Leaders Real Madrid will not give the habitual pre-match news conference ahead of the visit of Real Sociedad on Saturday, after the costly loss of composure at Villarreal during the week.

Barcelona can trim Real Madrid's lead at the top of La Liga to five points when they host Granada on Tuesday after the Real juggernaut took a skid in a 1-1 draw at home to Malaga on Sunday.

Yesterday, Spain was celebrating having a record five teams in the Champions and Europa League quarter-final draws. But only 24 hours earlier, Spanish football was sent reeling from Government figures that confirmed its clubs owe €752m (£625m) in unpaid tax.

Holders Real Madrid scored three times in 10 minutes at the Bernabeu last night to beat Malaga 3-2 in their King's Cup last 16 first leg, sparked by a furious dressing down from Jose Mourinho.

Real Zaragoza have rescinded the contract of coach Javier Aguirre, the La Liga club said today, following a woeful run which has left them bottom of the standings.

Gus Poyet says he would die in defence of his fellow Uruguayan Luis Suarez against the Football Association's charge of racist abuse. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager is not a man given to understatement. He did not intend to pour fuel on the highly inflammable Suarez-Evra situation, he assures me, when he declared last week that he had never responded to insults – even though they had been frequent during his playing days in Spain – by "crying like a baby, like Patrice Evra". All the same, there are dedicated arsonists who get lesser conflagrations going.

The Brian Viner Interview: The Uruguayan remains outspoken on the Suarez-Evra race row, and talks about his three dreams – of taking Brighton up; of one day managing Chelsea; and seeing his son Diego play for England...

The Swiss club FC Sion, who defied Fifa and Uefa statutes by taking a case over a transfer ban to the civil courts, have lost the latest round in their legal battle after an appeal went in favour of football's governing body.

The overwhelming dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid in their domestic league will inevitably lead them to abandon Spain for European competition, former Real director general Jorge Valdano said today.

The Primera Division season will finally get under way on Saturday after a second weekend of strike action was averted today.

Talks today between the Spanish Professional Footballers' Union (AFE) and the Spanish Football League (LFP) intended to avert a strike for the opening two rounds of the Primera Division have failed to find a resolution.

Talks between the Spanish football league and the country's players' union yesterday failed to avert the strike action called for this weekend's start of the season. "The [union] have dug their heels in," said the league's president, Jose Luis Astiazaran. "There are important differences."

Mexico have included four players suspended for doping at the Gold Cup in their squad to face the United States in an Aug. 10 friendly in Philadelphia where Juergen Klinsmann will make his debut as U.S. head coach.

Mexico have included four players suspended for doping at the Gold Cup in their squad to face the United States in an Aug. 10 friendly in Philadelphia where Juergen Klinsmann will make his debut as U.S. head coach.