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Former Ghana forward Kevin-Prince Boateng has shown his support for England stars Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho following their missed penalties in the Euro 2020 final.

After holding Italy to a 1-1 draw at the end of extra-time, the trio were among the five selected players involved in the penalty shoot-out for England.

Andrea Belotti had missed Italy's second attempt and the score was tied at 2-2 before Rashford misplaced his effort followed by Sancho’s strike which was parried by Gianluigi Donnarumma and Saka missed their fifth attempt with the Italian goalkeeper saving it again.

The 3-2 penalty shoot-out loss came as a disappointment to the home fans at Wembley Stadium and it further stretched England’s wait for their maiden European Championship trophy.

Despite criticisms levelled against the three forwards, Boateng shared an encouraging post on social media and he described Rashford, Saka and Sancho as the future of the Three Lions.

"The future looks bright for England! Black young kings. No to racism," the new Hertha Berlin signing wrote on Instagram with a picture of the trio wearing crowns.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have also shown their solidarity with Saka following reports of racist abuse towards the 19-year-old.

“Last night, we saw Bukayo Saka reach the Euro 2020 final at the age of 19 years old,” read the club statement.

“Bukayo has been with us since he was seven and the whole club couldn’t have been prouder to see him represent England throughout the tournament. You could feel it right across the club.

“Last night we witnessed the leadership and character we’ve always known and loved in Bukayo. However, this feeling of pride quickly turned to sorrow at the racist comments our young player was subjected to on his social media platforms after the final whistle.

“Once again, we are sad to have to say we condemn the racism towards a number of black players. This cannot continue and the social media platforms and authorities must act to ensure this disgusting abuse to which our players are subjected on a daily basis stops now.

“We have processes in place internally at Arsenal to ensure our players are supported both emotionally and practically on this issue but sadly there is only so much we can do.

“Our message to Bukayo is: hold your head high, we are so very proud of you and we cannot wait to welcome you back home to Arsenal soon.” 

The depth of quality in Kaizer Chiefs’ squad will see them win the 2021 Caf Champions League at the expense of Al Ahly, according to Dele Olorundare.

Amakhosi – who have never tasted African glory - will be playing in the competition’s final for the first time in their history having silenced Wydad Casablanca in the last four.

To break their lifelong curse in the Champions League, Stuart Baxter’s men must negotiate their way past reigning champions Al Ahly on Saturday at the Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca.

Nonetheless, the striker who helped Nigeria Professional Football League side Sunshine Stars reach the semi-final of the 2012 edition claims the path appears to have been cleared for the FNB Stadium giants to ease their way over the line ahead of the Red Devils.

“Seeing their performance against Wydad, I have no doubt that Kaizer Chiefs will make Al Ahly cry to emerge as African champions,” Olorundare told Goal.

“At the start of the competition, no one gave them a chance to go this far – however, their never-say-die attitude and constant improvement have carried them this far.

“On the pages of newspapers, Al Ahly appear to be favourites but in reality, the result will be settled on the field of play and after 90 minutes or more.

“Chiefs have not lost any of their last four games in all competitions and that is to tell you the quality in [Stuart] Baxter’s squad. 

“All they must avoid on Saturday is the antics of the North Africans and they must not concede first. If this is achieved and they stick to their game plan, I don’t see them losing.”

The Egyptian Premier League side is handled by Pitso Mosimane – who knows so much about Chiefs – having coached Supersport United and Mamelodi Sundowns in the past.

Aside from that, he has won the competition on two occasions. However, the former Nigeria international feels Amakhosi can cause an upset.

“Well, no doubt that Mosimane is a great manager but when it comes to a final like this, all that you have achieved in the past may not be a factor.

“Of course, he has the experience and credentials but mark my words, I don’t see his team stopping the South Africans.”

Should Kaizer Chiefs conquer Africa, they will qualify for the 2021 Fifa Club World Cup in Japan, and square up against Raja Casablanca in the Caf Super Cup.

EA Sports is set to release FIFA 22 in October and has teased a host of new gameplay and graphical improvements, particularly focused on next-gen consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Every year, EA Sports adds new features and tweaks to existing modes in order to entice fans of the game to buy the latest version.

This year promises to be no different, so what uphgrades and changes can we expect from FIFA 22?

Gameplay & graphics upgrades

The main selling point in the reveal trailer for FIFA 22 was HyperMotion technology on next gen consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

EA claims that HyperMotion tecnology "moves the game forward with groundbreaking next-gen HyperMotion gameplay technology that elevates every moment on the pitch."

It uses 11 vs 11 motion capture data as well as machine learning to make matches more realistic than ever before, adding over 4,000 new animations to the game from last year.

AI has been improved in attack and defence to help improve realism even further and make matches feel more dynamic.

HyperMotion technology is only on next gen consoles, but PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC will include all other gameplay changes, including improvements to Ultimate Team, VOLTA and Career Mode.

FIFA Ultimate Team changes

The biggest change to FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) announced so far is the addition of FUT Heroes.

These are former players like ICONs, but assigned to specific leagues to help provide maximum chemistry "giving you new ways to build your dream squad and recreate some of football's most famous moments in FUT 22."

The first nine FUT Heroes have been revealed, but more will be announced in the coming months.

Career Mode improvements

After Ultimate Team, Career Mode is the most popular game mode in FIFA each year.

As a result, it tends to see many improvements each year. EA Sports has yet to reveal many new changes for Career Mode in FIFA 22, but the UEFA Conference League will definitely be added as the third European continental competition.

EA Sports has exclusive rights to the UEFA club tournaments and will include the Conference League as a new addition for Career Mode as well as in Kick-Off matches.

Player Career has been expanded for FIFA 22, with "more ways to progress, achieve, and immerse yourself in your Pro’s journey through the game."

Additionally, you can now Create a Club to replace an existing team in the game and lead them to domestic and continental glory.

Changes to Volta

VOLTA was first introduced in FIFA 20 as a way of bringing back FIFA Street and has been the main story mode for the past two seasons.

It will return in FIFA 22 with an all-new story as well as more online and offline improvements.

Details are scarce so far, with EA Sports confirming that a "Full Reveal" is coming soon for VOLTA.

Leagues and Competitions

One of the biggest selling points of FIFA each year is its realism and that will remain the same for FIFA 22.

Fans are hoping for new leagues to be added for FIFA 22, including the Indian Super League and National League Conference, but so far EA Sports has not commented on whether new domestic competitions will be introduced.

It is certain that the UEFA Conference League will be added for its debut season and it will become a prominent part of Career Mode.

Edouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech have started training with Chelsea ahead of the 2021-22 season.

The Senegal and Morocco internationals were part of the Blues’ 28 players involved at the squad’s Surrey training base on Monday afternoon.

The duo joined the likes of Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tammy Abraham, Marcos Alonso and Tino Anjorin who all reported on Friday.

Others present were returning loanees such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Danny Drinkwater, Davide Zappacosta, Conor Gallagher, Cote d’Ivoire prospect Marc Guehi, former England youth international of Sierra Leonean background Trevoh Chalobah as well as Armando Broja.

Former France youth international of Senegalese descent, Malang Sarr returned to the Stamford Bridge giants after an impressive showing with Ligue 1 outfit Nice in the 2020-21 campaign.

Mendy was signed from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes in a £22m ($31m) deal as the six-time English top-flight kings sought to find greater stability between the sticks as costly errors had crept into Kepa Arrizabalaga’s game.

Mendy proved to be one of the bargain signings, making crucial saves for the Londoners who won the Champions League as well as finished fourth in the 2020-21 Premier League campaign.

Having featured in the Champions League competition’s final against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, the 29-year-old became the first African keeper to play in the final since Bruce Grobbelaar in 1985.

Ex-Nigeria international Ike Shorunmu stated that his rapid development in England has seen him become Chelsea's no. 1 goalkeeper.

“Goalkeepers might not have the pressure but sometimes, it depends on their form. That department is very important,” he told Goal.

“Mendy is improving in every game, right now everybody can see he has the abilities to be the no. 1 for Chelsea. He is doing well and he is good in one-on-one and with aerial balls.”

For 28-year-old Ziyech, he joined the Londoners on February 14, 2020, for a fee of €40 million from Dutch top-flight side Ajax.

In his maiden campaign, he scored two goals in 23 league games. Although he has been linked with a move to Serie A side AC Milan, his future is expected to be settled in the coming days.

Tuchel’s team will take on Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur before squaring up against La Liga side Villarreal in the Uefa Super Cup game scheduled for August 11 at Belfast’s Windsor Park.

Three days later, they will begin their English top-flight campaign against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

Harry Kane has led his England team-mates in an impassioned defence of the handful of squad members subjected to racist abuse after Sunday's Euro 2020 Final penalty heartbreak, stating that anyone who sees fit to hurl slurs is not a Three Lions fan in their eyes.

Gareth Southgate's side were unable to mark their continued progress with silverware, edged 3-2 in a shootout by Italy at Wembley Stadium, after they had ground out a 1-1 draw after extra-time in their first major tournament final for half-a-century.

Misses from Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka ultimately ensured the Azzurri lifted the Henri Delaunay Trophy, with a sadly all-too-familiar torrent of abuse from a vocal minority on social media and beyond aimed at the trio after full-time - but Kane has now studiously headed up a firm response from the players, refuting the actions towards the threesome as "vile".

What has been said?

The bigger picture

England's agonised shortfall against Italy may make for another scar in the sport's national psyche - but also reflects the steps that they have continued to make under Southgate since he took the helm in 2016 with the Three Lions in turmoil.

That he has reached the last four in both major tournaments he has managed bodes well for Qatar 2022 next year, as he hopes to take the nation into another World Cup - while continuing to encourage a more tolerant response across the country.

The social consciousness of his side has proven a key part in their successful formula so far, and the coach will look to ensure that his young players are surrounded with compassion as they pick over the lessons of their heartbreak ahead of September's tournament qualifiers.

Further reading

Group C kicks off in the Gold Cup on Monday, with Jamaica playing Suriname while Costa Rica takes on Guadeloupe in Orlando.

Watch Gold Cup on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

Costa Rica is a three-time champion, but the last time Los Ticos came close to winning was the 2002 final defeat by the USMNT. Jamaica has never won the gold, but recent years have seen the Reggae Boyz go far in the competition. Both sides will be confident of progressing to the knockouts.

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), the games can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Jamaica vs Suriname team news

Head coach Theodore Whitmore has brought a strong roster to the Gold Cup, with Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey the undoubted key player.

Fulham defender Michael Hector has been included, as has former England Under-21 international Liam Moore, while Philadelphia Union trio Andre Blake, Alvas Powell and Cory Burke bring plenty of experience.

Ravel Morrison, who counts Manchester United and Lazio among his former teams, has been picked and will be eager to impress in order to earn a new contract.

Predicted Jamaica starting XI: Blake; Fisher, Moore, Hector, Bell; Mariappa, Morrison, Williams; Bailey, Burke, Nicholson.

Suriname's roster features the likes of Union Berlin forward Sheraldo Becker, Nigel Hasselbaink - nephew of Dutch legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - and Ajax full-back Sean Klaiber, who recently switched allegiance from the Netherlands.

Predicted Suriname starting XI: Hahn, Leerdam, Donk, Haps, Dankerlui, Biseswar, Koolwijk, Malone, Alberg, Hasselbaink, Becker.

Costa Rica vs Guadeloupe team news

An experienced Costa Rica roster has arrived at the Gold Cup, with familiar faces such as Bryan Oviedo, Celso Borges and Bryan Ruiz on the panel.

Former Arsenal forward Joel Campbell is set to surpass a century of caps at the tournament and should lead the attack.

Predicted Costa Rica starting XI: Moreira, Oviedo, Calvo, Duarte, Fuller, Borges, Tejeda, Venegas, A. Martinez, Ruiz, Campbell.

The majority of the Guadeloupe squad competing at the Gold Cup is home-based, but there are a number of Europe-based internationals.

Among them are Sion midfielder Dimitri Cavare and ex-France youth international Matthias Phaeton, who plays for Guingamp.

Predicted Guadeloupe starting XI: Thuram-Uliens, Baron, Alphonse, Irep, Solvet, Hauteville, Cavare, Saint-Maximin, Malpon, Mirval, Phaeton. 

Recent results

Despite not being members of the North American football confederation, Qatar are a participating team in this year's edition of the Gold Cup for the first time in tournament history as a "guest team".

Sixteen teams are involved in the competition – with Qatar the only non-Concacaf side to be included.

So how come Qatar are playing in the Gold Cup this summer? Goal takes a look.

Why is Qatar playing in the 2021 Gold Cup?

The decision to involve Qatar in the tournament stems from a relationship between Concacaf and the Qatar Football Association.

They are one of 13 teams that are currently guaranteed a spot in the 16-team group stage.

Concacaf said in a statement: "Concacaf and AFC have a longstanding relationship that has resulted in various joint initiatives which have served to greatly develop football in both regions, including a referee exchange in which referees from the AFC officiated matches in the 2019 Gold Cup and 2018 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, while Concacaf referees oversaw matches in both the 2018 AFC Champions League and 2019 Asian Cup."

They also added that Qatar were invited as a means to develop the grassroots game: "Another facet of the relationship between Concacaf and the Qatari Football Association (QFA), along with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), is an initiative to grow the game at a grassroots level in North America, Central America and the Caribbean."

Qatar have also been invited to compete in the 2023 Gold Cup.

Previously, South Korea were invited as the Gold Cup AFC guest in 2000 and 2002 prior to their joint hosting of the World Cup.

It is Qatar's first involvement in the Gold Cup but not their first involvement as a guest in a foreign competition, as they – alongside Japan – were invited to play the 2019 Copa America to "fill gaps" in the tournament.

As there are only 10 national teams in South America – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela – CONMEBOL had to invite teams from another federation to compete as a 12-team competition.

This is not the case for Qatar's involvement in the 2021 Gold Cup, however.

Full list of 2021 Gold Cup teams

Atletico Madrid have secured the capture of Rodrigo De Paul from Udinese in a €35 million (£30m/$42m) deal on a five-year contract, the club has confirmed.

The Argentina international joins the Rojiblancos on a half-decade-long deal through 2026, mere days after winning the Copa America with his country.

His capture marks the first major piece of business for Diego Simeone's side as they look to push on from last season's title triumph in La Liga and defend their crown this coming term - and speaking after his medical was completed on Monday, the midfielder expressed his delight at sealing the switch to Spain from Italy.

What has been said?

"I’m very happy, I’m going to join [the] champions and I’m conscious of the responsibility it carries," De Paul stated hin his first official words as a player of the club. "It is a big step in my football career.

"Because of my experience in Spanish football, I know very well Atlético de Madrid, without counting with all the friends and colleagues I have playing in Spain.

“I’m very happy to have the opportunity of working under Simeone. I love football, it’s part of my daily life, and having a manager [like him] s a privilege."

De Paul capture bolsters 

Pursued doggedly by a host of clubs during previous transfer windows, including Premier League side Leeds United, De Paul's arrival at Atletico highlights just how his standing has grown over recent months - and highlights how pleased Simeone will be to get his men, mere days after signing a new deal himself at Wanda Metropolitano.

An Argentine legend himself, the manager will be delighted to bring on board a member of the Albiceleste side that ended their long-term Copa America drought on Saturday, finally handing Lionel Messi the winners' medal missing from his collection.

Under Lionel Scaloni, De Paul has further established himself as a regular fixture within Argentina's midfield, and will likely bring similar control to Atletico as they seek to secure back-to-back titles in La Liga this term following a dramatic race for the crown earlier this year.

Further reading

Taiwo Awoniyi trained alongside Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita as Liverpool commenced their pre-season campaign on Monday.

The former Nigeria youth international was included in the Premier League side’s training tour in Austria alongside Cameroon’s Joel Matip and French star of Malian descent Ibrahima Konate.

“Today is the start of a new campaign for us as we begin our pre-season training programme in Austria,” a statement from the club read.

“We say a big welcome to Ibrahima Konate: just listen to James Milner and everything will be fine!

“Also, it’s a trusted welcome to all the boys who come back from their loan clubs; your experiences for sure will make us stronger during this pre-season.

“Then for all the young talents who have come with us, our message is enjoy and keep this “updated” phrase of Bob Paisley in your mind – we search for a player who nutmegs Virgil van Dijk in training but steps politely aside for him in the corridor.

“Some football rules will never change, that’s what I love so much about this game.”

Awoniyi was signed by Liverpool in 2015. However, he was loaned out to FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Mouscron, Gent, Mainz and Union Berlin owing to work permit issues.

Having received his long-waited permit that would enable him to play in England, he would be hoping to break into Klopp’s team in the 2021-22 campaign.

Last term, Awoniyi scored five goals in 21 German top-flight appearances as Urs Fischer's Union Berlin finished in seventh position after amassing 50 points from 34 matches - which earned them qualification to the Europa Conference League play-off round.

The 19-time English top-flight champions will begin their campaign with an away game versus Norwich City on August 14.

Bafana Bafana attacking midfielder Lebohang Maboe has referred to the just-ended European Championship, as he explains how big-name players do not decide the Cosafa Cup.

The Mamelodi Sundowns star has tipped his team to clinch a fifth Cosafa Cup title despite them being unimpressive in their identical 1-0 victories in two Group A matches. 

After Zambia had summoned an almost full-strength squad at the Cosafa while Zimbabwe also have prominent players at the regional football tournament, Maboe is not carried away by how their rivals are composed.

Bafana have a few well-known players although there are some unknown quantities in their squad and Maboe feels they have enough of an arsenal to be crowned champions.

“Names don’t play the game. It’s about the heart and it’s about how much you want it. We saw that even in the Euros in some of the games; it’s about how much you want it,” Maboe told Sowetan Live.

“I am positive we will win this Cosafa Cup. We’ve got a very good team made up of young players. We are hungry and most of us still want to make a mark in our careers. We have shown in our two games that we really mean business. For any young player growing up, it’s a dream to play for the national team.”

South Africa beat Botswana 1-0 in their opening match, before beating Eswatini by the same scoreline in their second game.

They now prepare to take on Lesotho on Monday in their bid to top Group A and Maboe comes in as one of the experienced players in the squad.

After Covid-19 hit the squad, four players were added including Maboe, Bloemfontein Celtic’s Victor Letsoalo, Baroka FC defender Lucky Siboya and Chippa United utility player Ayabulela Konqobe.

“I am looking forward to adding my two cents worth of experience to help the team lift the trophy. My role is also to guide those who are here for the first time,” said Maboe.

“The most important thing is to express yourself, play with no fear. It’s a great experience being in the national team. For some of these upcoming players, this is a chance to express themselves. They must use this chance to give the coaches a [selection] headache going forward.”

Bafana are being led by Morena Ramorebuli as Helman Mkhalele is out after testing positive for Covid-19 while head coach Hugo Broos is in his native country Belgium.

Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Gor Mahia will look for a foreign head coach to take over at the start of the 2021/22 season.

Goal understands the club's hierarchy has unanimously endorsed the idea of appointing a tactician from outside to steer the club which will be participating in the Caf Confederation Cup. Gor Mahia and Manuel Vaz Pinto entered into a mutual agreement to part ways a few days ago, leaving the club under Sammy Omollo, who deputised for the Portuguese coach.

"The idea of going for foreign experience is supported by the majority of the key decision-makers of the club," a source privy to the agreement told Goal.

"We have experienced great successes with coaches from outside and that does not mean we do not respect our local talents. Any time we appoint a foreign coach, we must ensure the technical bench consists of Kenyans who understand the club and its traditions. Local deputies have always helped their foreign counterparts settle fast and transition without so many problems.

"We can not say all the success we have witnessed before can be credited to the foreign coaches. No, our Kenyan coaches have always played critical roles because they understand the league deeper, they can converse with the players with ease given their understanding of Kiswahili and they also understand our rivals far better.

"But you know, Gor Mahia are a big club that has always competed against big African rivals and in that regard, we will go for coaches who bring something that we might not get in the local market.

"We had Frank Nuttall who won the league with a great record, Dylan Kerr, Hassan Oktay, and Steven Polack all came and lifted the league title. Vaz Pinto came and, despite the challenges we were facing as a club, managed to win the Shield Cup against an AFC Leopards side that was fairly strong compared to the previous teams."

In recent seasons, it is only Gor Mahia who have appointed foreign coaches to steer them while AFC Leopards have interchangeably been under local and foreign coaches. 

Erling Haaland's absence from Borussia Dortmund's pre-season preparations has been laughed off by sporting director Michael Zorc, who quipped that the striker was "already in England" amid heavy transfer speculation.

The Leeds-born Norway international has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks at club level in recent years, backing up an impressive maiden campaign in the Bundesliga with his first bit of silverware after claiming the DFB-Pokal Cup last term.

Such performances have seen a number of potential moves mooted, with Chelsea thought to head a group of Premier League suitors, and his no-show for a fitness test on Monday could have raised alarm bells - but Zorc was quick to shrug off talk of a departure for the 20-year-old.

What has been said?

"Erling is already in England," the sporting director was quoted by Sky Germany, after it was revealed that he had not reported to Dortmund's training complex as scheduled.

The 58-year-old further expounded to Bild over the weekend on Haaland's future however, insisting that they were planning for the 2021-22 campaign with their star forward at their disposal.

"Nothing has changed," he added when asked over whether there could be a departure for the attacker. "We are firmly planning with Erling for the new season,"

The bigger picture

Having put one long-running negotiation to bed this summer with Jadon Sancho's exit to Manchester United, Dortmund have been adamant that they will not let their other young superstar leave this year.

Yet an additional wrinkle in Haaland's contract - which runs through 2024 - means that he could theoretically leave next year for less than the club might be able to sell him for this term, with a reported €75 million (£64m/$89m) release clause there to be executed.

As such, speculation has run rampant that Dortmund could choose to bite the bullet and cash in early this year for a larger sum, though Zorc is yet to suggest that they will budge in their plans.

Further reading

Dajan Simac, the agent of Kaizer Chiefs striker Samir Nurkovic, says he did not need to convince his player to join the Soweto giants in July 2019.

Nurkovic joined Chiefs from Slovaklian lower-tier side Komarno in what was his first time ever to sign for an African club.

Simac says Nurkovic viewed the Chiefs move as “something totally new” in his professional career which saw him playing mostly in Slovakia.

“I got Samir a few months before we made [the] transfer to Chiefs. In his case, I wanted to try something totally new in his career. He saw the move as a new start. Samir immediately agreed. He was the first and only player I didn’t have to convince,” Simac told Sowetan Live.

Nurkovic immediately became a hit in his debut Premier Soccer League season, scoring 13 league goals.

His form dropped a little last term after recovering from an injury but he remained an impact player and now has the Caf Champions League final against Al Ahly on July 17 as a stage to further prove his calibre.

The Chiefs star has witnessed his profile rise and is reportedly wanted by Al Ahly.

It is not only Chiefs who have shown faith in European players but other PSL clubs too.

Mamelodi Sundowns recently announced the signing of Slovak Pavol Safranko who was plying his trade in Romania and his game has been likened to that of Nurkovic.

Maritzburg United has German goalkeeper Marcel Engelhardt who joined the club from Bundesliga 2 side VfB Lubeck.

The Team of Choice recently parted ways with Serb Dusan Stevic and Simac explains why the PSL has become attractive to Europeans.

“Sometimes it’s hard to convince players to come to the PSL. Unfortunately, a big part of them knows nothing about African football and specifically nothing about SA,” said Simac.

“To be honest, I didn’t know [about SA football] as well at the beginning. I understand that players from SA want to move to Europe and to prove themselves. But they also have to understand that in Europe you have leagues that are on a lower level than the PSL. 

“It always depends in which country you wanna move to, hence we see some Europeans come to SA. They come here because other European leagues are below the PSL's standard in terms of competitiveness and maybe even incentives.”

Jude Bellingham has offered his support to Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford following their missed penalties in a Euro 2020 final shootout, with the teenage midfielder pointing out that his England colleagues needed "huge b*llocks just to volunteer".

The Three Lions saw their bid to end a 55-year wait for major international silverware come to an agonising and all-too-familiar close on Sunday when going down 3-2 on spot-kicks to Italy after a 1-1 draw at Wembley Stadium.

Questions have been asked of how Gareth Southgate settled on his five takers, while racist abuse has been aimed in the direction of those who missed, but Bellingham is among those to have talked up the actions of a select few that stepped up under immense pressure.

What has been said?

Bellingham, who made three appearances at Euro 2020, posted on Twitter: "We win together and we lose together. 

"So proud to have teammates with such top character. 

"Takes huge b*llocks just to volunteer. 

"As for the racism, hurtful but not surprising. Will never get bored of saying that more needs to be done. Educate and control the platforms!"

Who else has had their say?

Criticism of those that missed, and those that did not take a penalty, has been knocked back quickly from inside the England camp.

It will, understandably, take time for the disappointment of missing out after coming so close to fade for those that have starred across a memorable summer.

There is, however, still plenty of potential for England to unlock and the hope is that another shot at glory will be taken in at the 2022 World Cup.

Attention is already starting to shift in that direction, with Three Lions captain Harry Kane among those looking towards a bright future.

He has posted on social media after seeing another trophy slip through his grasp: "Last night hurts. 

"It’ll hurt for a long time. But we’ve come so far and broken down so many barriers that this is not the end. 

"We win together, lose together and will regroup together for the World Cup. Thanks for all your support this summer."

Further reading

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies has been diagnosed with ankle ligament damage after withdrawing from the Gold Cup.

Davies was initially named in Canada's 23-man squad for the Gold Cup, but was forced to pull out of the tournament before their opening 4-1 group-stage win over Martinique on Sunday.

The Canadian camp released a statement revealing that the 20-year-old had returned to Allianz Arena to undergo treatment on an ankle issue, and Bayern have now confirmed the full extent of the injury.

What's been said?

The German champions have delivered an update on Davies' condition via their official website, which reads: "Alphonso Davies faces a period on the sidelines at FC Bayern.

"The 20-year-old suffered an LCL tear to his left ankle in Canada’s build-up to the Gold Cup. Davies has now returned to Munich for rehab.

"The injury will be managed without invasive treatment."

How long could Davies be out for?

No official timeframe for Davies' recovery has been given as of yet, but he could be facing between four-to-six weeks on the sidelines before being ready to return to full training.

The good news for Bayern fans is that the Canada international's ankle problem does not require surgery, and they will hope he can return in time for the start of the 2021-22 campaign.

New manager Julian Nagelsmann is set to begin his tenure with a friendly clash against Koln on July 17.

Davies' rapid rise

Davies has emerged as one of the brightest young talents in European football since moving to Allianz Arena from the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2018.

The pacey full-back has already racked up 84 appearances across all competitions for Bayern, recording five goals and 12 assists while winning three Bundesliga titles and the Champions League among a whole host of other honours.

Davies has also won 23 caps for Canada to date, having initially become the youngest player in their history when making his debut at the age of 16 back in June 2017.

Further reading