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Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) chairperson Nita Ambani welcomed the inclusion of East Bengal into the Indian Super League (ISL) on Sunday.

The Red and Golds join their arch rivals Mohun Bagan, who merged with ATK, in the country's top division. Ambani felt that the entry of both the Kolkata giants in the ISL is a monumental development for the Indian football ecosystem at large.

“It is such a happy and proud moment for ISL as we welcome East Bengal FC and their millions of fans into the League. The inclusion of both legacy clubs, i.e. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan (now ATK Mohun Bagan) opens limitless possibilities for Indian football, especially for talent development in the state," she said.

The development comes after Kolkata-based cement giants, Shree Cement Limited, acquired majority stakes in East Bengal to form 'Shree Cement East Bengal Foundation' which had picked up the bid process to enter ISL.

East Bengal will now become the 11th team to participate in the ISL which started off as an eight-team competition back in 2014. Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC joined in 2017 to take the tally up to 10.

Mohun Bagan, meanwhile, merged with ISL champions ATK. This also means the intense rivalry of the Kolkata derby will now feature in the ISL.

Mrs. Ambani felt that West Bengal, a football-mad state, is set to benefit from this development.

"West Bengal has made an immense contribution to the growth of the beautiful game in India. ISL’s growing footprint in the state and across India, is yet another step towards our mission of building a competitive and robust football ecosystem in the country,” she added.

Jurgen Klopp expects an "open race" as multiple teams compete for Premier League glory this season, insisting it will not just be a shoot-out between Liverpool and Manchester City.

The German brought the top-flight trophy back to Anfield for the first time in 30 years last term, with the Reds finishing 18 points clear of Pep Guardiola's side, who themselves were 15 ahead of Manchester United and Chelsea.

Despite that huge gap, Klopp believes it will be a close-run thing this term, with the Liverpool boss including Tottenham and Monday's opponents Arsenal in the mix.

The Gunners finished a distant eighth, 43 points shy of the champions' incredible tally of 99, and yet Klopp considers Mikel Arteta's side, who beat Liverpool in the Community Shield on spot-kicks, challengers.

"They came eighth because they did not have a time to sort the situation," he said, referencing the fact Arteta was not appointed until December.

"They were not the eighth best team in the league, they could've qualified easily for Europe [via the league], if not even the Champions League.

"The Premier League and these teams are too good, you can't decide the season before it starts. It just doesn't work like this.

"Man City, I think maybe people thought they could have some struggles at Wolves because Wolves are really good...and in the second half they could have got a point.

"Nobody is safe from this kind of thing, so we have to work incredibly hard. And over the other teams we have no influence. When we face them, we want to beat them.

"It's an open race, Chelsea will be there, [Manchester] United will be there, Arsenal, Tottenham – these teams will always be there.

"There are tough moments for us and other teams and it's about how you react and are you doing it in the right way.

"It's a marathon, not a sprint, and you have to go through a lot of moments. I don't know why today we talk about winning the league, I have no idea who will win but I know a lot of teams will try."

Liverpool have started their title defence with wins over Leeds United and Chelsea, scoring six goals in the process.

The upcoming season of the Indian Super League (ISL) will be totally different from what we were used to seeing in the previous six seasons.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced the ISL organizers to conduct the league in a centralized venue in Goa in the absence of fans.

Not only centralized venue, but the ISL will also witness several protocols which will be strictly followed keeping in mind the players’ safety.

This is something that has already been implemented across the world since football restarted after the Covid-19 forced the game to come to a standstill earlier this year. But Indian clubs, as well as the players, are completely new to this ‘new normal’ situation.

Hyderabad FC head coach Manuel Marquez Roca believes that while playing in empty stadiums is not something the players look forward to, but considering the present condition, the decision to organize the league in a centralized venue is the correct step taken by the ISL authorities.

“The pandemic is changing the world, unfortunately, and football is not an exception. We play for the people. They are the most important. Football without spectators is a different kind of football. But all of us are in the same situation,” the Spaniard told Goal.

The former Las Palmas boss also suggested that the players need to have the right mentality to perform during this pandemic.

“Playing the entire League in Goa is the only way that ISL can be played next season,” opined the Spanish boss. “We can't take a risk with the pandemic. It will be very different for players, coaches and all the people who will be around the team. For me, the mentality will be one of the keys. If the team is prepared mentally, we’ll have a good season for sure.”

Marquez further suggested that it will be up to him and his technical team to make sure that the players are motivated and happy throughout the season in order to bring out their best.

“All the people know that we are in an unusual situation but football is an escape route for fans and we have to give them the best possible things. When we play, we have to forget about the pandemic and enjoy the game.

“Football is happiness and we have to remember it. The planning of the technical staff is to try and make sure that the players are comfortable throughout the season and we have to know how every player is at every moment. There will be funny, tedious, happy moments and we have to control all these things as much as possible,” opined the Hyderabad boss.

UiTM FC head coach Frank Bernhardt was sorry that his in-form charges' progress was scuppered by an external factor, in their 3-3 Malaysia Super League round nine draw against Selangor on Saturday.

Despite trailing 2-0 at halftime to the home side, the university side mounted a stunning comeback after the break through goals by Gustavo (48', 58') and Rabih Ataya (52'). But an unfortunate last-seconds handball awarded the Red Giants a penalty, which was then converted by Ifedayo Olusegun for the equaliser.

Speaking to the press after the match, Bernhardt revealed his team's last-minute diffculty heading into the match.

"We got here with 10 players facing stomach problems from the hotel [food]. It started in the morning and two guys even had to be hospitalised. As a result, we were not really in the game in the first half. Selangor played powerfully, maybe a little too powerfully because they weren't able to keep it up in the second half.

"I was a little angry that despite having discussed the instructions before the match and the players saying they understood them, they later failed to execute the plans. Thankkfully when Selangor's intensity dropped in the second half, we were given the space and options. Gustavo did well to keep the ball up and score a brace. 

"We should have come away with the three points after the boys' hardwork. It's good that we were able to take our chances in the second, because now we're 100 per cent safe from relegation," explained the former Malaysia U-23 head coach.

Asked whether he would now use their remaining two league matches to provide their younger players with playing time, the German however said he was adamant to lead them to finish the league campaign as high as possible in the standings.

"We want to take it all the way to the end and finish the season in a good place, in the table. It's a shame that we drew today because Kedah lost today, to Pahang, and the teams near us in the standings will face each other in the remaining matches."

FC Goa is one of the most consistent teams in the Indian Super League (ISL), reaching the play-offs five times out of six so far.

Though they are yet to win the ISL title, the Gaurs evoke passion and following among the lovers of the beautiful game in Goa.

This edition of Goal 's 'Sharp Minds' quiz is for the die hard fans of the Gaurs.

As we see football take a backseat among the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, here's your chance to while away some time.

We will bring you a set of 10 questions, a mixture of easy and tough ones, every week on Indian football. Try answering them on your own (without googling, we hope) and see how much you know about Indian football.

Share your scores with others and showboat. The latest edition of Sharp Minds is right here. Have fun.

NOTE : You are welcome to contact us through social media, if you need any clarification on the answers. We will try, to the best of our abilities, to explain.

Anwar Ali chose not to appear before the AIFF's (All India Football Federation) Sports Medical Committee on Saturday morning, Goal can confirm.

This was after the defender submitted a plea with the AIFF, seeking a hearing to contest his case and explain why he should be allowed to play despite being diagnosed with a congenital heart disease.

Though the federation granted him an audience, he could not present himself before the committee at such 'short notice.'

The Medical Committee comprises of Dr Vece Paes, Chairman, Dr GD Gandhi, Deputy Chairman, and five other members in Dr Harsh Mahajan, Dr Nisha Alvares, Dr Nisith Chowdhury, Dr PSM Chandran, and Dr Pralay Majumdar. 

It is the same committee that recommended to the AIFF not to allow Anwar Ali to engage in any competitive or physical sports, particularly football.

AFC's (Asian Football Confederation) Medical Committee Chairman, Dr Dato Gurucharan Singh, was also ready to be present at the meeting and hear what Anwar had to say.

It was Dr. Singh who had earlier told AIFF that it was a risk to allow Anwar to play. He had said that 'competitive sports activity is associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiovascular death (SCD) in adolescents and young adults with clinically silent cardiovascular disorders.' 

The AIFF's Emergency Committee is expected to take a final call soon on whether Anwar will be allowed to play competitive football in India or not.

But it is likely that the Emergency Committee will stick to the advisory provided by the in-house medical committee and AFC's chief medical officer.

It is understood that Anwar is mulling legal options in case the AIFF decides not to allow him to play professional, competitive football.

Even, when Ali travelled to France in 2019, to be examined by Dr Francois Carre, chief of the medical department of sports medicine at the University Hospital of Rennes, he also opined that the “practice of a competitive sport in competition presented an excessively high risk of a serious cardiac accident." 

In August 2020, the defender went for further investigation at Sonoscan Healthcare Kolkata under cardiologist Dr Ashfaque Ahmed. The medical practitioner opined that the player may engage in physical (contact sport) activity but there is a small risk of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD).

In September 2020, Anwar visited Apollo Gleneagles in Kolkata where he was examined by Consultant Cardiologist Dr Shankha Surbha Das with all the past reports. He confirmed the diagnosis of left apical ventricular hypertrophy and stated that Anwar was not fit for competitive sports.

Then, another Cardiac MRI scan was conducted at Amri Hospital Kolkata by Dr Hirak Ray Chowdhury. The report found Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) and the player was sent to Dr Harsh Mahajan and Dr Nisha Alvares for their opinions.

Dr Mahajan's report stated that the player cannot participate in high impact sports, like football. Similarly, Dr Alvares also concluded that competitive football exposes Anwar to substantial risk to his life which the federation (AIFF) ideally should not take.  

It is highly unlikely that the Indian FA will go against the recommendation of medical experts.

League One side Oxford United were left stranded on Saturday after their bus was unable to transport them to their game against Accrington Stanley. 

The driver was unable to even start the bus after antibacterial spray, used as part of coronavirus protocols, lead to the vehicle being locked as a result of alcohol being detected in the air. 

Without a bus, Oxford had to use taxis and their own cars to get to the game, which they remarkably ended up winning 4-1 despite only just making it to the ground on time. 

Oxford manager Karl Robinson described the crazy circumstances of their arrival and is hopeful their next trip away isn't quite so eventful. 

"It was a great performance at the end of one of the most difficult seven days I have ever had as a manager and my only disappointment is that we couldn’t share it with the fans," Robinson told Oxford's website post-match. 

"We tried to leave the hotel for the ground and the team bus wouldn’t start. We take the protocols very seriously and there is a spray inside the bus that sends out a fine antibacterial mist, but it had got into the sensors and has alcohol in it so was saying the driver couldn’t drive!

"So we had to drive in our own cars and book taxis and got to the ground in the nick of time. I had to say to the referee ‘Hold on, the teamsheet will be here in time but Rob Hall is carrying it and he was in the car behind me!

"We ended up being on time and we went through our warm up properly and then I thought we started the game really well and fully deserved the win. But I’d like to dedicate it to all the fans back home who have stuck with us and who we know would have loved to be with us.

"It’s a day I will always remember and now we move on and prepare for Crewe at home next weekend. Hopefully with a less dramatic build up."

Oxford's win was from straightforward either with only three late goals and a red card to Accrington's Dion Charles securing Robinson's side their first three points of the season. 

There was to be no new manager bounce for Selangor in their matchday nine Malaysia Super League encounter against UiTM FC on Saturday.

The team that had earlier this week sacked head coach B. Satiananthan for poor performances finished the first half with a comfortable 2-0 lead through goals by Ifedayo Olusegun and Sandro da Silva, but a disastrous start to the second half saw them concede three goals to the in-form university side. Only a final-gasp handball penalty spared the blushes for the Red Giants, with Olusegun equalising from the spot.

Selangor technical director and interim head coach Michael Feichtenbeiner explained after the match that things could have gone much better for his charges had they been able to maintain their first half performance.

"I'm not happy with the draw because we had expected to win. In the first half my players did well, dominated the game and created chances, which is not easy against a UiTM that had conceded only one goal after the [post-lockdown] league resumption.

"But after the break we lost our shape a little bit and were affected their dangerous set-pieces, and the 15 minutes period after halftime was a disaster. But one good thing was that the players' kept their morale up and persevered, which helped them equalise at the last minute.

"UiTM had no chances at all in the first half, but in the second, they pulled one back with their very first corner and we started losing focus. My team had been conceding a lot of goals in the past, so they may have been affected by the quick second half goal. We will talk about and work on this for the coming matches because we need to be more stable in defence.

"We need and want to be able to play like we did in the first half, but for throughout the 90 minutes. Even today, after conceding three goals, we slowly got back in the game, pressured [the opponents] thanks to the new substitutions," he said 

Asked by a reporter whether he is confident of winning their last two league matches, against relegation-threatened PDRM FA and Felda United, the German responded in the affirmative.

"We have to work so that we can dominate the match for the 90 minutes and this needs training, training, training, and we want to win against PDRM next week, for sure. 

"I am confident of winning the coming matches. Tonight we scored three times against a team that had conceded only one goal in their previous four matches (UiTM have actually conceded two goals). Offence-wise, we were the much-better team especially in the first half. I'm confident we can win with our current players," explained Feichtenbeiner.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed he "had a little bit of a go" at Marcus Rashford during their dramatic 3-2 win over Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday. 

Solskjaer's side conceded first against the Seagulls and let in an injury-time equaliser, only to claim all three points after Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty that was awarded after the full-time whistle had been blown. 

Rashford scored the Red Devils' second goal of the game after being released by Fernandes in the 55th minute and also had another strike ruled out. 

While an overall promising performance from the England international, Solskjaer admitted he did call Rashford out in the first-half as he looked to ignite the attacker. 

"He was getting better and better. I had a little bit of a go at him halfway through the first-half for a tackle he evaded, but I think his reaction, his sharpness is getting better, he's more direct," Solskjaer said of Rashford post-match.

"You can see his confidence is getting there. Great goal and great run - and great finish for the one that was disallowed as well. And I think Marcus will really kick on this season.

"I’m very happy for Marcus to get that goal. He was just a couple of inches offside on a counter-attack we had, with a great cross from Mason [Greenwood]." 

The goal was Rashford's first in the league this season and comes just days after he also struck in a 3-0 win over Luton Town in the Carabao Cup. 

Rashford scored 22 goals in all competitions last campaign and was recently named as the most skillful player Jadon Sancho has lined up alongside to date.  

Despite his strong stats last season, Rashford felt he could have done much better and has challenged himself to do even move over the next 12 months. 

"I missed four or five months and in my mind, I could have done much more this season. But for whatever reason, it didn't happen," Rashford told the PA News Agency earlier this month.

"I never lose touch with reality and I know next season, I have to come back better than I was last season.

"It was always my dream to play for Manchester United and to play as many games as I have is definitely a proud feeling. But as a player and as a person, it makes me want more and just to keep improving every day."

Antonio Conte enjoyed seeing his substitutions pay off as Inter claimed a roller coaster 4-3 win over Fiorentina in Serie A and believes Christian Eriksen is poised for a better season with the club.

Inter came from behind with two goals in the final five minutes of a wild game in their season opener against Fiorentina at San Siro on Saturday.

Franck Ribery was outstanding for Fiorentina and teed up two goals in the second half, with substitute Dusan Vlahovic squandering a chance to give the visitors a 4-2 lead after another exceptional piece of play from the veteran Frenchman.

Ribery was hauled off after 83 minutes, with Fiorentina taking the chance to give him a rest, but the Viola were then rocked by late goals from Romelu Lukaku and Danilo D'Ambrosio that earned 2019-20 Europa League runners-up Inter all three points.

Inter head coach Conte sent on Achraf Hakimi and Alexis Sanchez, and it was their crosses that led to the late goals. Like Hakimi, former Barcelona player Arturo Vidal was introduced off the bench for a Nerazzurri debut in the second half.

Conte said via Inter's website: "The changes brought benefits. I am happy and the guys know it. It will be a long and tiring season. There will be room for everyone and everyone will be needed.

"The three points are important, we have had many chances and we found the way to goal four times. This is the positive aspect but at the same time we cannot concede three goals like this."

The former Juventus and Italy boss said Inter lacked the right balance between defence and attack.

"In this respect we were not careful and we need to improve," Conte said. "If you want to play high-level championships, balance is the basis of everything."

Conte also saw signs from Eriksen that the former Tottenham midfielder could have a big role to play this season, having struggled to adapt to Serie A last term.

"Compared to when he arrived he has increased the engine revs, he is playing in his ideal position," Conte said.

"I think he had a good game. We are working with him because we know he has important qualities.

"I have faith in him, he is a guy who trains very well and makes himself available to the team. I hope he will soon be able to strike the spark that will take him to the maximum."

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane has no plans to sign new players before the transfer window shuts following his team's thrilling 3-2 win over Real Betis.

Sergio Ramos scored a late penalty as La Liga champions Madrid claimed their first win of the 2020-21 season at 10-man Betis on Saturday.

After Federico Valverde's 14th-minute opener, Betis turned the match on its head with two goals in three minutes via Aissa Mandi and William Carvalho prior to half-time.

Barcelona-owned Emerson scored an own goal three minutes into the second half before being sent off with 23 minutes remaining, and Madrid made the most of their numerical advantage when Ramos converted an 82nd-minute penalty.

Zidane was asked about Madrid's transfer activity pre-game, with the Spanish giants quiet since the market re-opened, having allowed the likes of Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Brahim Diaz to leave.

Quizzed again on possible new signings post-match, Zidane told reporters: "No. We spoke about this before. I'm happy with the squad that I've got.

"We are what we are and we're going to try to have a successful season."

Reflecting on the match itself following Madrid's goalless draw against Real Sociedad in their season opener, Zidane said: "When you're behind it's difficult to change the dynamics of the game but we managed it today. It's crucial to do that every once in a while.

"We had a lot of chances, and people we talk about how we don't score enough but today we hit three and could have had more. I'm very proud of all the players, they're working brilliantly. We have to keep it up."

"The referee is there to review the action," added Zidane after Betis defender Marc Bartra was penalised for handball. "I think that in the end it's just what happened. He's in charge. I never get involved with the referees and I'm not going to get involved today. The most important thing for us is the game we played at a difficult ground.

"We can be happy with the work done, we had to work hard for it and we managed to take all three points, which is the most important thing."

"In the end it was a very complicated, difficult game," he said. "The players have given their all. It's three very important points for us at a complicated ground and against a team who have just won their first two games. We are happy. We know there is a long way to go and that we can and will improve."

Zidane also handed a rare start to out-of-favour forward Luka Jovic, who continues to be linked with a loan move away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

Jovic – playing alongside Karim Benzema – was tripped when through on goal as Emerson was shown a red card past the hour-mark, and Zidane said: "What I was looking for was to play in the opposition's half with a different formation.

"We can play in different ways and one of them is with the two forwards. We can be happy with the game because in the end we got all three points."

Ghana’s Kamal Sowah scored his first brace ever for club and country after finding the net twice in OH Leuven’s 3-2 victory over Gent in Saturday’s Belgian topflight outing.

The midfielder scored in each half as Marc Brys’ men condemned the Buffalos to their fifth defeat in the Jupiler League so far.

In the keenly contested affair at the Ghelamco Arena, the hosts got the first chance at goal after Anderson Niangbo forced goalkeeper Rafael Romo to make a brave save. Few minutes later, Toon Raemaekers blocked a close-range attempt from Gent’s Tim Kleindienst.

The hosts continued to mount pressure on the visitors’ backline as Milad Mohammadi’s shot kissed the wood work. On the other side, Leuven fluffed their first clear opportunity after Mathieu Maertens was lost for ideas in the penalty area despite profiting from Xavier Mercier and Barnabas Bese’s attacking move.

Four minutes before the half-time break, Sowah blasted the ball past goalkeeper Davy Roef after exchanging the ball with Mercier from a corner-kick.

In the 42nd minute, Maertens doubled the visitors’ lead thanks to a fine assist from Thomas Henry.

The 20-year-old completed his historic double in the 48th minute – slotting past Roef with Mercier again credited for the assist.

Leuven suffered a setback in the 54th minute as Burkina Faso's Dylan Ouedraogo was replaced by Pierre-Yves Ngawa due to injury.

Twenty minutes from full time, the Buffalos were awarded a penalty as Bese was punished for handling the ball in the goal area. Niklas Dorsch picked the ball and converted the resulting kick.

Gent levelled matters from the penalty spot three minutes later through Kleindienst after Cote d’Ivoire’s Aboubakar Keita had fouled Ghana’s Osman Bukari.

That strike gave Wim De Decker’s side a glimmer of hope, albeit, they were unable to get the much-needed equaliser as the game ended in favour of the visiting team.

After an impressive shift, Sowah was replaced in the 75th minute by Oliver Myny, while South Africa’s Darren Keet was an unused substitute.

With this result, Sowah's team occupy the seventh position in the league after accruing 11 points from seven games. They welcome Zulte Waregem in their next game on October 3.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hit out at a hectic football calender, claiming "nobody cares about the players".

After a mid-week win over Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup, Guardiola declared he only had 13 fit players as City struggle to bounce back to full strength after a short pre-season. 

Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus have both been sidelined with injury, while Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko are also battling fitness issues. 

Aymeric Laporte and Ilkay Gundogan, meanwhile, are both yet to play this season after testing positive for coronavirus. 

With City set to back up against Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday, Guardiola believes too much is being asked of players at an admittedly tough time for everyone. 

"The reality is what it is. It is not just Man City, it is all the clubs and countries. Nobody cares about the players," Guardiola said. 

"Everyone - the Premier League, UEFA, EFL - has defended their own business and position.

"The players had a two-week pre-season and now they have to play every three days for 11 months. We will not change anything saying the opposite.

"I understand it is an exceptional situation for everyone - restaurants, theatres, cinemas, museums.

"Everyone is struggling. We are not an exception. We have to believe in what we are doing and try and play a good game.

"We have three players who came back from national teams injured. We cannot control that. They let them play two games in four days without preparation. They are not machines."

City face a gruelling next week with their match against the Foxes to be followed by an EFL Cup clash against Burnley on Wednesday before another league game against Leeds United on Saturday. 

After seeing 17-year-old Liam Delap score on debut for City against Bournemouth, Guardiola declared the club will look to give more academy players a chance to step up and play a bigger role during a difficult period. 

"With the situation we have right now, we need players from the academy. We have just 13 players fit," Guardiola said.

"Jason Wilcox is the academy boss who helps us have these players. That’s why you have the academy. When you need players we can use it. It depends on the quality of the player."

Sergio Ramos is not losing sleep over a quiet transfer window for Real Madrid after leading the club to victory against Betis on Saturday. 

The Merengue reclaimed La Liga from Barcelona at the end of the delayed 2019-20 season, but since then have seen far more players leave than arrive at the club. 

Big names like James Rodriguez, Dani Ceballos and Gareth Bale have left for the Premier League, while Madrid have also released Sergio Reguilon, Achraf Hakimi and a host of other players either permanently on loan. 

While there have been plenty of exits, Zinedine Zidane is yet to see a single new player enter his ranks, although the Madrid squad has been boosted by the loan return of Martin Odegaard, who started in midfield against Betis. 

But after his penalty helped secure a 3-2 win in Seville, Ramos was prepared to be patient when it comes to transfer updates. 

"It is not worth feeling sorry for ourselves. We have to show our faces with those of us who are already here, but our lives don't depend on one signing or another," the Blancos captain explained to Movistar after the final whistle. 

Fede Valverde had given Madrid the lead away from home, only for Betis to hit back with two goals in quick succession to take the advantage at half-time at the Estadio Benito Villamarín. 

After the break, though, the momentum swung back towards Madrid, with Emerson putting past his own keeper before Ramos hit from the penalty spot eight minutes from the end to give his side their first win of the 2020-21 season. 

There was plenty of argument over the spot-kick, awarded by VAR for a marginal handball committed under pressure by ex-Barcelona defender Marc Bartra. 

Ramos opted to strike a diplomatic tone over the incident, which left the hosts incensed. 

"I would have to sit down and watch it again, I was far away when it happened and I couldn't judge," he added. 

"We can't change anything, that's football. The referee is there to do the best job he can and I don't think there is anything intentional."

Emile Heskey believes the gesture of taking a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement has become “a gimmick” and diluted the call for real change.

Earlier this week, former England forward and current QPR director of football Les Ferdinand released a statement on the club’s official website, saying: "Taking the knee will not bring about change in the game - actions will."

Asked about Ferdinand’s comments, former Liverpool and England star Heskey supported him, saying: “I think, regardless of what you think about what Les said, you have to listen to his message.

“A lot of times we just hear things and then throw it away. You have to listen to what he is saying.

“We have gone from something that meant something, to it becoming a gimmick. We have lost the message it was trying to make. It was getting diluted.

“It’s great if you take the knee, but what are you doing it for? Where is the change? The message is getting mixed up.

“I understand what Les is saying. We want change, let’s see the change, not just take a knee.

“I’m not saying the knee hasn’t done anything, but let’s act on the message, not just keep taking a knee.

“We are talking about representation, aren’t we? All we’re doing now is talking about the knee, we are not talking about representation.

“We need more open discussions about that and how can we have more representation of people of colour [in coaching and administration].

“Once we have opened those conversations with the right people, then we can talk about change.

“People don’t like change, I don’t like change, but change is good for you. Diversity is good business. It’s good for football.”

Heskey is currently back at Leicester City, his first and hometown club, in an ambassador role which sees him support the development of the women’s game.

Leicester’s women’s team, who play in the Championship, currently have one of just three Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) coaches in the top two tiers, with Jonathan Morgan’s only company in that category being Brighton’s Hope Powell and Charlton’s Riteesh Mishra.

Morgan has been at the club for many years now, alongside his dad, Rohan, who is the chairman, and his sisters Holly and Jade, who have roles as club captain and general manager respectively.

This year, the team, who face Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Women’s FA Cup this weekend, have gone full-time for the first time as they target promotion to the Women’s Super League.

“It’s a progression. You can’t run before you can walk,” Heskey, who played 140 times for the Foxes, said.

“The owners looked at it many years ago, but this is the right time to do it. The Morgan family were doing a wonderful job and felt this was the right time.”

In his new role, Heskey has become a lot more familiar with the women’s game, which he admits he had watched some of during his own playing career, but not much.

“I’d watched it, but I hadn’t really delved into it in that sense,” he said.

“It’s funny, because at school I used to play mixed football and I was okay with that, no problem. But I had never looked at women’s football that seriously.

“It’s only when you see a few games, it comes to you more. It just needed to be pushed into the spotlight more, it needed to be seen.

“There are some wonderful players, wonderful teams and they needed to be in the public gaze more. It wasn’t really there to be watched before but that is changing.

“There was [a stigma against women playing football] when I was younger but that has gone.

“Girls used to be pushed into playing netball and athletics, but why shouldn’t they play football? That is changing and those opportunities are there, chances to progress.

“Girls in Leicester have that opportunity. It’s great we’ve got local leagues but we also have that professional environment to aim for.”

Tammy Abraham revealed the words of wisdom from Frank Lampard that provided the catalyst for Chelsea's comeback in an entertaining 3-3 draw at West Brom .

The Blues were sloppy in defence as the Baggies went 3-0 up inside 27 minutes at The Hawthorns, where Thiago Silva endured a rude awakening on his Premier League debut.

But the visitors were able to breathe a sigh of relief after a second-half revival in which Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi scored before Abraham netted a stoppage-time leveller.

And the England forward praised the impact his manager made at half-time in picking his side up off the floor.

"We all went in and our heads were down and he had to lift us up," Abraham told Sky Sports after the final whistle.

"He said we didn't look like a team ready to go out and win and we needed to pick each other up in the second half.

"Thankfully Mason got the goal which meant we could believe. I knew we'd get chances but to come back from 3-0 is never easy. The boys deserve credit, they kept going."

The opening 45 minutes was a strange spectacle indeed, with Slaven Bilic's men finding themselves three goals to the good despite having very little of the game.

And Abraham conceded Chelsea had made life hard for themselves, while lamenting a missed opportunity of his own.

"In the first half we made it difficult for ourselves. I had a chance I should have put away and one I should be taking at this level," he said.

"They scored from every shot. We knew we had to come out in the second half and not drop our heads – and that's what we did.

"We need to cut out the mistakes as a team so we don't concede. We need to be strong together and keep encouraging one another."

Chelsea are back in action in the Premier League on Saturday, when they host Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

Newly invited Super Eagles goalkeeper Mathew Yakubu conceded three goals as SKF Sered crumbled 3-0 away at FC Nitra in Saturday’s Slovakia topflight game.

The 21-year-old is one of the three shot-stoppers invited by the three-time African champions for October’s friendlies against Algeria and Tunisia.

Sered went to Stadion pod Zoborom on the back of eight games without defeat, however, they put up an abysmal showing to crumble against Gergely Geri’s side.

Yakubu conceded the first goal two minutes into the game after fumbling a long-range shot from Slovak midfielder Martin Adamec.

On the stroke of half time, Michal Fasko’s team turned in a close range shot past the goalkeeper after receiving a pass from Adamac as the hosts went into the half-time break with a two-goal advantage.

In the 52nd minute, the Nigerian was the culprit for his side’s third goal having fouled a goal-bound Nikola Gataric. That earned him a caution from referee Adam Somolani, while Fasko converted the resulting penalty to complete his brace of the night.

Despite a late rally from the visitors, they were unable to rescue themselves from their second defeat of the season.

Yakubu was in action from start to finish for Sered alongside Senegalese defender Tidiane Ba, while his compatriot Bankole Adekuoroye was not considered for selection by manager Peter Lerant.

Following this defeat, they drop to fourth in the Fortuna Liga table having accrued 12 points from eight games, while Nitra are fifth from the same number of outings.

His team would be hoping to return to winning ways when they host struggling Zemplin Michalovce on October 3, 2020.

Yakubu had expressed his delight following his first call-up to Gernot Rohr’s squad.

“It’s a thing of joy to me, it really shows that I’m really working hard and things are going well,” he told Brila FM.

“So, I will continue to do my best when I go to the camp, work together to achieve the goal and aim [of the country].”

Apart from him, Ventspils’ Dele Alampasu and Sparta Rotterdam’s Maduka Okoye are the other goalkeepers invited for the game billed for Austria.

Franck Ribery rolled back the years but Fiorentina were stung by a late Inter rally as Antonio Conte's side snatched a thrilling 4-3 win to launch their Serie A campaign.

Former Bayern Munich winger Ribery created second-half goals for Gaetano Castrovilli and Federico Chiesa as Fiorentina looked set to take the points at San Siro on Saturday, only for Romelu Lukaku and Danilo D'Ambrosio to strike late on.

A dramatic game saw Fiorentina lead early on through Christian Kouame, but Lautaro Martinez scored a majestic equaliser in first-half stoppage time and Inter were in front thanks to a Federico Ceccherini own goal soon after the break.

Ribery then began to run the show, first teeing up Castrovilli after a joyous run down the left, and then when his defence-splitting long pass fed Chiesa.

But with seven minutes remaining, Fiorentina took Ribery off, and Lukaku bundled in an 87th-minute leveller before D'Ambrosio thundered in a back-post header to take all three points

Inter's first competitive game since their Europa League final defeat to Sevilla began with them being caught cold in the third minute.

Cristiano Biraghi's cross from the left opened up the home defence and Kouame tapped in from close range after unselfish play from Giacomo Bonaventura.

Inter were awarded an 18th-minute penalty, but the decision was overturned after a video review, with Martinez shown to have been the player who made the first contact when he and Martín Caceres tangled.

Fiorentina were shaken in first-half stoppage time when Martinez ripped a 22-yard strike beyond Bartlomiej Dragowski and into the right corner.

Luck was then on Inter's side in the 51st minute when Martinez's shot from a couple of yards inside the left edge of the penalty area, heading well off target, was deflected in off Ceccherini.

Fiorentina grabbed a sublime equaliser five minutes later, when Ribery's dribbling at speed had Inter's defence backtracking urgently and the Frenchman's short pass released Castrovilli to find the bottom-left corner from 12 yards.

Ribery was at it again in the 63rd minute, roaming through midfield and threading a terrific ball that Chiesa clipped past Samir Handanovic for Fiorentina's third.

Dusan Vlahovic wasted a chance to give Ribery a hat-trick of assists, after the Inter defence were again drawn to the 37-year-old, whose timely release of the ball found his team-mate in yards of space. Vlahovic shot high and wide, and Fiorentina substituted Ribery in the 83rd minute.

Lukaku, who had wasted a string of chances, tucked home new signing Achraf Hakimi’s cross from the right four minutes later.

And it was cruel on Fiorentina when D'Ambrosio headed Inter's fourth a minute later, connecting powerfully with Alexis Sanchez’s deflected cross from the left.