The UEFA Champions League play-off round came to an end on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the last seven teams to book a place in the league phase now confirmed.

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has shown a genuine openness to signing Emi Martinez, according to Flashscore sources.

It hasn't been the best of starts for Oliver Glasner at Nottingham Forest.

Last season's top scorer in Ligue 1, Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul, has started the new campaign in his favourite way: by scoring against the league’s dominant force. After rising to prominence following a great personal loss, he now aims to climb even higher in France, and beyond.

Folarin Balogun's future has become one of the more intriguing situations to watch as the transfer window enters its final days, with the Monaco striker keen on a new challenge but still waiting for a club to make a serious move for him.

Aston Villa endured a miserable start to the new Premier League season with a 4-0 defeat to Brighton, leaving the club scrambling to repair a squad that has been badly weakened ahead of the transfer deadline.

There can't be too many players in the modern game with a back story to match that of Dele Alli's.

What were the standout stories from the most recent race weekend? And what off-track developments are causing a stir? All of that and more is explored in Formula 1 Focus, a regular F1 column by Flashscore's Finley Crebolder.

With only a week to go of this summer's transfer window, we're starting to get down to the nitty-gritty in terms of which players are likely to be moving clubs, and which will be staying put for another few months at least.

When teams and/or individual football players don't come up to the standard expected, invariably it's always the manager who carries the can.