Cristiano Ronaldo has been "a joy to watch" in recent years, according to Pep Guardiola and the Spaniard believes football will never see the like of the Manchester United star's talents again.
The duo will face off once more in the Manchester derby on Sunday, having built a rivalry during their days in La Liga as Real Madrid forward and Barcelona coach respectively.
Manchester City boss Guardiola tried to coax Ronaldo to join his side from Juventus in the close season, before United swept in to seal a homecoming for the Portugal superstar.
But even after missing out on his services, Guardiola has nothing but praise for the evergreen attacker's skills, citing him and Lionel Messi as generational powerhouses.
"One of the greatest in the last 15 years alongside Messi," Guardiola told a pre-match press conference on Friday when asked on Ronaldo. "We aren't going to see it again.
"When you achieve these things, you're under scrutiny every day. He was too good and as a finisher, exceptional - a top player. It has [been] a joy to watch in these years.
"We have to exploit our game and strength to avoid him close to the ball. We have to control him. One of the greatest - a goalscoring machine.
"He is so strong mentally. He handles this pressure without a problem, [and] lives with expectation through his career in a positive way."
City head into their clash with United eying a first Premier League double over their local rivals since the 2018-19 campaign, in what will be the pair's maiden meeting with Ralf Rangnick in the opposite dugout.
The German, who is set to be in command of United through to the end of the season, has them on the longest current unbeaten streak in the top flight (eight games).
Their hosts, meanwhile, will be out to avoid rare successive losses at the Etihad Stadium, following defeat to Tottenham in a five-goal thriller on their previous home outing.
Vinicius named Player of the Season as Real Madrid sweep Champions League awards
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior was named the Champions League's Player of the Season by UEFA's technical observer panel on Monday.
Vinicius played 10 matches in the 2023-24 competition for champions Madrid, scoring six goals and assisting five.
He was on the scoresheet as Carlo Ancelotti's side beat Borussia Dortmund in the final on Saturday, earning his second Champions League medal with the club.
The Brazilian has 22 direct goal involvements in the knockout stages of Europe's premier club competition (11 goals, 11 assists), the joint-most recorded by any player before turning 24, alongside Lionel Messi.
The UEFA panel also named Vinicius' team-mate Jude Bellingham the Best Young Player of the 2023-24 tournament.
The 20-year-old England international scored four goals and provided five assists in 11 Champions League appearances.
The Goal of the Season award also went to a Madrid player, with Federico Valverde's late volley against Manchester City in a 3-3 quarter-final draw at the Santiago Bernabeu taking the honours.
Carrick signs new three-year deal with Middlesbrough
Former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has signed a new contract to remain Middlesbrough head coach until 2027.
Carrick was set to enter the final 12 months of the three-year deal he signed when arriving at the Riverside Stadium in 2022, and he had been linked with Premier League clubs after impressing on Teesside.
He led the side to a fourth-place finish in the Championship in 2022-23, though they were beaten by Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals.
Carrick's team then missed out on the play-offs as they finished eighth in 2023-24, though they did reach the EFL Cup semi-finals, winning the first leg against Chelsea 1-0 before being thumped 6-1 in the return fixture.
Speaking to the club's media channels, Carrick said: "I think having that attachment, that trust and that belief within the club is really important.
"We've certainly got that. That's what still gives me the great feeling that I had when I first walked through the door.
"It feels like a big step as a headline, as a statement, but really it doesn't change anything I do or how I approach it – it just carries on what we're trying to achieve."
Lewandowski denies reports he could join Mourinho at Fenerbahce
Robert Lewandowski has denied reports he could join Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce, also insisting he is not considering retirement as he approaches his 36th birthday.
Lewandowski scored 26 goals in 49 games across all competitions in 2023-24, though that was down on his total of 33 goals as Barcelona won LaLiga in his first season with the club in 2022-23.
With the Blaugrana finishing a distant second to Real Madrid in LaLiga and exiting the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, reports had suggested an attacking refresh could be in the offing.
Lewandowski – who is halfway through a four-year deal with the Catalan giants – was linked with a move to Fenerbahce, who appointed Mourinho as their head coach on Sunday.
However, the Poland international has not heard anything about a transfer, telling Sport: "Fenerbahce have not contacted me. I don't know anything about it."
Lewandowski will turn 36 shortly after LaLiga's 2024-25 campaign commences in mid-August.
He was asked whether he might follow in the footsteps of Toni Kroos, who went out at the top of his game by helping Real Madrid win the Champions League in the final match of his club career on Saturday.
"My heart will tell me that moment. Before making a decision, I must first feel something," Lewandowski said.
"I don't know when it will happen, it's difficult to determine it by myself. I need to hear my decision to be sure of it and now I don't have it.
"Physically I feel very good and that means I can't think about retirement. Maybe Toni Kroos felt that moment, but it's not the case for me. I'm realising that the hard work I've done and I'm still doing is paying off."
Lewandowski will hope Hansi Flick's arrival at Camp Nou helps him step things up next season, having registered an incredible 83 goals and 18 assists in 71 games under him at Bayern Munich, between November 2019 and June 2021.
The striker also set the Bundesliga's single-season goal record under Flick, netting 41 times in 29 league matches as they won the title in 2020-21.
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