The London Marathon got under way on Sunday after marking a 30-second period of silence to remember the victims of the Boston Marathon attacks.

Elite and fun-runners alike, wearing black ribbons, stood in silence at the start line before setting off at 10:00 am (0900 GMT).

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists he is not intimidated by Rafael Benitez as the Chelsea manager prepares for an emotional return to Anfield on Sunday.

The walls at Anfield and also at Liverpool's Melwood training ground are covered with iconic images of the club's domestic and European triumphs during Benitez's reign.

A goal in the third minute of injury time from Clement Grenier gave Lyon a 2-1 win at champions Montpellier on Friday to keep their slim French title hopes alive.

The win moved Lyon into second place on 59 points, one ahead of Marseille, who have a game in hand, but eight behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Hull's bid to win automatic promotion to the Premier League suffered a setback on Friday as the Tigers were held to 0-0 draw by already relegated Bristol City at the KC Stadium.

With leaders Cardiff sealing their promotion from the Championship on Tuesday, it is down to second placed Hull and third placed Watford to fight it out for the final guaranteed spot among the elite.

Former FA Cup winners Portsmouth finally came out of administration on Friday after being officially taken over by a supporters group.

The Pompey Supporters Trust's purchase of the League One club was confirmed in a statement from administrators BDO that formally ends the Fratton Park side's 14-month spell in administration.

John Terry has admitted he snubbed Football Association chairman David Bernstein's attempt to shake hands during the official Champions League trophy handover on Friday.

Terry ignored Bernstein in a show of contempt for the man who stripped the Chelsea defender of the England captaincy after he was accused of racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand during a match last season.

Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and Robin van Persie have been nominated for the Premier League's Player of the Year award.

The Professional Footballers' Association has shortlisted six players for the prize, with Michael Carrick, Eden Hazard and Juan Mata completing the list.

Rafael Nadal was pushed all the way by Grigor Dimitrov to win his 45th straight match at the Monte Carlo Masters, reaching the semifinals with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 result on Friday.

Nadal dropped only his third set in his last five tournaments here, the previous times against Andy Murray in the 2011 semifinals and before that against Novak Djokovic in the 2009 final, and he was under pressure at 30-30 in the eighth game of the final set before nailing a crucial serve.

Bahrain's Shiite opposition are set to gather on Friday for mass rallies to highlight pro-reform demands as Formula One Grand Prix practice sessions kicked-off, unaffected by unrest away from the circuit.

Meanwhile, the world motorsport's governing body the FIA and promoters Formula One Management said the race should take place on Sunday, despite the demonstrations.

The Copa Libertadores match between Gremio of Brazil and Huachipato of Chile ended in a huge brawl on Thursday, with coaches fighting each other and players throwing punches and kicks.

The altercation began after the 1-1 draw in Talcahuano, Chile, which eliminated the hosts from the group stage and allowed Gremio to advance.