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The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has approached the Supreme Court (SC) of India to seek an extension of term for the current Executive Committee. 

The committee’s term is set to end on 21st December 2020 but the lack of a Constitution that purportedly does not conform to the National Sports Code has meant that the Indian FA are unable to hold elections to form the next Executive Committee. 

The AIFF went on to approach the Supreme Court against the decision, arguing that India was in danger of being derecognised by FIFA which only allows an elected, independent body to run an affiliated FA. 

The FIFA statutes state that: 

Recourse to ordinary courts of law is prohibited unless specifically provided for in the FIFA regulations. Recourse to ordinary courts of law for all types of provisional measures is also prohibited.
The associations shall insert a clause in their statutes or regulations, stipulating that it is prohibited to take disputes in the association or disputes affecting leagues, members of leagues, clubs, members of clubs, players, officials and other association officials to ordinary courts of law, unless the FIFA regulations or binding legal provisions specifically provide for or stipulate recourse to ordinary courts of law. Instead of recourse to ordinary courts of law, provision shall be made for arbitration.

ARBITRATION: disputes shall be taken to an independent and duly constituted arbitration tribunal recognised under the rules of the association or confederation or to CAS. The associations shall also ensure that this stipulation is implemented in the association, if necessary by imposing a binding obligation on its members. 

The associations shall impose sanctions on any party that fails to respect this obligation and ensure that any appeal against such sanctions shall likewise be strictly submitted to arbitration, and not to ordinary courts of law.

Previously, there are a couple of instances when FIFA had actually banned a national football federation when a court of law had appointed an ombudsman or a civil servant to run operations. 

In 2010, the Venezuelan Supreme Court had to overturn its decision which directed fresh elections under revised laws as FIFA threatened to ban the nation's governing body. FIFA believes that allowing an ordinary court to interfere in a matter governed by its international rules constitutes a violation of its statutes. FIFA stated that it would not recognise the revised electoral process ordered by the court.

Similarly, in 2014, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) was suspended after a court ordered the Sports Minister to appoint a civil servant to head the federation. The NFF was later reinstated after the court order was revoked. 

More recently, in 2017, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) was suspended after the Lahore High Court appointed an administrator to take control of the sports body. FIFA recognised this as a 'third-party interference' and implemented the ban. This prevented Pakistan from playing in any FIFA recognised international competitions. It also meant that PFF was left out from benefiting from various FIFA development and training programmes.

It was only after PFF had “successfully taken back control of the PFF offices along with the PFF accounts" the suspension was lifted in March 2018. 

FIFA remains strict that all member federations must be free of any government and judicial interference in their respective countries to carry out footballing activities independently. 

With the term of the Praful Patel-led Executive Committee set to wind down, the Indian FA are in a tight bind. They are unable to conduct fresh elections due to the lack of a constitution (still not finalised by the court-appointed committee). If the term of the current committee expires and the court appoints an ad-hoc administrator to take charge of Indian FA, there is a high chance of FIFA banning India which would prove detrimental to the progress of football in the country. 

And since the old constitution has been ruled as not conforming to the National Sports Code, the AIFF cannot conduct elections as per it. 

Kerala Blasters looked like a team which is getting to know Kibu Vicuna's style of play in the first half against NorthEast United on Thursday. They played well, were dominant, created chances and scored two goals. 

The half started well and a two-goal cushion at the break should've given the confidence to cross the finish line and seal the win. However, NorthEast United refused to give up and clawed their way back into the contest and in the end, grabbed a point that seemed nearly impossible at the end of the first half. 

The night belonged to Gerard Nus and NorthEast United - there are no two ways about it. Nus made the right changes at the right time and it was one his substitutes - Idrissa Sylla - who grabbed the equaliser with a well-taken strike past Costa Nhamoinesu and Albino Gomes right at the death. 

However, any team that throws away a two-goal lead should be ready to face the flak. Unlike last game, this was not an issue of attack not linking up well or getting used to Vicuna's system - this was lacklustre defending and a collective inability to read in-game situations. 

Sergio Cidoncha was the much-needed bright spark for Blasters in midfield in the first half. He linked up play well and was a threat going forward. A delightful Seityasen Singh set-piece from the right was beautifully headed into the net by the former Jamshedpur forward to open the scoring. A point to ponder - can Cidoncha and Sahal - who are both creative assets play together in midfield? 

Sahal Abdul Samad missed out with a niggle but Nishu Kumar got his much-awaited start. He looked rusty but his ability to accurately deliver a pass was a refreshing sight to behold.

If fans expected Gary Hooper to take the league by storm and seamlessly replace Bart Ogbeche, that hasn't happened at all. He has been in and out of the contest in the first two matches but managed to get off the mark by scoring a penalty after Puitea was brought down inside the box by Rakesh Pradhan. Hooper doubled his team's lead and it was coming as Blasters were right on top of the contest. He should have scored a tap-pin minutes before that but the former Norwich City striker missed an open net and registered his effort for the miss of the season. 

In both the games Kerala have played, they have been guilty of missing gilt-edged chances. Last game, it was Sahal with a glaring miss. 

Nus responded to his opponents' dominance by replacing Pradhan with Malayali striker Britto PM. Six minutes after the restart, Federico Gallego's excellent delivery into the box found Kwesi Appiah whose effort was blocked by Hooper. The defence failed to clear the danger and Appiah was the quickest to react and chest the rebound home. 

There was more intent to NorthEast United's forays forward but Costa and Bakary Kone stood strong to weather the storm. After the hour-mark, Jessel fouled Lalengmawia in the box but Appiah skied his effort from 12 yards. That should've been the wake-up call for the Yellow Army.  

But Blasters ended the game with two shots on target which were the goals they scored. Gurjinder Kumar's long pass in the 90th minute found substitute Idrissa Sylla and the equaliser was never in doubt. The striker looked offside when the ball was played but the flag was never raised and while it is fair to criticise a wrong refereeing decision, the two points dropped by Blasters weren't solely due to the 90th-minute strike.

It was a game of two halves and it was a deserved point for the Highlanders. 

Football returned to Naples on Thursday but normality did not as the city continued to mourn the death of legend Diego Maradona.

Napoli's first match since the passing of their most iconic star this week was played out to the noise of songs and fireworks despite the empty stands at the Stadio San Paolo.

Fans were kept away for the Europa League clash with Rijeka, but Neapolitans instead gathered outside the stadium, which could soon be named after Maradona.

Captain Lorenzo Insigne laid a wreath before kick-off, while the Napoli team lined up in 'Maradona 10' shirts - a jersey that was retired long before Maradona's death. His name was displayed around the border of the pitch.

After an emotional two days, Gennaro Gattuso's side turned in a laboured performance but still ran out 2-0 winners.

Former Napoli defender Armando Anastasio - a Neapolitan, of course - scored a scruffy own goal to break the deadlock in the first half, with Hirving Lozano's well-taken second from the bench making sure of victory.

But attention soon turned back to the man who used to grace the San Paolo, unsurprisingly the centre of Gattuso's post-match comments.

"Diego is the pride of this city," the coach told Sky Sport Italia. "They saw the best footballer in the world.

"He represented the number 10, a whole people, he made them dream. Many guys are called Diego. He is more important than San Gennaro."

Gattuso added: "I have many wonderful memories of Diego; I had the opportunity to dine with him a few times.

"He died but will never die, because he was an extraordinary person. He did so many extraordinary things. He also made some mistakes in life, but he will live forever.

"Even last night, driving through the city to the hotel, you could see that the city breathed a different air. It is a great loss. Diego came from another planet, a legend."

Napoli forward Dries Mertens also paid tribute to Maradona after the match and admitted it was hard to pull on the Argentine's iconic No.10 shirt. 

"He made such a big impact on this city and for everyone in the south of Italy. I want to be positive, and focus on my memories of a smiling man who loved football," Mertens said post-match. 

"It was tough to pull that shirt on. In some ways, it was always a dream, but not like this."

Travel from one end of Kerala to the other and you will spot multiple boards and signboard by Argentina football team fans declaring their love for their football legend Diego Maradona. 

The football-loving state, which declared two-day mourning following the Argentinian's passing on Wednesday, absolutely adored the Napoli forward who was a magician with the ball at his feet. 

There are only two places in India that has been visited by Maradona and Kerala is one of them. 

On October 24, 2012, the district of Kannur stood still. Over 50,000 people flocked to the place where Maradona set foot. It was a packed atmosphere and his first few words after getting on the dais were, "I love you Kerala!" which was received with a huge roar of appreciation and affection.

Maradona was brought to the state by Kerala businessman Boby Chemmannur who met the footballer during his time abroad and convinced him to become the brand ambassador of his jewellery chain. The occasion was the opening of a new showroom but it didn't matter - Kannur was all about football that day. 

Alongside him on stage was his fan and Indian football legend IM Vijayan. Vijayan had reached the hotel where Maradona stayed on the previous day hoping to see the Argentine. All Vijayan wanted was a photograph with the World Cup winner but it was late in the day and he couldn't get the photo he wanted. 

The next day, Vijayan went on stage and not only spoke to the football legend but also played keepy-uppy with him in front of thousands of football lovers.

Maradona sang songs, danced to his favourite tunes and even cut a 30 kg cake to celebrate his birthday (which was in November) in advance. He gave thousands of people some great memories and will always be remembered by the people in the state. 

East Bengal have suffered on multiple occasions in the last decade due to their goalkeepers, famously missing out on the I-League titles multiple times in the business end of seasons, thanks in no small part to goalkeeping errors. 

Goalkeeping blunders and lack of quality custodians in their roster was one of the hindrances in East Bengal's path of winning the much elusive I-League title.

This season as the Red and Golds embark on a new journey in the Indian Super League (ISL), once again a major area of concern is their goalkeeping department as none of their goalkeepers has enough ISL experience.

The Kolkata giants have registered four goalkeepers, Debjit Majumder, Sankar Roy, Mirshad Michu and Rafique Ali Sardar for the upcoming 2020-21 ISL season. While Majumder and Sardar have prior experience in ISL, Roy and Mirshad will make their debut in the top tier league this time. 

Out of all four keepers, Debjit Majumder has the maximum experience as he had earlier plied his trade with ATK for four seasons (2015, 2016, 2017-18 and 2018-19). Majumder has played a total of 29 ISL matches in four years where has conceded 32 goals, made 67 saves and managed to keep eight clean sheets.

His most memorable season in the ISL was in 2016 when he had appeared in 15 matches under Jose Francisco Molina and was instrumental in guiding the team to the ISL title. It must be noted that he played a key part in the penalty shootout against Kerala Blasters in the final, saving Cedric Hengbart's kick.

His performance in 2016 had earned him a three-year contract with the Kolkata club but the Bengali custodian failed to replicate his performance in the next two seasons. In fact, Majumder did not appear in a single game after the 2017-18 season and was sent on loan to Mohun Bagan in the I-League in the final year of his contract.

Last season too, he could only play in just two I-League matches. After leaking four goals against Churchill Brothers in the second match of the league, Majumder lost his place to Sankar Roy who played the remaining 14 matches.

Roy has changed colours this season and will be donning the Red and Gold jersey for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old custodian was a part of Mohun Bagan’s team in the last three seasons but could only make his name under Kibu Vicuna last year. In the 14 matches he played, Roy managed to keep seven clean sheets.

While the goalkeeper’s numbers from last season are enviable, he seemed shaky in crucial situations and conceded some silly goals in quite a few matches. With no ISL experience in his kitty, it will be interesting to see if Roy can maintain his form from last season.

Mirshad Michu will don the East Bengal shirt for the fourth season in a row. In the past three years, the custodian appeared in just 10 I-League matches where he has conceded 10 goals and has managed to keep only two clean sheets. He too will make his ISL debut this season.

Other than Debjit, the only other goalkeeper in East Bengal’s roster who has ISL experience is young Bengali custodian Rafique Ali Sardar. The 22-year-old goalkeeper had plied his trade with Jamshedpur FC in the last three seasons but due to the towering presence of Subrata Paul in their ranks, Sardar got hardly any game time.

In 2018-19 he played in just one match and appeared three games last season under Antonio Iriondo where he conceded nine goals. 

The statistics of none of the goalkeepers paint a bright picture in favour of East Bengal and much will depend on how well their experienced goalkeeping coach Robert Mimms prepares them.

However, while none of these names inspire confidence, this is also a chance for one of them to establish themselves and revive (or kick-start) their career. 

The year 2020 has brought both joy and sadness for the Kolkata football fans.

While on one hand, the Kolkata giants entered the Indian Super League (ISL) this year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the football-crazy fans of the city will not be able to watch their clubs making their debuts in the top tier league in person as the league is being held in Goa this season.

ISL will witness its first-ever Kolkata derby on November 27 but due to the Covid-19 situation, the titanic clash will be held behind closed doors, a first time in the history of the iconic rivalry.

A Kolkata derby without fans is unthinkable but that is sadly the ‘new normal’ this year. But although the fans will not be present at the stadiums, they will certainly back their teams from Kolkata by either organising screenings or watching together. 

Goal caught up with an ardent Mohun Bagan fan who will miss cheering for his favourite club from the stands in the team’s debut season in the ISL.

“It is extremely difficult for us to come to terms that we will not be able to support our team at the stadium especially when Mohun Bagan are making their debut in the ISL. I remember how we used to enjoy every single home game in the I-League last season and also celebrated the title,” said Subham Mondal, a member of a Mohun Bagan fan’s club named 'Beleghata Mariners'.

While the ‘Beleghata Mariners’ will not be present at the stadium, some of their members including Subham will watch the derby along with fellow fans. 

“We are not planning to host any screening this time. Some of us will gather at a friend’s place to watch the game. Obviously, we cannot replicate the stadium atmosphere in someone’s home but we will be taking part in the fan wall organised by the ISL. We have registered ourselves there and will try to savour as much fun as possible,” said the die-hard Bagan fan.

An East Bengal fan club in Batanagar, Kolkata named ‘Batanagar Lal Holud Paribar’ will rent a house on Friday evening to organise a screening of the derby for its members.

Srotriya Ghosh, a member of the fan club told Goal how much the Red and Golds fans will miss cheering for their team from the stands of the Salt Lake Stadium on the derby day.

“We have missed the opportunity to watch our first ISL derby in Yuba Bharati Krirangan. It’s very upsetting but to enjoy the magic of derby, we are arranging a screening of the match in Batanagar. Let's hope to enjoy derby away from the team this season.”

East Bengal officials have organised a screening at the club’s maidan tent on Friday where fans will be allowed to come in and cheer for their favourite club. The screening, though, will be held following all state government protocols related to the pandemic.

Several other Mohun Bagan and East Bengal fan groups have plans of hosting screenings in their localities. The fans have come up with a new way in the 'new normal' to back their respective clubs.

Dries Mertens said it was "tough to pull that shirt on" after Napoli wore the famous number 10 shirt in honour of Diego Maradona prior to their Europa League win over Rijeka.

Argentina and Napoli great Maradona – arguably football's greatest ever player – died of natural causes at the age of 60 on Wednesday.

Napoli's first match since the passing of their most iconic star this week was played out to the noise of songs and fireworks despite the empty stands at the Stadio San Paolo, where Maradona guided the Italian team to unprecedented Scudetto success in 1987 and 1990.

Captain Lorenzo Insigne laid a wreath before kick-off on Thursday, while the Napoli team lined up in 'Maradona 10' shirts – a jersey that was retired long before Maradona's death. The World Cup winner's name was displayed around the border of the pitch in Naples.

Reflecting on the emotional night, which saw Napoli defeat Croatian visitors Rijeka 2-0, Mertens told Sky Sport Italia: "It was an awful moment for me, so I can only imagine how those who lived through his time at Napoli must have felt.

"He made such a big impact on this city and for everyone in the south of Italy. I want to be positive, and focus on my memories of a smiling man who loved football.

"It was tough to pull that shirt on. In some ways, it was always a dream, but not like this."

Mertens is Napoli's all-time leading goalscorer with 128 across all competitions since joining the club in 2013.

The Belgium international moved clear of Marek Hamsik (121) atop the list in June, having surpassed Maradona (115) to move into second spot last year.

Mertens used social media to apologise to Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata head coach Maradona on Wednesday, writing via Instagram: "You were the first thing that came to my mind when I signed for Naples. Wearing the blue shirt will mean even more from now on.

"Napoli lost part of its soul today. You were, and will always be, an inspiration to all of us. If my name has ever been placed next to yours, I apologise, I will never be at your level. What you did for "our" city will go down in history forever. It was an honour to have met you. Forever my idol."

Asked about his apology, Mertens said: "I apologised to him, because my name was used in the same sentence as his and that's not right. He was and always will be unique."

Mino Raiola has taken aim at EA Sports over player image rights in FIFA 21, insisting that too many stars are open to exploitation.

AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic caused a stir on social media at the start of the week as he called out FIFA and EA Sports for failing to ask for his permission before including his name and likeness in the latest version of their annual football video game.

Tottenham winger Gareth Bale offered his support to Ibrahimovic by starting the hashtag  "#TimeToInvestigate", with FIFPro subsequently coming out to defend their policies in a lengthy statement.

The International Federation of Professional Footballers told The Mirror: "In light of recent media reports, FIFPRO wishes to clarify the manner in which it obtains the image rights of players, and its role in defending the employment rights of professional footballers worldwide.

"FIFPRO, a not-for-profit organisation, acquires image rights via player unions in nearly 60 countries. These rights are made available to Electronic Arts and other clients in the video gaming industry.

"FIFPro is reaching out to the players and their representation that have recently raised concerns so we can address their questions.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacts the football industry, we are proud of our member unions for having supported tens of thousands of footballers around the world."

Notorious super-agent Raiola, who serves as Ibrahimovic's main legal representative, appeared on talkSPORT on Thursday to discuss the issue and didn't hold back in his assessment.

"It’s all about money. It’s all about the important money because it’s not EA Sports, it’s not a charity foundation," Raiola said.

"This is about money, this is about rights, this is about who can exploit whose rights. It’s a principle. Why we don’t do things before or after is a call we will make and we won’t explain now. This is the moment now it’s come out.

"Their statement is that I have bought those rights. That is what their statement is today. We are saying those rights cannot be bought by the organisations.

"I’m doing this thing, because it’s very simple, this is a right of my players that cannot be touched." 

Porto defender Zaidu Sanusi has been named in the Uefa Champions League Team of the Week after grabbing a goal against Marseille on Wednesday.

The Nigerian left-back broke the deadlock for the Portuguese giants with his maiden strike for the club, just before half-time at the Orange Velodrome.

Sanusi joins Barcelona's Sergino Dest in the defence alongside Atalanta's Ruben Gosens and Borussia Monchengladbach duo of Nico Elvedi and Oscar Wendt.

Lokomotiv Moscow's Guilherme was selected as goalkeeper while Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, Borussia Monchengladbach's Lars Stindl and Bayern Munich's Kinglsey Coman form the three-man midfield.

Lazio's Ciro Immobile and Barcelona's Martin Braithwaite lead the attack.

Sanusi is the second-most ranked player in the team with 14 points after Wendt, Elvedi and Braithwaite who have 15 points each.

The Super Eagles star has proven to be an indispensable defensive asset for Sergio Conceicao since he joined Porto on a five-year deal from Santa Clara in August.

The 23-year-old has played in every of Porto's Champions League matches this season and his contribution to Wednesday's triumph, fired the Dragons to second in Group C with nine points after four matches.

Porto visit Sanusi's former club Santa Clara for their Primeira Liga fixture on Saturday before they host Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the Champions League on December 1.

Jose Mourinho praised Tottenham's "kids" as Dane Scarlett became the club's youngest ever player following his appearance in the Europa League.

Tottenham picked up a comfortable 4-0 home victory over Ludogorets on Thursday night to move one step closer to qualifying for the round of 32 in Europe's second-tier competition.

Benfica loanee Carlos Vinicius hit a first-half brace to put the hosts in full command of the contest, making the most of his chance to shine with Harry Kane granted a well-earned rest ahead of Sunday's London derby clash against Chelsea.

Harry Winks then managed to find the net from 50 yards in somewhat fortunate fashion on the hour mark, before Lucas Moura rounded off the scoring late on, with Spurs now just one win away from booking a place in the knockout stages.

Academy graduate Japhet Tanganga was drafted back into Mourinho's squad after recovering from an injury lay-off, and teenage midfielder Harvey White was handed his senior debut against Ludogorets, while Jack Clarke made his second European appearance since returning to the club following a loan spell at Queens Park Rangers.

Scarlett was the man who shared the headlines with Winks, however, as he became the youngest player to feature in a competitive game for Tottenham in their entire history aged 16 years and 247 days.

Mourinho was delighted to see Lilywhite's next generation of stars "make history", as he told BT Sport post-match: "I am happy for them, some players had really nice performances.

"Japhet Tanganga had his first match after long injury, nice chance for the kids to make history. 4-0 and three points, that's good.

"I know the kids well. Harvey White works with us every day in our squad, same as Jack Clarke, Dane Scarlett did pre-season with us. We know what they can do but it has to be the right moment and today was the right pressure for them."

Asked to assess his side's latest performance in the Europa League, Mourinho responded: "It was important. There is a risk of every team on six points against them.

"If that happens to qualify you need a lot of points. Normally nine points would be job done but it is not job done. You need a result but today was important. We made lots of changes but it was important to take it seriously, it was good.

"The game are important, every game is important. We don't look to certain competitions, we look game after game.

"To play all the same players is not good for the condition and for the mentality of those who play."

The Portuguese boss concluded by playing down the importance of this weekend's meeting with Chelsea, as he added: "Every game is every game, in the Premier League I don't make any difference because every game you can gain points or lose points. We don't look to the table we look to matches."

Daniele Bonera felt AC Milan showed their team spirit is strong even without Zlatan Ibrahimovic after their Europa League draw with Lille on Thursday.

The Rossoneri took the lead in France through Samu Castillejo but were pegged back through a goal from Jonathan Bamba 19 minutes later.

The Serie A leaders, beaten 3-0 by Lille in the previous Group H game, restricted the hosts to just 42 per cent of the ball only to concede from their only shot on target of the second half.

Similarly, AC Milan found the net with their one effort on goal in the 90 minutes, as the absence of the injured Ibrahimovic appeared to take its toll.

The 39-year-old, who sustained a hamstring injury after scoring a double in the 3-1 win at Napoli, has scored 12 goals in as many games in all competitions this season.

Still, Milan have won six and drawn four of their 10 games without Ibrahimovic in 2020, and Bonera says that level of resolve was once again apparent against Lille.

"This is the strong identity we now have in all of us. We're happy with the work the boys do every day. It's just a shame about the result tonight," said the assistant coach, who is deputising for head coach Stefano Pioli while he self-isolates after a positive coronavirus test.

"We showed even before this match that the group was able to make up for his absence. He is such an important player, but the spirit of this team is always the same, with or without Ibra."

Young playmaker Sandro Tonali was also frustrated that AC Milan could not hold onto three points, but he said they proved they could play well without their main striker.

"We deserved to take the lead. We didn't dominate but we held onto the ball like a great team, and that's our biggest regret – not being able to win," he said.

"Playing with Ibra certainly helps; with a champion like him, it's always easier. But we have to play well even without him and we've shown we can play as a great team."

The result leaves AC Milan second in the group after four games, a point behind leaders Lille and one ahead of Sparta Prague.

Olanrewaju Kayode scored a goal while Ivory Coast's Arouna Kone bagged a brace in Sivasspor's 3-2 victory over Qarabag in a Uefa Europa League encounter.

Qarabag kicked off on a flying note with Abdellah Zoubir opening the scoring for the hosts at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium in the eighth minute.

His opener separated both teams for the majority of the first-half but Kone got the equaliser for Sivasspor from the penalty spot, five minutes before the break.

After the restart, Uro Matic restored the lead for the Azerbaijan giants in the 55th minute, however, it did not last long as Kayode made an instant impact after replacing Casimir Ninga in the 57th minute.

A minute after his introduction, the former Manchester City striker brought the two teams on level terms again with his effort, courtesy of an assist from Yasin Oztekin.

The Nigeria forward has now scored four goals in the Europa League group stage this season, having notched at least a goal in each of his last three appearances in the competition.

Towards the closing 10 minutes of the encounter, Kone linked up with Ugur Ciftci to secure all three points for the visitors with his second goal of the night.

The 37-year-old forward played the entire duration alongside his compatriot Max Gradel while Mali's Mamadou Samassa was in between the sticks for Sivasspor.

Qarabag, on the other hand, had Ghana forward Owusu Kwabena on parade but he could not add to his tally of a goal after five games.

Thursday's victory left Sivasspor in the third spot in Group I with six points after four matches, a point behind second-placed Maccabi Tel Aviv while Qarabag languish at the bottom, and they are yet to pick a point after four matches.

Tottenham coach Jose Mourinho says he will miss receiving phone calls from Diego Maradona that were made to lift his spirits after losing matches.

The football world is in mourning after the passing of the iconic former player this week.

Tributes have flown in from across the world after it was confirmed on Wednesday that the Argentina, Napoli and Boca Juniors hero suffered a fatal heart attack on Wednesday.

Mourinho says that while the world already knows about the World Cup winner's exploits on the field and can relive them with a simple internet search, he will always miss the man behind the legend who was quick to give him a call after a disappointing result.

"There is Maradona and there is Diego. Maradona I don’t need to speak about because the world knows and nobody will forget," he told BT Sport before his side beat Ludogorets 4-0 in the Europa League on Thursday.

"Diego is different, the people that are the big friends of him, the people that share dressing rooms with him, colleagues, these guys are privileged.

"I can say he was a good friend of mine, but my contacts with him were by telephone and we met of course a few times.

"He had a big, big, big, big heart. That’s the guy I miss, because his football we can find every time we miss him, if we Google we will find it. But Diego, no.

"I spent the day today telling stories to my guys about him and the time we spent together and that’s the guy I miss. I especially miss the phone call that was always arriving after defeats and never after victories.

"He knew that after victories I don’t need phone calls, he knew that in difficult moments he was always there and he was always saying after defeats: ‘Mo, don’t forget you are the best’. He always had this approach.

"I miss Diego."

Maradona's body is lying in honour at the presidential mansion in Buenos Aires during three days of mourning. Thousands turned out to pay their respects, but the day was marred when clashes between police and mourners errupted.

The final of the Caf Champions League is a massive fixture in any year, but this season, the contest takes on even greater resonance due both to the participants and the context.

Somewhat remarkably, for the first time ever, Africa’s biggest clubs—Al-Ahly and SC Zamalek—will collide to decide who is the continent’s champion.

The two are the most successful teams in the history of the continent’s premier club competition, but they’ve never before met at this stage.

Now, it’s all on the line, in a fixture that neither of these two Cairene rivals—bitter foe who are divided on political and cultural lines—can afford to miss.

African Football HQ host Malek Shafei has put together an all-star panel of Egyptian football pundits to assess this blockbuster showdown in this week’s episode of the podcast.

We discuss the history and the rivalry between the Red Devils and the White Knights; they did meet in the Caf Super Cup final of 1994---not quite the same thing as Friday’s meeting—and have crossed paths on several occasions in the Champions League over the last 20 years.

On each of those recent meetings, it was Ahly who came out on top, although the pair are more evenly matched heading into this weekend’s bout, with Zamalek having achieved continental success with last season’s Caf Confederation Cup victory.

In Achraf Bencharki and Mostafa Mohamed, they also boast two of the most fearsome attacking threats in this year’s edition of the competition, and either man has the potential to be the match-winner.

Unfortunately, due to the restrictions necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, this ‘match of the century’ must be played behind closed doors at the Cairo International Stadium, although while a bitter shame, it certainly reduces the risk for negative health consequences or further controversies.

Positive Covid-19 tests will also deny several key players the opportunity to feature in Friday’s final, with the likes of Abdallah Gom'aa, Youssef Obama, and Mahmoud Hamdy El-Wensh all set to miss out.

There’s also intrigue in the dugout, where two relatively new faces will be squaring up to contest arguably the biggest matches of their careers.

Jaime Pacheco deserves credit for the way he has guided Zamalek to the final—and got the best out of this group of players, while Pitso Mosimane will make history if he can clinch another continental crown for Ahly, having previously won the title with South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns.

Harry Winks has admitted that his long-range stunner in Tottenham's latest Europa League win was an accident - much to the annoyance of manager Jose Mourinho.

Tottenham took a major step to booking their place in the Europa League round of 32 by thrashing Ludogorets 4-0 on Thursday night.

Carlos Vinicius, who joined Spurs on loan from Benfica in the summer transfer window, opened the scoring with a neat finish in the 16th minute, and doubled his account just after the half-hour mark when he tapped the ball into an empty net after being teed up by Dele Alli.

Mourinho's men continued to pile pressure on the Bulgarian outfit in the second half, and extended their lead in spectacular fashion as Winks beat opposition goalkeeper Plamen Iliev from 50 yards after picking the ball up on the left touchline.

Lucas Moura added gloss to the final result when he fired past Illiev 17 minutes from time, with Tottenham in pole position to secure their place in the knockout stages.

Winks resisted the temptation to lap up the plaudits for his outrageous effort in his post-match interview, conceding he was trying to pick out Gareth Bale with a through ball rather than going for goal.

"I'd love to sit here and say that I did, but I've got to be honest and say no," the England international told BT Sport.

"I saw Gaz (Gareth Bale) run in. I'll take it at the end of the day. It has been a while [since I last scored] but I am happy with the way the team played."

Mourinho responded to Winks' comments while speaking to BT Sport himself, stating: "He is too honest! I am not happy with him! With a goal like that you have to say you meant it, but a good kid. He is honest."

Winks added on Spurs' latest performance on the European stage: "It was really enjoyable. We started with the right intensity because we didn't give them any chance to be breath. It was a good game for us."

The 24-year-old went on to discuss his current position in Mourinho's squad, expressing his frustration over a lack of regular minutes before pledging to make the most of every opportunity he gets.

"It is tough. It is very difficult. All I can do is when I get opportunities like this is play well," Winks said.

Tottenham will now turn their attention to a huge Premier League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with only two points separating the London rivals at the top of the table after nine fixtures.

Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has highlighted the relationship between players and staff as a key factor that has helped him settled down quickly at Stamford Bridge.

Since he joined the Blues on a five-year contract from Rennes in September, the Senegal international has kept seven clean sheets in 10 appearances across all competitions.

He explained how he has displaced Kepa Arrizabalaga as Chelsea no. 1 and how the presence of France defenders has made communication easy for him.

“Everyone has done everything to help me integrate as smoothly as possible, the players, the staff, they have all helped me,” Mendy told the club website.

“I respond to that by devoting myself to being the best goalkeeper I can be on the pitch, by doing what I can every day in training and in matches. I will continue like that to keep trying to help the team.

“I have joined a very good club. I feel good in this team. I have got to know them and gained an affinity with them which helps during games. Of course with Kurt and Thiago they speak French which is good for me, but I can communicate well with the other players too and I am really enjoying it.”

Mendy returned to Roazhon Park to face his former club Rennes in a Uefa Champions League clash on Tuesday, he revealed the mixed feelings he had before and after the game which ended 2-1 in favour of Chelsea.

“Before the match I had a lot of emotions because I know the journey to the ground and then when I saw the stadium I had a wonderful feeling inside,” he continued.

“Then my thoughts turned to the principle feeling which was to win the match and secure qualification. That’s what we did. It was a difficult game, we knew it would be, but we showed great spirit to fight until the end.

“After the game it was great to see everyone who works around the stadium, the players and the staff and talk to them.”

Chelsea are on a 10-game unbeaten ahead of Sunday’s Premier League outing against leaders Tottenham Hotspur.

Mendy disclosed the Blues’ mission as they face Jose Mourinho’s men who handed them their last defeat in a League Cup fixture two months ago.

He said; “The objective now is to do a good match against Tottenham on Sunday.”

Manchester United will be involved in the first Premier League game of the 2020-21 season to have fans in attendance, but it will be a while longer before Old Trafford can open its doors to spectators.

The Red Devils' trip to the London Stadium to face West Ham on December 5 will mark the return of supporters to a top-flight match in England for the first time since before the league was suspended in March following the first wave of Covid-19 infections in the country.

Regions in England have been placed in different tiers of lockdown as the country continues to battle the pandemic. As of December 2, Teams in Tier 1 areas, which have the least intense restrictions, will be permitted to allow up to 4,000 fans in attendance, Tier 2 cities can welcome 2,000 into their stadiums and matches in Tier 3 zones will continue behind closed doors.

London has been put into Tier 2 for the time being, meaning some supporters can take in the clash between the Hammers and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team, but United fans will not be allowed entry.

As United are in an area that falls under Tier 3, fans are still barred from attending matches at Old Trafford but the club hopes to open the doors once again in the near future.

"Manchester United notes the government decision to keep Trafford in the Tier 3 category of Covid-19 restrictions," a statement on the club's website read.

"This means games at Old Trafford will continue to take place behind closed doors until further notice. Our plans for safely welcoming fans back to Old Trafford are well advanced and we look forward to doing so, as soon as we are given the go-ahead.

"We will continue to work with local authorities on finalising our plans so that we can move quickly when our area comes out of Tier 3.

"Some of our forthcoming away games in Tier 2 areas may take place with a limited number of fans in attendance. However, under current guidelines, away fans will not be permitted to attend."

Before the match between West Ham and United, Arsenal's Europa League meeting with Rapid Vienna will host some supporters.

Fans will also be allowed in for Chelsea's home game against Leeds later on December 5.