford United academy player bbc.com died during a match against Fulham, sending shockwaves through the football community.
Other Sports Headlines
Luke Littler skysports.com retained his UK Open title with an 11-7 win over James Wade, inspired by history as he targets a PDC title clean sweep. Jon Rahm skysports.com ended an 18-month winless drought with a three-shot victory at the LIV Golf League event in Hong Kong. Emma Raducanu skysports.com admitted she has "a long way to go" after being overpowered by Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells.