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The youth tournament might get shifted to a later date due to the Coronavirus pandemic....

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are set to postpone the AFC U16 Championship that is scheduled to be held in Bahrain from November 25, Goal understands. 

Most of the AFC competitions, including the Champions League and AFC Cup, that were to be hosted in a centralised venue were slated to go ahead on schedule, but the governing body might be forced to make an exception for the U16 tournament.

AFC's 2022 World Cup qualifiers had already been postponed along with the draw for the AFC Cup knockout stages.

A couple of the participating nations has requested the apex body of football in Asia to shift the dates as they are not being able to adequately prepare for the tournament due to the worsening Coronavirus situations in their respective countries. 

The tournament was first scheduled to be held from September 16 to October 3 but was postponed to November 25 due to the pandemic. AFC is currently deliberating on their request and might as well postpone the dates for the second time to 2021.

Had the World Cup qualifier gone ahead on schedule, the senior team was supposed to start their training abroad. The India U16 team would also have started training abroad if the tournament had gone ahead on schedule.

The 2020 AFC U16 Championship will feature 16 teams - 12 of them qualified after winning their qualification groups while four best runners-up were also handed a spot.

The format for the final tournament will feature four groups of four teams each. The winner and runner-up in each group will progress to the quarter-finals.

India qualified for the 2020 AFC U-16 Championship finals in September 2019 as the table-toppers from Group B. With two wins and a draw, India managed to pick up seven points from three matches to finish above Bahrain, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan in the qualifiers held in Uzbekistan.

Before going into the AFC U-16 qualifiers, the colts also enjoyed a 11-match winning streak. They built on their performance and finished with an unbeaten record in the qualifiers and boasted a goal difference of +10. 

This was for the ninth time that India managed to qualify for the finals, having done it earlier in 1990, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2018 editions of the competition.

The top four teams of the AFC U-16 Championship finals qualify for the U-17 World Cup as representatives of the AFC.  

 

 

Original author: Soham Mukherjee

Man Utd step up plans to expand Old Trafford & Carrington

The Special One was caught on camera delivering some stinging barbs towards his players

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho told right-back Serge Aurier he was scared of his 'sh*t' defending prior to the Ivory Coast international scoring the go-ahead goal in an incredible Champions League comeback.

Vision has emerged in the upcoming Amazon documentary All or Nothing of the Portuguese tactician berating Aurier in the pre-match team-talk prior to Spurs' November home match against Olympiakos

In what was only his second game in charge of the North London club following the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino a week earlier, Mourinho delivered a message about marking at set pieces before directing criticism toward Aurier in front of the entire team.

"Serge, you are a marker. You speak good English?" Mourinho asked to which Aurier nodded with confirmation.

"I am afraid of you as a marker. Because you are capable of doing a sh*t penalty with VAR. So I am telling you already, I am afraid of you."

Tottenham ended up down 2-0 in the match as half-time approached before Dele Alli pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time.

Harry Kane forced the equaliser five minutes after the break before Aurier popped up with the goal to put Spurs ahead in an eventual 4-2 victory.

During the documentary, Mourinho is also seen trolling Davinson Sanchez over the centre-back's defeat while playing for Ajax in the 2017 Europa League final.

Mourinho was managing the winners of the trophy at the time - Manchester United - and he tells Sanchez that he and his Ajax team-mates were 'sh*tting themselves'.

"I won the game minute one," Mourinho said to Sanchez with a smirk.

Mourinho is seen giving tough love to other Spurs players during the production, including Dele Alli, who he accused of being a lazy trainer before admitting Sir Alex Ferguson wanted him to sign the English midfielder at Manchester United.

In a speech to Harry Kane, Mourinho promises to use his own box-office appeal to lift the profile of the club's star striker, who admits he wants to be like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"I think we have to build your status in that direction [of becoming like a movie star]," Mourinho said to Kane in their first meeting after he was appointed coach.

"My profile, I am a little bit, I am a little bit that as a coach. The reality is that my dimension is universal and by being with me, I can help you too."

Kane replied: "That's my aim. When you are at a club like Tottenham, of course we have done well and I have done well but I want to be like Ronaldo, like Messi."

Original author: Kieran Francis

Randers 1-3 Leicester (2-7 Agg): Player ratings as Foxes cruise into Conference League last 16

Having played under the current Inter manager, the new Bianconeri boss outlined the way he wants his team to play.

Juventus could end up playing like Antonio Conte's Bianconeri teams next season after new boss Andrea Pirlo outlined his desired tactics.

Pirlo had never previously held a senior coaching position when Juve promoted their U-23 team boss to replace Maurizio Sarri on August 8.

Moreover, Pirlo had only been in charge of Juventus' young second string for a week, so there has been little indication of how he wants his teams to set up.

However, at his introductory press conference on Tuesday, the 41-year-old spoke glowingly about the Juventus sides he played in under Conte between 2011 and 2014.

The Bianconeri won the title in all three seasons Conte and Pirlo were together, and the new coach wants to bring back some of the characteristics of those teams.

"Maybe we can reach that level of desire and cohesion," Pirlo told reporters.

"But that's what I would like to bring back - those principles, that DNA of work and sacrifice, of sweating for each other and only in this way can you reach goals."

Sarri led Juve to a ninth successive Scudetto but paid the price for another disappointing Champions League campaign, which ended in a last-16 loss to Lyon.

As was the case when he held the reins at Chelsea, Sarri's tactics were also questioned, and Pirlo has already told the squad how he wants to go about things in Turin.

"I want to bring some enthusiasm, what has been missing in the last period," Pirlo added.

"I want to propose a proactive football, and domination of the play, as I told the lads yesterday.

"I told them two things - the first is that you must always have the ball, the second is that it must be recovered quickly.

"These are the first two tactical things I said and believe in. They are the most important mental things for the team to enter."

Juventus have already made their first signing ahead of next season, with Arthur arriving from Barcelona after an underwhelming two-year spell in Catalonia.

With Miralem Pjanic heading in the opposite direction, Arthur will be expected to play a major role in midfield, as Pirlo did during his playing days.

"I have seen and admired him," Pirlo added of Arthur.

"He is a construction midfielder who can fill multiple roles - as a director, a midfielder, a midfielder of two. He has quality and will be useful."

LIVE: Napoli, Barcelona meet again in Europa League

The Nigerian manager's hopes of leading the Albanian champions to the group stage were dashed after Tuesday defeat

Ndubuisi Egbo's KF Tirana have been eliminated from the Uefa Champions League after suffering a 1-0 loss against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday.

After shattering three Champions League records last week as the first Nigerian coach to manage a team and win a game in the elite European tournament, Egbo's men bowed out to a 61st-minute goal.

Following a goalless first-half in Tirana, Tomane scored the only goal that separated both teams and sent the Serbian champions to the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

Ghana's Richmond Boakye was an unused substitute for Red Star Belgrade in the encounter but Gabon's Guelor Kanga and Ivory Coast's Sekou Sanogo were in action for the visitors.

Last Wednesday, Egbo who led KF Tirana to win the Albanian SuperLiga last season made a commanding statement as his side defeated Georgia's Dinamo Tbilisi 2-0 in the first qualifying round.

The defeat came as an upset for Egbo who was aiming to qualify the Albanian champions for the Champions League to make a statement.

The 47-year-old manager was a former Nigeria goalkeeper and he played for the Super Eagles between 1999 and 2002.

He played 12 games for the West African country which include appearances at the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Egbo featured for KF Tirana during his playing career, and he returned to join the club's backroom staff as a goalkeeper coach in 2014 before his appointment as a manager in 2019.

Original author: Taiye Taiwo

West Ham confirm 27% investment from Czech group

The Netherlands international has suffered myocardial issues in the past and was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)

Daley Blind collapsed and was taken from the field during Ajax's pre-season friendly against Hertha Berlin on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old dropped to the ground during the latter stages of the match with concerned teammates rushing to his side.

Blind was diagnosed with inflammation of the heart muscle in December 2019 after suffering dizziness during Ajax's Champions League defeat against Valencia.

The ex-Manchester United star was subsequently fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) after the incident and returned to full training in February.

Ajax coach Erik ten Haag confirmed that there was an alert sent by Blind's ICD as he fell to the pitch during the Hertha match.

"Daley Blind's ICD went off," Ten Haag said to Ziggo Sport. "He got subbed off straight away and he is feeling OK now, he is feeling fine. We will do research about this now."

Having already spent two months out of the game following the initial heart diagnosis in December, Blind faces another spell on the sidelines while doctors ascertain what caused the collapse.

Born in Amsterdam, Blind joined Ajax's youth academy at the age of eight and worked his way up the ranks before making his debut in 2008. He spent six years at the club in a variety of midfield and defensive roles before earning a move to Manchester United in 2014.

Blind returned to Ajax in 2018 and was a part of their famous run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, where they fell short against Tottenham courtesy of Lucas Moura's dramatic winning goal.

The initial heart incident last year came as a shock with Blind's senior career featuring more than 350 matches across 12 years including 69 caps for the Netherlands. Across his career, he has won six Eredivisie titles with Ajax while also lifting the KNVB Cup on one occasion.

Blind failed to win the league while at United, but was a part of four trophy triumphs including the Europa League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Community Shield.

Ajax are currently preparing for the start of the 2020-21 Eredivisie season, after the previous campaign was abandoned with no winner due to coronavirus.

Original author: Kieran Francis

Ranking Neymar's 10 wildest hairdos as he reveals Batman symbol

Goal takes a look at the biggest transfer news and rumours from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and around the world
Original author: Goal

'I could have achieved results but didn't get time,' claims former India head coach Armando Colaco

The Nigeria international scored his second goal in the Saudi top-flight on Tuesday evening

Ahmed Musa scored a goal as Al Nassr secured an emphatic 6-1 victory against Al Adalah in a Saudi Pro League encounter.

The 27-year-old attacker scored the hosts' third goal at the King Fahd International Stadium in the 28th minute after strikes from Morocco's Abderrazak Hamdallah and Giuliano in the first 20 minutes.

Musa's second goal of the season came a fortnight after he opened his 2019-20 goal account against Abha on August 10.

Madagascar forward Charles Andriamatsinoro pulled a goal back for bottom-placed Al Adalah but it was not enough to inspire a comeback as Giuliano and Hamdallah compounded their woes with a goal each before the interval.

Musa who made his 22nd appearance in the Saudi top-flight on Tuesday, was on parade for 45 minutes before he was replaced by Khalid Al Ghannam.

Nordin Amrabat was also in action for Al Nassr and he contributed two assists for Rui Vitoria's men who are aiming to catch up with league leaders Al Hilal.

The Riyadh-based club are second in the Saudi Pro League table with 57 points after 27 matches, and they are six points behind Al Hilal with three league fixtures to go.

On Saturday, Al Nassr will be looking to extend their four-game winning streak when they host Al Feiha for their next league outing at the King Fahd International Stadium.

Original author: Taiye Taiwo

Barcelona presidential candidate Farre to present vote of no confidence against Bartomeu amid Messi exit shock

Members of the club will be eligible to sign the motion, which could result in the current president being forced out of Camp Nou

Barcelona presidential candidate Jordi Farre has announced that he will present a vote of no confidence against current president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Wednesday morning.

Farre's move came on a day when Lionel Messi demanded to leave Barcelona by activating a clause in his contract that would allow him to depart on a free transfer.

All members of Barcelona will be eligible to sign the motion against Bartomeu, which will proceed if it receives enough signatures. In the event of a vote, Bartomeu will be forced out if at least 66 per cent of the total are against him.

Messi's decision took place amid a backdrop of intense turmoil at Barca which was sparked by the club's 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final earlier this month. 

Following on from that embarrassing loss, head coach Quique Setien and technical director Eric Abidal both left the club with Bartomeu under increasing pressure. 

That pressure was turned up even more on Tuesday, with Barcelona fans descending on Camp Nou to voice their displeasure over the uncertain future of Messi. Many were demanding Bartomeu step down.

Farre took to social media to announce his move as he looks to continue putting pressure on Bartomeu ahead of the club's presidential elections in March.

"Tomorrow at 9am I will present a vote of censure against Bartomeu and his board of directors," Farre tweeted. "For the sake of Barca we cannot allow them to continue for another minute."

On Sunday, Farre made headlines when he said he said he has held talks with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's representatives over taking the same role at Barca, despite Ronald Koeman just being appointed the club's new head coach.

"Obviously, we have our roadmap and we had already started several conversations with Jurgen Klopp, because it seems to us that Barca need such a coach," Farre told Sport.

Pressed on whether Koeman is the right appointment for Barca at present, Farre responded: "It is an exceptional moment and Koeman is a good solution considering that he is a legend of Barcelona, ​​a benchmark. Because of his character, I think that was what the club needed now. I wish him the best because the challenge is huge."

 

Original author: Goal

Mourinho reveals the one piece of advice Sir Alex Ferguson gave him at Manchester United

The Red Devils legend told the Portuguese manager to sign one player during his time at Old Trafford
Original author: Josh Thomas

Valencia confirm agreement with Leeds for £27m Rodrigo deal

The Spanish side has announced yet another departure as the forward heads to the Premier League to join the newly-promoted West Yorkshire side

Valencia have confirmed that the club has reached a deal with Leeds United over the transfer of star striker Rodrigo.

Reports have linked the Spanish forward with a €30 million (£27m/$35m) move to Elland Road, with Goal learning on Tuesday that officials from Leeds had flown to Spain to figure out terms of a deal.

The forward is one of a number of Valencia stars reportedly told that they will be allowed to leave this summer, with the club already selling Ferran Torres, Dani Parejo and Francis Coquelin in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Now the club has confirmed that Rodrigo will become the latest Valencia regular to depart the Mestalla, with the club announcing that an agreement has been reached with Leeds.

"Valencia have reached a preliminary agreement with Leeds United this Tuesday for the transfer of footballer Rodrigo Moreno, at the expense of completing all the documentation and other formalities and passing the mandatory medical examination," the club said in a statement.

"Valencia want to thank him for his commitment and effort over the last six seasons - in which he has played a total of 220 games, scored 59 goals, and helped to win a cup title. Valencia wish him all the best in this new stage of his sports career."

Rodrigo originally joined Valencia in 2015, having emerged with Benfica after originally coming through Real Madrid's academy. He instantly became a regular for the club, playing both out wide and as a central striker throughout his five years at the Mestalla.

It was during his time with Valencia that Rodrigo also emerged as a regular for Spain, earning 22 caps while earning a place in the 2018 World Cup squad.

In January, the 29-year-old attacker was linked with a big-money move to Barcelona, but Valencia nixed a deal after Barca refused to meet their asking price of €60m (£51m/$66m).

Now, the club will sell for roughly half that price as Rodrigo moves to Elland Road to join the Premier League newcomers.

Leeds have already made several signings ahead of their top-flight return with Helder Costa, Illan Meslier, Joe Gelhardt and Cody Drameh signing permanent deals while Manchester City winger Jack Harrison has returned to the club on loan.

The club will begin their Premier League season against champions Liverpool on September 12.

Mikel scores first Stoke City goal in friendly win over Shrewsbury Town

The former Super Eagles captain made a goalscoring debut for the Championship outfit on Tuesday
Original author: Taiye Taiwo

'You should ask Man Utd, Man City or PSG' - Napoli president De Laurentiis deflects questions over Koulibaly's future

The 29-year-old has been tipped to join a club in the Premier League or Ligue 1, but the Serie A side continue to insist he won't be sold cheaply

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has deflected questions over the future of defender Kalidou Koulibaly, saying that they should be answered by Manchester United, Manchester City and PSG.

Koulibaly has long been linked with a move to a bigger club, with several of Europe's top sides watching the 29-year-old's performances in Italy closely.

De Laurentiis was asked again about Koulibaly's future on Tuesday and instead directed the question towards a few of the only sides he believes can afford the Senegal star.

“You should ask Manchester United, City or PSG this question,” he said. “In other words, those who can afford to pay certain amounts."

Referring to Koulibaly and in-demand midfielder Allan, De Laurentiis sent out a warning to clubs he called "buzzards", who are looking to Napoli for a bargain.

“I see many buzzards on the transfers market," De Laurentiis continued. "You know who they are, they seem to be waiting to swoop in, but we have impenetrable armour and they won't get what they want or at the prices they want."

Though he issued a warning on Tuesday, De Laurentiis did admit last month that Koulibaly could be sold if his asking price is met.

"Kalidou is a great person, I would be terribly sad to lose him - but there is a time for everything, even to move apart," De Laurentiis told Sky Italia.

As reports over a move to City continue to circulate, the club's former captain Richard Dunne tipped Koulibaly to join Pep Guardiola's side, a club he says still needs a leader to replace Vincent Kompany.

“They have spoken about Koulibaly for a while and they are looking for a leader, they are looking for someone to replace Vincent Kompany. It’s been a problem when Vince was here and he was injured, they missed a centre-back of that style," Dunne told Sky Sports.

Dunne also said City should be interested in RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano, who impressed in his side's run to the Champions League semi-final. 

“If they do go for him [Koulibaly], it’s a good signing," Dunne continued. "He’s a bit older than the usual age bracket of signing players and we’ve seen in the Champions League how good Upamecano has been, so maybe he’s a player that might be of interest to them."

Original author: Goal

Eni Aluko turns out for Sunday league side after being signed for a fiver on eBay

The Three Lions are looking to youth under their current boss, but the Gunners winger was left out for matches against Iceland and Denmark

Gareth Southgate has explained some of his England squad selection decisions, including not picking a left back in the 23-man selection.

Leicester City's Ben Chilwell is suffering from a heel injury and Manchester United's Luke Shaw has an ankle problem. Newcastle United's Danny Rose has been selected in the past but Southgate didn't think his club displays have been up to scratch.

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka played 17 times at full-back for his club but Southgate sees him as more of an attacking option and is looking at a future call up for the breakthrough star in North London.

“He's obviously with the Under-21s this time and I feel he's more of an attacking player," he added. "I know he's played at left-back and he's given good contributions there in an attacking sense certainly.

"At the moment left wing-back, left side higher up the pitch, I know he's played in midfield and on the right as well but that they would be his better positions. He’s a very exciting player.

"It is still early for him but he's a player we like and we monitoring very closely. I think Phil, in particular, has been patient for his opportunity. We've taken our time with that but yeah Saka had a very good season with Arsenal, not in the team at the very end but really good season of progress and he's a player watching very closely."

Europa League finalist Ashley Young was another option, as he plays at left-wing back under Antonio Conte for Inter, and did so for England in the last World Cup.

Southgate went onto say that he is looking to younger options ahead of Euro 2020, which has been moved to 2021.

He said: "Ashley was a fantastic member of our squad in Russia. I'm so pleased for him how he has gone on at Inter and continued to impress – when we didn't select him post-Russia it was about trying to bed in some younger players and a competition like the Nations League is a good time to do it.

"For players like Ashley Young and Jamie Vardy, if you were heading to a major tournament, they are players you would have to think about taking."

Elsewhere in his squad, Southgate opted for Man United's Mason Greenwood and Manchester City's Phil Foden over Aston Villa talisman Jack Grealish.

The teenage duo will make their debuts in the UEFA Nations League against Iceland or Denmark, and are among potential first-timers selected along with Man United stopper Dean Henderson and Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

Southgate has since announced the dropping of Harry Maguire from the England squad following a guilty verdict in Greece after he was charged with aggravated assault.

Leaving out Grealish and Leicester City's James Maddison has proved controversial, but Southgate moved to explain his decision to blood Greenwood and Foden in the senior set up.

“Maddison is actually injured," Southgate began. "With Jack, the simple answer is Mason Greenwood. He’s competing in my view against Greenwood, Rashford, Sancho and Raheem. I know Villa have played him as an eight, I don’t see him in that role for us.

"He could play as a 10 but we haven’t played with a 10. But also some of those other players I’ve talked about would be very good 10s as well. He’s a talent, there’s no doubt about that. But, I think Mason Greenwood’s performances [have been great].

"The others have been with us for a long time and have produced and performed well for us. Mason’s form, his goal-scoring ability and his maturity was impossible to leave him out.

"I think we’re four get-togethers away from a European Championship and we felt now it’s important to involve Mason and Phil with us, let’s see how they adapt, we think they’re good enough.

"They’re going to provide massive competition for places. Jack is unfortunate and I’ll be getting crucified by the Villa fans who’ve still never forgiven me for leaving for Middlesbrough anyway - but c’est la vie, I did pick Tyrone Mings so it’s not a club thing.”

Original author: Nizaar Kinsella

PSG predicted lineup vs Benfica - Champions League

The Nigeria striker could not prevent the Spanish top flight giants from losing against Wolfsburg in Tuesday’s semi-final

Asisat Oshoala’s Barcelona were eliminated from the Women's Champions League following Tuesday's 1-0 defeat by Wolfsburg at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian.
 
The Nigeria captain was aiming to inspire her side to glory this year after she came off the bench last May against Lyon to become the first African to score in the final of the competition last May.

However, a solitary strike from Fridolina Rolfo sent the German outfit through to the semi-finals as Oshoala and her Spanish side were made to pay dearly for their wastefulness.

Lluis Cortes' side went into the semi-final on the back of a 1-0 win over Spanish rivals Atletico Madrid in a quarter-final knockout contest at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao last Friday.

With Oshoala spearheading the head for Barcelona, they made a bright start as Mariona Caldentey set up the Nigerian to score the opener, but her effort went wide in the eighth minute.

Six minutes later, she had her attempt blocked by the Wolfsburg defence before another glorious chance slipped away after she was played through by Caroline Graham Hansen in the 37th minute.

After the break, Rolfo profited from Svenja Huth's botched overhead effort to lash in the winner in the 58th minute.

The four-time African Women's Player of the Year was in action for 65 minutes before being replaced by Aitana Bonmati, but she was unable to rescue the Spanish giants from crashing out.

With the defeat signaling the end of the dream of European glory for Barcelona, the Nigeria international managed one goal in five appearances for the Catalans in this year's competition.

The result means Wolfsburg have maintained their one hundred-percent record over Barcelona, and they advance to face the winner of Wednesday's semi-final between holders Lyon and French rivals Paris Saint Germain.

Original author: Samuel Ahmadu

Mbappe's magic goal sees France beat Sweden

Supporters have been left enraged by Tuesday's news, with it appearing that the Argentine could be on the way out

Barcelona fans have gone to the Camp Nou to voice their displeasure over the uncertain future of Lionel Messi.

The Argentine informed the club on Tuesday that he does not wish to continue at Barcelona, and it appears the forward is set to exit the only professional club he has ever represented.

The news comes in the wake of Barcelona's embarrassing 8-2 drubbing at the hands of Bayern Munich that sent them out of the Champions League. That loss led to the dismissal of manager Quique Setien, with Ronald Koeman brought in as his replacement, while sporting director Eric Abidal was also sacked in the wake of the defeat. 

President Josep Maria Bartomeu, meanwhile, has decided to stay on through to at least the election in March, stating that he believes Barca's issues are of a sporting nature.

Although his contract is set to expire at the end of the 2020-21 season, Messi and his legal team believe that a clause in his contract will allow him to terminate his deal.

However, he could be in for a fight as Barca will no doubt be desperate to hold on to their star man.

As the news began to emerge that Messi wished to leave, fans marched to the club's home stadium to voice their frustration with the club for their role in his decision.

With an emergency board meeting in progress inside, fans gathered while chanting "Messi stay" and "Bartomeu resign".

Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez and former team-mate Carles Puyol were among those to tweet their support for Messi, only adding more legitimacy to the fact that he could be leaving the club.  

Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart, meanwhile, believes that Messi will be unable to leave the club for free this summer, despite the player's wishes, adding that him leaving would be even more embarrassing than the loss to Bayern.

Another former president, Joan Laport, called on Bartomeu to resign as he demanded the club do whatever it takes to keep Messi in Barcelona.

"Bartomeu and his Board must resign immediately," Laport said on Twitter. "They have been undermining the morale of Messi to save themselves from the economic and sporting turmoil they have created. If they resigned there would still be hope that Messi would stay at Barca."

Katsande: Experience won't count when Kaizer Chiefs face Mamelodi Sundowns

The Amakhosi midfielder says they are not shaken as they are preparing to face Masandawana
Original author: Phumzile Ngcatshe

Elneny makes scoring return for Arsenal against MK Dons

The Egyptian midfielder marked his first game for the Gunners since May 2019 with the opening goal at Stadium MK

Mohamed Elneny made a goalscoring return in his first Arsenal match since 2019 as they defeated League One side MK Dons 4-1 in a pre-season friendly fixture.

The 28-year-old made an immediate return to the Gunners' starting XI on Tuesday after returning from his loan spell at Besiktas last week.

In the fifth minute, Elneny capitalised on goalkeeper Lee Nicholls' poor clearance to break the deadlock at Stadium MK from 35 yards.

It was his first goal for Arsenal since he scored in their 6-0 bashing of BATE in a Uefa Europa League outing back in December 2017.

Anglo-Nigerian Bukayo Saka was also on parade for Mikel Arteta's side and he turned provider for their second goal as he assisted Eddie Nketiah to double the lead in the 10th minute.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was also in action for the first 45 minutes, but he was unable to find the back of the net before trio were replaced at the break.

Second-half goals from Mark McGuinness and Reiss Nelson sealed the victory for the Premier League side after Rob Holding's own goal halved the deficit for MK Dons in the first-half.

Tuesday's match in Milton Keynes was a preparatory outing for Arsenal ahead of their Community Shield game against Premier League champions Liverpool at Wembley on Saturday.

Following the strong statement he made on Tuesday, Elneny will be aiming to cement his spot in Mikel Arteta's team.

During his loan spell in the Turkey, the Egypt midfielder contributed a goal and three assists in 27 Super Lig appearances but Besiktas did not trigger the option to make his stay permanent.

He joined Arsenal from Basel in 2016 and in 2018, he signed a contract extension that will keep him in North London until June 2022.

Original author: Taiye Taiwo

Video: Breaking News: Messi hands in transfer request

Lionel Messi has sensationally told Barcelona that he wants to leave the club with immediate effect
Original author: Goal

Leverkusen star Bailey forced into quarantine after attending Usain Bolt's birthday party

The Olympic gold medalist confirmed he has coronavirus after hosting a bash on Friday for his 34th birthday

Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey has entered self-isolation after attending a birthday party on Friday in Jamaica for Usain Bolt, who subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.

The 23-year-old is still in his native Jamaica, where he has been quarantined after the news of the Olympic champion sprinter's positive test. Bailey is set to fly back to Germany, where he will continue isolating.

team statement said: "Bailey has been in constant contact with the Bayer 04 medical director and pandemic officer Dr. Karl-Heinrich Dittmar since the announcement of the former sprint star’s infection, and is set to fly back to Germany under strict hygiene protocols.

"Before the flight chartered by the player takes off, Bailey, who has to be in isolation at all times, is in self-isolation at a private address after an agreement between the 23-year-old, the club and the local health authority in Jamaica.

"On arrival in Leverkusen, Bailey will remain in self-isolation and regularly undergo testing by an independent laboratory.

Dr. Dittmar added: "Contact with the team and Bayer 04 staff will obviously only happen again when there is absolutely no risk of infection or others being infected."

According to Sky, Manchester City and England star Raheem Sterling also attended Bolt's party but has tested negative for the virus.

Eight-time gold medallist Bolt posted a video on social media Monday confirming his diagnosis, saying he was asymptomatic.

“I’m just waking up, and like everybody else I checked social media which is saying I am confirmed to have Covid-19. I did a test on Saturday to leave because I work. I am trying to be responsible so I am going to stay in and stay here for my friends," Bolt said.

“I’m having no symptoms so I am going to quarantine myself and wait on the confirmation, to see what is the protocol and how I should go about quarantining myself. Until then, I am saying anyone who has had contact with me should quarantine by themselves just to be safe, and just take it easy.”

Leverkusen are set to begin their pre-season preparations later this week as they look to improve on their fifth-place finish in Bundesliga last season.

Original author: Goal

Video: Breaking News: Harry Maguire found guilty; given suspended sentence

England and Manchester United defender, Harry Maguire, has been found guilty of that charges against him and has been handed a suspended sentence
Original author: Goal

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