Liverpool striker Christian Benteke is seemingly a bit baffled as to why he’s been playing so little under Jurgen Klopp. “Some team-mates have said that I was lucky with the arrival of Klopp, because I certainly would play,” he told Belgium’s Sport/Voetbalmagazine. “When your coach says he wanted to take you to Dortmund and a little later you sit at the same club and he ignores you it is hard to understand.”

Novak Djokovic has apologised for any offence he may have caused with his comments regarding prize money for men and women in tennis and sought to clarify what he meant. The world number one caused a stir at the weekend when, following controversial remarks made by Indian Wells chief executive Raymond Moore on the subject, he said men should be awarded more prize money than women. Speaking after his victory in the BNP Paribas Open final at Indian Wells, the Serbian said women deserve the money they get, but men should fight for more because their game attracts more viewers.

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Belgium have cancelled their international friendly against Portugal, scheduled for Tuesday, 29 March, in the wake of the bomb attacks in Brussels. The Royal Belgian Football Association said fans who had bought tickets through their official portal would receive a full refund. The match was due to be held in Brussels. Twin explosions at Brussels international airport and another at a metro station on Tuesday left about 34 dead and 250 wounded in the Belgian capital.

Werder Bremen defender Papy Djilobodji has been banned for three games after making a throat-slitting gesture during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Mainz. Referee Manuel Graefe missed the incident, but German football officials reviewed the matter. Senegal international Djilobodji, on loan from Chelsea, made the gesture towards Mainz winger Pablo de Blasis. Werder have appealed in a bid to ensure Djilobodji, 27, can help them battle relegation from the Bundesliga. They are one point above the drop zone with seven games left to play. “We maintain that the ruling of a three-match ban is unjustifiable,” Bremen chief executive Thomas Eichin said. Djilobodji, who joined Bremen in January, faces a further one-game suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card against Mainz.