BEB Weekend Sports: Juicy Gist!

Real To Refuse Champions Barca A Clasico Guard Of Honour

Champions League finalists Real Madrid will not give new La Liga champions Barcelona a guard of honour before Sunday's El Clasico at the Nou Camp.

Barca gave Real the honour in 2008 when they had just won the league.

But Zinedine Zidane was annoyed when Barcelona did not see his side out on to the pitch after they won the Club World Cup in December.

"It's not up to me to decide about the guard of honour but they didn't do it," said Zidane on Saturday.

Zidane added:

"We respect what Barca have done in winning the league, which for me is the most difficult and nicest thing you can do. 

"But these things happen; if they'd have given us one, we weren't going to break the tradition of doing so."

Barca are four games away from going an entire league season unbeaten.

The Catalan side, who beat Deportivo La Coruna 4-2 last weekend to seal the domestic double, have not lost in a record 41 league games dating back over a year.

Stoke's 10-year Stay In Premier League Over After Defeat Against Palace

Stoke City's 10-year stay in the Premier League has come to an end after they were relegated to the Championship by Crystal Palace's second-half resurgence.

Home fans streamed out of the Bet365 Stadium immediately after Patrick van Aanholt's winner, with long-time chairman Peter Coates looking on miserably.

The afternoon had started far better for the hosts.

Manager Paul Lambert - appointed in January to turn the Potters around - had celebrated wildly with Xherdan Shaqiri after the midfielder's free-kick opened the scoring just before the break.

But James McArthur skipped clear down the left and side-footed home the leveller, before Van Aanholt pounced on Ryan Shawcross' under-hit backpass to consign Stoke to the second tier.

The Potters' players - who finished 13th last season - collapsed to the turf as a first top-flight relegation since 1985 sank in.

Crystal Palace's Mamadou Sakho was one of a number of visiting players to console their opponents after the final whistle, with goalkeeper Jack Butland in tears as some of the remaining home supporters defiantly chanted their lifelong allegiance to the club.

Bellew Halts Haye Again

Tony Bellew repeated his victory over David Haye in their heavyweight rematch as he stopped his British rival in the fifth round.

The Merseysider floored Haye twice in the third round and the fight was waved off in the fifth after the 37-year-old toppled to the canvas again, with Bellew producing a second successive stoppage victory at The O2.

Bellew tried to force the finish in the fourth, hammering in hooks and right hands as Haye stumbled gingerly around the ring.

The final punches would come in the fifth as Haye was dropped heavily by a left hook from Bellew, and referee Howard Foster stopped him on his feet, possibly signalling the end of his last fight.

Haye appeared to injure his troublesome right leg, just as he did in their first fight, and will be forced to consider retirement, but Bellew can look ahead to more major fights either at heavyweight or cruiserweight.

Alonso Wins On WEC Debut

Fernando Alonso has returned to the top of the podium for the first time in almost five years after claiming a debut victory in the World Endurance Championship.

The McLaren F1 driver teamed up with Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima for Toyota and sealed a one-two for the team in the WEC season-opener at the Six Hours of Spa, which was Alonso's first race in the series.

Alonso is competing in the WEC alongside his Formula 1 duties, with the two-time world champion looking to move a step closer to his 'Triple Crown' by winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.

The victory at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, from pole, was Alonso's first in any motorsport championship since he won the Spanish Grand Prix for Ferrari in 2013.

from Bola Esho's Blog