i Dream, i Conquer, i Succeed!

Real Madrid’s coach, Manuel Pellegrini, refused to quit after his team’s elimination from the Champions League at home to Lyon last night and was backed by the club’s director general, Jorge Valdano.

Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by Lyon in their last-16, second-leg game to crash out 2-1 on aggregate. The big-spending Spanish club have now failed to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for six consecutive seasons.

Asked in an interview with Spanish television whether Pellegrini, who was appointed last summer, would still be in charge next season, Valdano said: “Yes he has a contract, which is why the club’s plans are for Manuel to continue being the coach of Real Madrid. @Guardian

AC Milan’s 4-0 drubbing at Manchester United in the Champions League shows the seven-times European champions are now scrabbling in the rubble of their great past, Italian media said today.

“Once upon a time, there was Milan,” read the front page of La Gazzetta dello Sport after Milan went out of the competition 7-2 on aggregate in the last 16 on Wednesday.

“Mission impossible turned into a humbling, and the ruins of the old Milan remain at Old Trafford.”

Other Italian newspapers were equally scathing.

“Milan humiliated,” said La Repubblica. “A lesson from (two-goal Wayne) Rooney. Milan go out with their heads hanging low – 4-0 isn’t a defeat, it’s a thrashing.” @Independent

Real Madrid are expected to make a move for Jose Mourinho after their humiliating Champions League exit by Lyon.

Manuel Pelligrini, the Real coach, has said he will not resign but he does not enjoy the confidence of president Florentino Perez, who invested £200 million on new ‘galacticos’ last summer, or sporting director Jorge Valdano.

Pelligrini was called ‘a coward’ by an adviser to the underachieving Kaka after the Lyon knockout and the Chilean’s days at the Bernabeu are numbered. @Dailymail

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney insists he is not thinking about breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s 42-goal record despite taking his tally for the season to 30 with a brace against AC Milan on Wednesday night.GettyImagesCristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney united

Rooney scored four goals in United’s 7-2 aggregate victory against Milan to book a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, leaving him just 12 away from the number Ronaldo scored in United’s double-winning season two years ago. @ESPN

Last night was not a good one for Manuel Pellegrini. The Real Madrid coach watched his side crash out of the Champions League to Lyon, received the dreaded vote of confidence from the club’s director general and, finally, was described as a “coward” by Kaká’s adviser following his substitution of the Brazilian at the Bernabéu.

Diogo Kotscho also used his personal Twitter account to accuse Pellegrini of “trying to take the focus off [his] own incompetence” with the substitution of the player who joined Real for €65m (£56m) from Milan in the summer. Kaká was replaced by Raúl with 13 minutes to go. @Guardian

Landon Donovan says his short-term spell with Everton has been “fantastic”. The United States star believes his time at Goodison Park has been a success as he gears up for his final match with Everton this weekend.

Despite the Toffees’ interest in extending the initial 10-week deal, the forward has been recalled by Los Angeles Galaxy for the start of the season, which kicks-off on March 27.

However, Donovan, who scored two goals in nine Premier League appearances, claims his time at Everton has been a success. @Soccerway

Wayne Rooney is simply unstoppable. The Reds striker took his tally for the season to 30 with goals in either half against AC Milan, ensuring United’s safe passage to the quarter-finals.

Keeping the 24-year-old fit and firing undoubtedly holds the key to success in the Premier League and Champions League this season.

Rooney strikes fear into defenders across Europe as he continues to add fuel to his status as one of the game’s deadliest front man. For a defender as formidable as Nemanja Vidic to be thankful enough he just has to face Rooney in training every day is quite some indication of his talents. @Man U

Iker Casillas was very honest in today’s press conference. The goalkeeper asked the fans to forgive the team for yesterday’s match and said the squad is excited about the possibility of winning the league title.

“I want to apologise to the fans, but I also want them to know we will never give up. We are excited about winning the league for us and for them. This is a strong team and I’m sure we will make Madridistas happy. People will regard this as a typical populist speech, but that’s not so. I’m truly saying what I feel.”

“We have to move on. The team seems sad to me. The easy thing to do would be to give up. We are all disappointed, team, Club and fans alike, but we want to get over this by winning the league title. We want to forget about what happened with a victory against Valladolid.” @Real

Argentinian star Leo Messi is a new goodwill ambassador for Unicef and from now on the Barça striker “wants to add my grain of sand” to improving the lives of children all around the world.

Leo Messi was presented in his new role in Sala Paris at midday on Thursday, with the facilities decked out for the occasion in the form of a ceremony organised jointly by Unicef and FC Barcelona in which the striker was unveiled as a United Nations representative as part of the strugglle to combat vulnerability in the lives of boys and girls all around the planet. @Barca

Arsène Wenger believes that this week’s Champions League results underlined the strength of the English top-flight.

Arsenal put five past Porto without reply on Tuesday and Manchester United thrashed AC Milan 4-0 last night to book their place in the Quarter-Finals. Chelsea could complete a trio of Premier League clubs in the last eight when they face Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge next week.

England’s top three have already suffered more defeats this season than they did in the whole of last term, sparking suggestions that the Premier League big guns are weakening. This week’s emphatic European results suggests that they are not. @Arsenal